Justice Center of Rensselaer County

04/07/2026

Audience Question & Answer: Douglas A. Blackmon on Police Reform. April 2, 2026

04/06/2026

WATCH THE VIDEO:

The Robert J. Doherty Memorial Lecture by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Douglas A. Blackmon “What Comes Next? Redefining Police Power, Restoring Personal Freedom, Rebuilding Faith in American Democracy” was held on Thursday, April 2, 2026 @ 7PM in the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, NY.

04/02/2026

see you tonight at 7PM in the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall for Douglas Blackmon's lecture: "What Next? Redefining Police Power, Restoring Personal Freedom, Rebuilding Faith in American Democracy"

03/31/2026

WAMC's Joe Donahue interviews Douglas Blackmon about his upcoming lecture What Next? Redefining Police Power, Restoring Personal Freedom, Rebuilding Faith in American Democracy, presented by The Justice Center of Rensselaer County on Thursday April. 2 @ 7PM in the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

The Justice Center of Rensselaer County is presenting their fourth annual Robert Doherty Memorial Lecture this week with Douglas Blackmon. Blackmon is a distinguished journalist, scholar, filmmaker, and the Pulitzer-Prize winning author of Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black America...

04/09/2025

VIDEO: HEALTHCARE JUSTICE >> DIAGNOSIS: CODE BLUE

John Baackes calls it a “code blue” for American healthcare—don’t miss this urgent discussion on justice and reform in the Capital Region and beyond!.

On Wednesday, March 12 at 7 p.m., The Justice Center of Rensselaer County hosted its third annual Robert J. Doherty Memorial Lecture, titled “Healthcare Justice » Diagnosis: Code Blue,” delivered by John Baackes, recently retired CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan, America’s largest publicly operated health plan with 2.6 million members in Los Angeles County.

With 48 years in managed healthcare, Baackes explored the intersecting crises facing our healthcare system—from local disputes like CDPHP’s clashes with St. Peter’s and Albany Med, to the near closure of Troy’s Burdett Birth Center, to national threats like Medicaid cuts and the rise of profit-driven insurance. He’ll propose solutions, including more public health plans like those in California, and address why even doctors struggle to navigate today’s complex system.

A robust Q&A session follows the lecture (@ 50 mins), including a question from NYS Assemblyman John McDonald.

03/12/2025

See you tonight. Bring as many friends as you can!

Healthcare Justice » Diagnosis: Code Blue – Lecture by John Baackes