Belonging and Isolation in America

Why do so many people feel so lonely in the most connected period in human history? Who are all of these people telling us they have the solution to our isolation? How can we recreate real in-person communities in the age of social media?

The Iron Hills Folk School welcomes you to a panel discussion featuring three emerging voices on the question of what it means to belong in America in 2026.
Friday, April 10 | 6:00-8:00 PM

It will be at one of the famous Sister Houses on Highland Ave (the one on the right, look for the signs): 2731 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AL 35205

Lily Scherlis traces the cultural shift from mutual aid societies to individualized self-improvement, revealing how we got to our current hunger for community. See her work in places like N+1.

Anton Cebalo examines the social recession through psychology and political economy—how the loss of physical community spaces has reshaped our interior lives and capacity for collective action. See his work at Novum on Substack.

Joseph Fridman (moderator) translates these insights into frameworks for understanding your own experiences, showing how academic concepts become actionable tools for building community. See his work in places like Aeon.