TED Circle Resources
TED Circles are a way to discuss ideas as raised by a TED Talk. Anyone can create a watch party and discuss!
Please check the Events page for any pre-organized circles, whether in person or online. And let us know if you want to host one open to the public so we can promote it here.
More about TED Circles
Suggested TED Talks and Movies (by Subject)
Racial Literacy
An artist's unflinching look at racial violence | Sanford Biggers
Conceptual artist and TED Fellow Sanford Biggers uses painting, sculpture, video and performance to spark challenging conversations about the history and trauma of black America. Join him as he details two compelling works and shares the motivation behind his art. "Only through more thoughtful dialogue about history and race can we evolve as individuals and society," Biggers says.
The danger of silence | Clint Smith
"We spend so much time listening to the things people are saying that we rarely pay attention to the things they don't," says slam poet and teacher Clint Smith. A short, powerful piece from the heart, about finding the courage to speak up against ignorance and injustice.
Why I, as a black man, attend KKK rallies. | Daryl Davis | TEDxNaperville
A chance encounter with members of the Ku Klux Klan led black musician Daryl Davis on a quest to determine the source of the hate. His unorthodox, yet simple approach, has wielded surprising results and just might be the solution for all racial discourse.
13th (documentary/netflix)
13th is a 2016 American documentary film by director Ava DuVernay. The film explores the "intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States". It is titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, adopted in 1865, which abolished slavery throughout the United States and ended involuntary servitude except as a punishment for conviction of a crime.
Extensive TED Playlist: Talks to help you understand racism in America
From passionate pleas for reform to poetic turns of phrase, these talks take an honest look at everyday realities of Black Americans and illuminate the way forward.
Othering
Me, The Other (vimeo)
English Feature Documentary (84 minutes/CC) by director and co-producer Shidan Majidi.
Real stories of a diverse characters experiencing prejudice, with the intent to create conversations about what connects us and what keeps us apart. Available on Vimeo-on-demand (rent).
Climate and Environment
TED Playlist: The must-watch climate talks of 2022
A selection of potentially planet-saving TED Talks from Countdown, TED's initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis.
Spiritual Wellness
The transformative power of classical music | Benjamin Zander
Benjamin Zander has two infectious passions: classical music, and helping us all realize our untapped love for it -- and by extension, our untapped love for all new possibilities, new experiences, new connections.
To This Day ... for the bullied and beautiful | Shane Koyczan
By turn hilarious and haunting, poet Shane Koyczan puts his finger on the pulse of what it's like to be young and ... different. "To This Day," his spoken-word poem about bullying, captivated millions as a viral video (created, crowd-source style, by 80 animators). Here, he gives a glorious, live reprise with backstory and violin accompaniment by Hannah Epperson.