Entering its eleventh year, The Frederick Speaker Series has developed a reputation for bringing world-class speakers to the Frederick community. The 2024 line-up includes social activist, producer, and contributing editor to Vanity Fair Monica Lewinsky, host of Fox News Sunday, chief legal correspondent for Fox News Channel and bestselling author, Shannon Bream, former director of the FBI and #1 New York Times best-selling author, James Comey, Public Enemy frontman and Rock & Roll Hall of famer, Chuck D, and #1 New York Times best-selling author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things, Cheryl Strayed. All Series events are held at the Weinberg Center for the Arts.
Tickets go on sale to Weinberg Center members on Thursday, August 10 at 10:00 AM and to the general public on Thursday, August 17 at 10:00 AM. Tickets may be purchased online at weinbergcenter.org, by calling the Weinberg Center Box Office at 301-600-2828, or in person at 20 W. Patrick Street in Frederick, Maryland.
A separately ticketed Meet-and-Greet reception will take place immediately following each presentation. These exclusive events provide a chance for fans to meet the speakers, take pictures, and obtain autographs. All proceeds from the Meet-and-Greet receptions will benefit children’s programs at Frederick County Public Libraries.
MONICA LEWINSKY | THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024 | 7:30 PM
Monica Lewinsky is a producer, social activist, global public speaker, and a contributing editor to Vanity Fair. Her focus is on storytelling that moves the conversation forward – around shame, reclaiming identities, and justice for women. As an activist, Lewinsky advocates for a safer social media environment and addresses such topics as digital resilience, privacy, and cultivating compassion online. She was a speaker at the 2015 TED Conference in Vancouver. Her speech, “The Price of Shame,” has been viewed over 21 million times.
SHANNON BREAM | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024 | 7:30 PM
Sponsored by Delaplaine Foundation
Shannon Bream is the anchor of FOX News Sunday and chief legal correspondent for FOX News Channel. She has covered numerous political campaigns, landmark Supreme Court decisions, and Washington scandals. Before entering the world of media, she was a labor and employment attorney who specialized in race discrimination and sexual harassment cases. Bream’s accomplishments also include three faith-based New York Times bestsellers.
JAMES COMEY | THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024 | 7:30 PM
James Comey led the FBI from 2013 to 2017, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama. His tenure was tested by new forces within and outside America’s borders: foreign intelligence operations, mass shootings, questionable police responses, ISIS’s surge, cyber threats, and more. Related to his dealings with these explosive issues, Comey shares behind-the-scenes insight and intriguing accounts, along with his personal take on “truth, lies and leadership” and how his moral compass guided his decision-making, issuing a call for ethical leadership no matter the circumstance.
CHUCK D | THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2024 | 7:30 PM
Sponsored by Leidos Biomedical Research
Chuck D is the leader and co-founder of the legendary rap group Public Enemy, the author of two critically acclaimed books, and a political activist, publisher, radio host, and producer. He has been featured on and/or interviewed in over fifty documentaries on music, technology, politics, and race; and has appeared in numerous public service announcements for national peace and the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Chuck D has been a national spokesperson for Rock the Vote, the National Urban League, Americans for the Arts Council, and the National Alliance for African American Athletes.
CHERYL STRAYED | THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024 | 7:30 PM
Sponsored by PNC Bank
Cheryl Strayed’s #1 New York Times bestseller Wild, about her hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, was an international hit that was later released as an Academy Award-nominated motion picture starring Reese Witherspoon. Tiny Beautiful Things, her beloved bestselling collection of Dear Sugar advice columns, was adapted into a Hulu television series starring Kathryn Hahn and adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos. A warm, candid, funny, and engaging speaker, Cheryl Strayed talks about love, loss, adventure, courage, empathy, and the power we possess to blaze our own wild trails.
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