The Tampa Theatre is holding a speaker series this spring. The series introduces Jonathan Haidt, Geena Davis, and May Jemison. The speakers will be presenting their knowledge and intelligence on subjects such as world affairs and politics, business, science and the universe, books and authors, and the arts.
Haidt is an American social psychologist, professor of ethical leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business, and a bestselling author of the book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion. He is also known to be one of the most informed experts on the psychology of morality, a concept questioned by many. He will also provide his thoughts on ideas that are weakening Gen Z and damaging universities and democracies. Haidt will be at the Tampa Theatre at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 2.
“I would love to see Jonathan Haidt speak,” said Nicole Epstein, psychology major. “I have read his book for one of my psych classes and thought it was so interesting.”
Davis is an actor and academy award winner who is known for her roles in many accredited movies and TV shows. She also founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which accumulates research on male and female roles and uses this data to promote the need for a change in society. Davis will be speaking at the Tampa Theatre at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 27.
The final speaker of the series is Jemison, who is the first woman of color to go to space. She served for six years as a NASA astronaut. Her September 1992 mission aboard the space shuttle Endeavor, was to experiment with human adaptation to weightlessness as well as material and life science. She also founded the Jemison Group, a technology consulting firm involving socio-cultural issues. She is established in the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the International Space Hall of Fame. Jemison will be speaking at the Tampa Theatre at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Limelight Series was postponed to 2022. Shaun White was the only speaker who was able to speak before the event was shut down.
Admission to the LIMELIGHT series is only sold by subscription, which ended Feb. 10, but individual tickets will still be sold after this date. There is reserved seating that will be the same for each event if you were to purchase a subscription.
The format of the show will begin with a welcome from the series moderator along with an introduction. The series speaker of the evening will share his or her thoughts for about 45 minutes. The speaker will then open a Q and A to the audience for half an hour after they speak. The event will be over by 8:30-9:00 p.m.