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The Right of the People: an author talk with Osita Nwanevu

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By Micah

In February 2026, Good Work Institute welcomed author & journalist Osita Nwanevu to Kingston for a talk highlighting his book, The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding followed by an audience Q&A. 

In this urgent and visionary work, Nwanevu—a contributing editor for The New Republic and columnist for The Guardian—tackles questions that resonate deeply in our current moment: Are our democratic institutions fundamentally broken? How can a divided nation govern itself? Does democracy still work as we believe it should?

Drawing on democratic theory, American history, and contemporary politics, Nwanevu argues that genuine democracy requires transformation not only of our political institutions but of our economic systems as well. His work offers a bold roadmap for creating what he calls a “New American Founding”—one committed to government of, by, and for all people, not just the privileged few.

We want to amplify voices that are not always heard, and to shine a light on ideas that are not always seen, joined together by a vision of a regenerative and just economy. In the Illumination series, we invite members of our community to share their thoughts, to describe their Good Work, and to provide an inside view of what Just Transition looks like in action.

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