Institute of Politics Policy and History

Engagement Communication Education

Defining Fathers Legacy Series
	Lincoln: A Providential President May 21, 2024 Panelists: Sharon Pratt - Former D.C. Mayor and IPPH Founding Director Michael Steele - Host of MSNBC’s The Weekend Christopher Bonner, PhD -University of Maryland, College Park, Associate Professor, History Michael Burlingame, PhD - University of Illinois, Springfield Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies	View Program Here Part 1 View Part 2 Here
	Frederick Douglas September 14, 2024 Panelists: Sharon Pratt - Former D.C. Mayor and IPPH Founding Director Michael Steele - Host of MSNBC’s The Weekend David W. Blight - Sterling Professor of American History, Yale University and Author, Frederick Douglass, Prophet of Freedom Leigh Fought - Associate Professor of History, LeMoyne College and Author, Women in the World of Frederick Douglass	View Program Here
	President Grant - An Inclusive President February 17, 2025 Panelists: Rev. Mark Thompson – Radio and TV Host, Political Analyst, and IPPH Senior Advisory Committee Member Sharon Pratt – Former Mayor and IPPH Founding Director Dr. Brooks D. Simpson – ASU Foundation Professor of History, Arizona State University Dr. Anne E. Marshall – Executive Director, Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, Mississippi State University	View Program Here
Thank you for making the Defining Fathers Legacy Series successful! With your support IPPH shared incredible stories about our city and our nation.

MultimediaGallery coming soon

What We DoIPPH Programs

Symposia and Speakers

The IPPH Speakers Series hosts spirited, constructive speakers and symposia around the issues of the day with nationally renowned leaders from historical, national and local context. Stay up to date, suggest topics, or submit proposals by clicking the link below.

Pantheon of Panelists

State of Play - State of Play is 3.5-year-old public affairs show that convenes subject matter experts, historians and people with lived experience to discuss issues important to communities of color. We encourage conversation with guest experts and with the community at-large. State of Play Programs aired on Black News Channel and are currently on State of Play Youtube Channel.

IPPH on Air: IPPH On Air is hosted by former DC Mayor and the Institute of Politics Policy and History’s Founding Director, Sharon Pratt. During each program, we take a deep dive into pressing issues of the day, exploring them through the lens of comparable historical events in our city - Washington, D.C. - and the nation. Each podcast features a diverse panel of compelling, expert personalities who can speak with authority on critical contemporary issues, always bracketing conversations with relevant historical insights.

See Past events

Resident Fellows

IPPH Resident Fellows are award-winning film-makers, poets and writers, activists, and experts in subjects as diverse as art, film, literature, history, race relations, foodways and sports. In live and virtual programs, they gather knowledgeable and engaging speakers to discuss the history and culture of Washington, DC.

Internships

IPPH encourages undergraduate and graduate students from UDC and area universities to participate in our work of discovering and presenting the history and culture of Washington, DC and hosting conversations that examine the issues of the day from a local and national context and always with relevant historical insights. Your experience and expertise are valuable to us. At this time, we are looking for social media interns.

Click here to apply

"A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it."

Frederick Douglass

IPPH Will Provide Content In Multiple Formats

IPPH Staff

IPPH delivers on its mission by offering speakers and symposia in multiple digital and broadcast formats including livestream, social media, podcast and even broadcast television. IPPH's future plans include a robust media distribution focus with the goal of not only offering poltical and policy content to District of Columbia residents with a historical context but to also archive all programs and make them available worldwide. Subscribe to the IPPH mailing list for updates!

MeetOur Team

Founding Director Sharon Pratt

Former Washington, D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt will serve as the Founding Director of the UDC Institute for Politics, Policy and History. Pratt graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1961 and earned her B.S. degree in political science in 1965 from Howard University. Pratt attended Howard University Law School where she earned her J.D. degree in 1968.

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