Ignore The Public Square and It Will Go Away
AT A GLANCE
- Founded: 2003
- Speakers: 450
- Events: 175
As political and civic life become ever more polarized, compounded by the decline of the newspaper and the narrow tone of much online media, the public square is an especially crucial and endangered place. Every city needs a welcoming, neutral space for conversation and deliberation about the world today.
Zócalo excels at building precisely such an environment online and at locations around Los Angeles, and around the country. Over the past nine years, Zócalo has featured over 1,000 thinkers and doers discussing key ideas and issues. We have built community, fellowship, and conversation and made intellectual and political life more vibrant, diverse, youthful, and open.
PRAISE FOR ZÓCALO
"Whether their topic is arts, whether it's religion, whether it's politics, whether it's international affairs or local affairs, Zócalo has done an incredible job of providing Los Angeles with a town square."
ERIC GARCETTI
PRESIDENT, LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL
"I think Zócalo is a gem."
REZA ASLAN, AUTHOR
"Zócalo is the spirit of L.A."
LUIS VALDEZ, PLAYWRIGHT AND DIRECTOR
Zócalo couldn't offer its free events, receptions and website without the support of our sponsors, partners, volunteers, and audiences. We are grateful to them, and we welcome any and all support.
WHO IS ZÓCALO?
BIG THINKERS
Nobel Prize laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and star academics and innovative scientists have all visited Zócalo.
INSPIRING LEADERS
Zócalo welcomes the foremost voices from politics, community activism, and other fields.
NEW VOICES
Zócalo strives to discover talented young thinkers and introduce them to new audiences.
EXPERIENCED INSIDERS
Focusing on the key issues of the day—from education to foreign policy—Zócalo brings well-regarded experts to the public square.
BECOME A PARTNER
For more information on becoming a
supporter or partner of Zócalo,
please contact:
Dulce Vasquez
213-381-2541
dulce@zocalopublicsquare.org
Zócalo's roving public square—on the ground and online—draws the widest and most diverse audiences.
WHERE IS ZÓCALO?
ACROSS THE STREET
Zócalo seeks to find event venues wherever it has audiences—we’re never too far away.
ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Zócalo has a nationwide reach—it partners with major cultural and political organizations in New York and Washington D.C., and also presents events in San Francisco and other cities.
AROUND THE WORLD
Our speakers have joined us from places as far away as Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, and Nairobi, Zócalo has traveled to Shanghai and Berlin, and our daily-updated website lets audiences anywhere access our programming.
WHERE YOU CAN TAKE US
Zócalo is always looking for new places to take our work. We believe that every city and community needs a public square.
Zócalo couldn't offer its free events, receptions and website without the support of our sponsors, partners, volunteers, and audiences. We are grateful to them, and we welcome any and all support.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT ZÓCALO
FOUNDATIONS
Zócalo is primarily funded by charitable foundations. For a list of our current funders, click here.
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
Zócalo is grateful for its many partners—premier civic, artistic, academic and intellectual institutions throughout the city of Los Angeles and around the country. For a list of our current partners, click here.
CORPORATE SPONSORS
Zócalo accepts various kinds of support from for-profit corporations, including in-kind donations, sponsorships, and more. For a list of our current corporate sponsors, click here.
INDIVIDUALS
Zócalo could not survive without the support of talented and giving individuals who volunteer, contribute, and offer other assistance or expertise to our organization.
