Thomas Mann House Events Archive
August 10, 2026
55 Voices for Democracy | Sanyu A. Mojola
YouTube
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On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of independence in the United States, renowned sociologist Sanyu A. Mojola (Princeton University) revisits the Declaration of Independence and its promise to secure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all citizens. Arguing that the protection of life is democracy's most fundamental obligation, she examines how public policies shape life expectancy and produce profound inequalities across neighborhoods, cities, and nations. Drawing on insights from her recent acclaimed book "Death by Design," Mojola asks us to judge a democracy not only by its elections, rally sizes or political rhetoric, but by a simple question: "How long can its citizens expect to live?"
The series is presented by the Thomas Mann House in cooperation with Deutschlandfunk and the Los Angeles Review of Books.
About the Speaker
Sanyu A. Mojola is Maurice P. During Professor of Demographic Studies, and Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University. She is a leading scholar of health inequality, demography, and public policy, and the author of "Death by Design: Producing Racial Health Inequality in the Shadow of the Capitol.”