Create new community connections and engage with others at The Longest Table — an annual civic dialogue event featuring (you guessed it) a long table, delicious food, and guided discussion on meaningful topics.
The Longest Table brings together people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and interests not just to share a meal but to envision ideas for social change and build relationships that support working towards a shared vision. Attendees join a table, and Gephardt Institute staff and campus partners serve as dialogue facilitators to create an intentional, supportive, and creative space. Participants are encouraged to sit with guests they don’t know for the best experience.
“I came out here in hopes of getting a diversity of opinions. Where I’m from, I felt like I kept hearing the same things echoed. I wanted to see if I could get more of a diversity of opinion and practice my skills in articulating my own beliefs.”
–Joshua, Longest Table 2024 attendee
RSVP for The Longest Table 2025!
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Location TBD
Registration information is now live. Event registration is strongly recommended. Walk-up participants will be permitted to join the event until we reach capacity.
We are grateful to our 2025 event partners, the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI), and Dialogue Across Difference (DxD).
For more civic conversation events, please check out our weekly Civic Café program every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Learn more here!
The History of The Longest Table at WashU
In 2024, we hosted our second annual Longest Table event on Brookings Quad with 200+ students, faculty, and staff attending. This event kicked off the election season and Gephardt Institute’s weekly civic dialogue and learning events, Civic Café. Our theme was “Finding Connection Through Divided Times”, where the themes of our discussion included:
- Making meaning of this political moment
- Hopes and fears for campus culture and climate
- Connecting to others during divided and contentious times
Our 2024 event included several campus partners: the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics, Dialogue Across Difference – Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy, and the Frick Initiative.
Read more about the Longest Table 2024:
- WashU Newsroom: WashU community invited to civic dialogue event, meal
- Gephardt Newsletter: The Longest Table sees more than 200 students for dialogue and dinner
In 2023, we hosted 150+ students, faculty and staff at our first annual Longest Table event on Mudd Field. The Longest Table served to launch Gephardt Institute’s weekly civic dialogue and learning events, Civic Café. The themes of our discussion included:
- Sharing your civic story and lived experiences
- Co-imagining our shared future
- How to take action towards that vision
Read more about the Longest Table 2023:
- WashU Newsroom: Students invited to join ‘The Longest Table’
- Student Life Newspaper: Gephardt Institute holds “Longest Table” event to foster civic engagement
- Gephardt Newsletter: “The Longest Table” hosts 150 students for dinner and civic dialogue
- Gephardt Newsletter: Institute to host WashU’s inaugural”The Longest Table” next week