Bullitt Lecture in American History
The Bullitt Lecture is made possible by a gift from the late Priscilla Bullitt Collins in memory of her father, A. Scott Bullitt. Presented annually since 2001, it has featured presidential historians, popular historians, public intellectuals and professors of American history, including: George Packer, Timothy Egan, Taylor Branch, Gail Collins, Joseph Ellis, Isabel Wilkerson, and Michael Eric Dyson. It has highlighted a significant period, event, or individual in American history.
The Bullitt Lecture in American History 2025
Dr. Eve L. Ewing: "Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism"
In "Original Sins," bestselling author, cultural organizer and Marvel comics writer Dr. Eve L. Ewing argues that from the founding of our country, our schools were designed to propagate the idea of white intellectual superiority, to “civilize” Native students and to prepare Black students for menial labor.
By demonstrating that it’s in the DNA of American schools to serve as an effective and underacknowledged mechanism maintaining inequality, Ewing makes the case that we need a profound reevaluation of what schools are supposed to do, and for whom.
Past Events
Watch and listen to past A. Scott Bullitt Lectures in American History, dating back to 2007.
Program Sponsors and Partners
The A. Scott Bullitt Lecture in American History is made possible by a generous gift from the late Priscilla Bullitt Collins in honor of her father, A. Scott Bullitt. This event is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation, author series sponsor Gary Kunis, and media sponsor The Seattle Times, and presented in partnership with The Elliott Bay Book Co.