Measures to slow the spread of the Coronavirus, such as masking and social distancing, have created much controversy. Although there was opposition to similar measures then too, the 1918 influenza, one historian recently observed, was met by a “much higher sense of civic duty” than we see today. Instead, we seem to have increasingly turned toward official rules and regulations to promote “civic duty.” If that is the case, has the spread of the coronavirus revealed an illness that is not just medical, but goes to heart of American society and government?

Join us for a webinar with Dr. Leslie Lenkowsky, professor of practice in the Paul H. O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University and a member of the philanthropic studies faculty of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Dr. Lenkowsky, an expert on philanthropy and public affairs, will offer his insights into American civil society's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and what increased restrictions on personal freedom mean for our democracy.