Three or More Is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here: 2012-2025 - Jelani Cobb

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged. This event takes place at the Auburn Avenue Research Library, 101 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30303. Doors open at 6pm. Event begins promptly at 6:30pm.

Charis and the Auburn Avenue Research Library welcome Jelani Cobb in conversation with Errin Haines for a celebration of .

From the moment that Trayvon Martin’s senseless M**der initiated the Black Lives Matter movement in 2014, America has been convulsed by new social movements—around guns, gender violence, sexual harassment, race, policing, and on and on—and an equally powerful backlash that abetted the rise of the MAGA movement. In this punchy, powerful collection of dispatches, mostly published in The New Yorker, Jelani Cobb pulls the signal from the noise of this chaotic era.
Cobb’s work as a reporter takes readers to the front lines of sometimes violent conflict, and he uses his gifts as a critic and historian to crack open the meaning of it all. Through a stunning mélange of narrative journalism, criticism, and penetrating profiles, Cobb’s writing captures the crises, characters, movements, and art of an era—and helps readers understand what might be coming next.
Cobb has added new material to this collection—retrospective pieces that bring these stories up-to-date and tie them together, shaping these powerful short dispatches into a cohesive, epic narrative of one of the most consequential periods in recent American history.

About the author

Jelani Cobb is the current Dean of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. He is a staff writer at The New Yorker, author of several books including The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress and . He is the editor/co-editor on multiple volumes including and . Dr. Cobb is the producer/co-producer on documentaries including THE RIOT REPORT. He received the Peabody Award in 2020 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Commentary. Dr. Cobb currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Journalism Project and the Board of Trustees of the New York Public Library.

About the conversation partner

Errin Haines is an award-winning journalist and a leading voice at the intersection of race, politics, and gender in America.

She is the editor-at-large and a founding mother of The 19th, an independent nonprofit newsroom that aims to elevate the voices of women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community in American journalism and democracy, and an MSNBC political contributor. Haines is also the 24th president of the National Association of Black Journalists, the oldest and largest advocacy organization for journalists of color.

Prior to joining The 19th, Haines worked at The Associated Press, the Washington Post, the Orlando Sentinel, the Los Angeles Times and the Atlanta Daily World. Her work has been featured in publications including TIME, POLITICO, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Haines’ coverage spans the White House, Congress, campaigns, and grassroots movements—with a sharp focus on how policy impacts Black women and marginalized communities.

Haines’ expertise on issues of race, gender and politics make her a sought-after thought leader in her industry. She has served as a leader, mentor, and advocate for newsroom equity throughout her career. Haines was a visiting professor at the Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Princeton University, teaching classes on Black women and democracy.

Haines is currently writing a book on Black political leadership in Atlanta and the legacy of the city’s Black mayors. Whether in print, on air, or on stage, she is known for telling the truth with empathy, urgency, and unmatched clarity.

About the Venue / Accessibility

• Masks are encouraged but not required.
• The entire building is wheelchair accessible with ramps, including the front and back entrances. Both entrances have powered doors. There are wheelchair accessible bathroom stalls.
• AARL has a free parking lot accessible via Courtland street. There are three dedicated wheelchair accessible parking spots. Please park and enter the library to get a guest pass and place it on your dashboard before getting settled in the auditorium.

The event is free and open to all people, but we encourage and appreciate a donation of $5-20 in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Charis Circle's mission is to foster sustainable feminist communities, work for social justice, and encourage the expression of diverse and marginalized voices. Donate via our website: www.chariscircle.org/donate.

Please contact us at [email protected] or 404-524-0304 if you would like ASL interpretation at this event.

By attending our event, you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Unsolicited sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to Charis staff immediately or email [email protected].

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