The Arc of History Doesn’t Bend Itself
John Palfrey, President of the MacArthur Foundation and McNulty Prize Juror, sat down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dele Olojede, Founder & Host, Africa in the World (Africa Leadership Initiative – South Africa), to discuss leading through a moment when philanthropy’s legal footing itself came under threat, and the decision to stand firm rather than comply in advance.
Palfrey shared how MacArthur has approached its work through long-term, high-conviction “big bets,” including a $100 million grant aimed at preventing the next pandemic, and a growing investment in reviving local journalism across America’s news deserts.
The conversation turned to bigger questions: why progress, technological or societal, is never inevitable, and what it takes to bend the arc of history intentionally.
Watch the full conversation and share it with a leader in your network who’s navigating uncertain terrain of their own.
