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Is National Unity Possible? Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

The United States is facing one of the most difficult tests in its 244-year history. American democracy is struggling, economic and social justice are under interrogation, faith in institutions is declining, and a pandemic is touching us all. Is national unity a far-off dream? Jon Meacham, presidential historian, Samar Ali, research professor of political science and law, and Bill Haslam, former Tennessee governor (R), say history, research, and reasoning can unite Americans. They're part of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, which aims to reintroduce evidence into the national conversation in order to supplant ideology with fact. Meacham, Ali, and Haslam are interviewed by Cordell Carter, executive director of the Socrates Program at the Aspen Institute.

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How One Woman's Detective Work Uncovered a Racist Tax System Mar 30, 2021

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In tax law, most people think the only color that matters is green. But, after more than two decades of research, tax scholar Dorothy A. Brown discovered that America's tax system is not color-blind. In fact, societal racism is deeply embedded in it. "Regardless of what white and Black Americans do, tax policy subsidizes white Americans and disadvantages Black Americans," she says. From attending college to getting married to buying a home, Black Americans are financially disadvantaged compared to their white peers. In a conversation with Ida Rademacher, executive director of the Financial Security Program at the Aspen Institute, Brown talks about her book, The Whiteness of Wealth: How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans—and How We Can Fix It.

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Finding the Strength to Leave: One Woman's Story of Domestic Abuse Mar 23, 2021

Show notes

When she met him, Tanya Selvaratnam thought New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was her perfect match. But as time went on, Schneiderman became controlling, mean, and manipulative. In her new book, Assume Nothing, Selvaratnam chronicles how domestic violence took away her voice, how she managed to get it back, and her decision to use it to help other women find their way to freedom. In a conversation with contemporary artist and personal friend Carrie Mae Weems, Selvaratnam talks about how the social ecosystem in America needs an overhaul. "We need to chip away at the condition that normalizes the cycle of violence and chip away at the patriarchy."

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Walter Isaacson on the Next Great Innovation Revolution Mar 16, 2021

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Biographer Walter Isaacson's latest book tells the story of biochemist Jennifer Doudna. She helped develop a controversial tool that has the power to transform the human race. CRISPR can edit genes to cure diseases but can also be used to create designer babies. Doudna's involvement in pioneering the technology won her the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Before CRISPR, Doudna was known as the scientist who cracked the code for what the molecule RNA can do. RNA is well known now as playing a role in the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines. Isaacson's book, The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race, was released this month.

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Women Beating the Odds in Business Mar 09, 2021

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In the United States, the odds are stacked against women and people of color who want to start a business. As a Black entrepreneur, Danielle Kristine Toussaint understood this first-hand. Before opening her creative agency She Thinks Purple, she dealt with barriers only a community of women could help her overcome. In her book, Dare to Think Purple: A Survival Guide for Women in Social Entrepreneurship, she tells still-in-progress success stories of women leading companies and organizations. As a kickoff to Women's History Month, Toussaint speaks with Anne Mosle, a vice president at the Aspen Institute, about setting up for success by doing things like surrounding yourself with people who inspire you and committing to a practice of building confidence.

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Net Zero or Bust Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

The sobering impacts of the pandemic, and the need for a rapid transition to a clean energy economy compel us to consider opportunities that lie at the intersection of the two. President Biden wants to invest $1.7 trillion toward the mid-century goal of a net-zero America, creating ten million new, high-quality jobs, his administration predicts. Recent announcements from major auto companies coupled with enormous commitments from financial institutions lend the new administration strong tailwinds. What are the implications of a reinvigorated climate agenda for everyday Americans, and how will it be deployed across the nation? Which technologies should be adopted ASAP to actually get our grid to net zero? And how could a new era of stakeholder capitalism firmly uphold our climate goals for which failure isn’t an option? Hear from White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, TPG Co-CEO Jim Coulter, and US Senator Tina Smith (D).

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Stop Being an Unreliable Narrator of Your Own Story Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

Grappling with the challenges and problems life throws at us is difficult, especially during a pandemic. Psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb says the stories we tell about ourselves and others can make it even harder to cope. She says we must look closely at the running commentary in our own minds to see if we are being too self-critical, or if we are not taking responsibility for our situation. Making connections with others can help us to hold a mirror up so we can better see ourselves. Aspen Institute president Dan Porterfield speaks with Gottlieb about taking care of our emotional health and ways to make the changes we want in our lives. Gottlieb authored the New York Times bestseller “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” She co-hosts the “Dear Therapist” podcast and Atlantic magazine advice column.

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How Racism Feeds the Hunger Crisis Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

In this pandemic recession, millions of Americans are going hungry, and Black and Hispanic households are hit harder than white ones. Throughout US history, hunger and health have been tied to race. Slave owners gave slaves just enough food to survive. “To be enslaved was to experience hunger,” says food historian Fred Opie. Now, Covid-19 is affecting low-income, communities of color disproportionately. Poor access to healthcare, bias in clinical settings, underfunded educational and health institutions, housing segregation, chronic stress, and a lack of access to clean water, air, and nutritious food converge to shape the health of children and families of color. Fred Opie, author of Southern Food and Civil Rights: Feeding the Revolution, joins Tamearra Dyson, executive chef and owner of Souley Vegan LLC for a conversation about food justice. Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Trust for America’s Health, moderates the conversation.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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Are Leaders Born or Made? (Rebroadcast) Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

President Trump’s second impeachment trial is beginning. In his first days in office, President Biden is navigating a pandemic and an economic crisis. With presidential leadership once again at the forefront and President’s Day just around the corner, we’re revisiting an episode featuring presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. In her book, Leadership in Turbulent Times, Kearns Goodwin examines the leadership qualities of past presidents. Were presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson born with leadership attributes, or did they learn them throughout life? Goodwin writes that they were “guided by a sense of moral purpose.” She speaks with Kitty Boone, vice president of public programs at the Aspen Institute, about how the presidents’ leadership traits can be adopted and used by aspiring leaders.

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Are Posts and Tweets the Greatest Threats to Democracy? Feb 03, 2021

Show notes

America’s Founders didn’t envision activist groups mobilizing on social media and disinformation spreading across the internet. Thanks to the web, new threats to democracy — like the January 6th attack on the US Capitol — have emerged. Following a similar deadly march in 1787, the Founders questioned the strength of the democracy they built. Shays’s Rebellion led to more support among the Founders for a stronger national government. But the protective barriers they thought would safeguard democracy are being tested in an online era. Nate Persily, professor of law at Stanford, talks with Jeffrey Rosen, president of the National Constitution Center, about why passion may be eclipsing reason and how the internet may be to blame.

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