Aspen Ideas to Go

In his book "The Black Presidency," Michael Eric Dyson explores the powerful, surprising way the politics of race have shaped Barack Obama’s identity and groundbreaking presidency. How has President Obama dealt publicly with race —as the national traumas of Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and Walter Scott have played out during his tenure? What can we learn from Obama's major race speeches about his approach to racial conflict and the black criticism it provokes? Dyson is a professor of sociology at Georgetown University. A former factory worker, an ordained Baptist minister and a onetime church pastor, Dyson earned a Ph.D. in religion from Princeton, and has also taught at Brown, Columbia, the University of North Carolina, DePaul University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Dyson has written 17 books, including national best sellers on the Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and the rapper Tupac Shakur. This episode features his conversation with the Aspen Institute CEO and president Walter Isaacson.

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In 1987, E.D. Hirsch sparked a national debate with his book "Cultural Literacy," claiming that there is a foundation of common knowledge every American should know - and codifying it in a list of 5,000 facts and cultural references. Today, amidst giant demographic and social shifts, the United States needs such common knowledge more than ever. But a 21st century sense of cultural literacy has to be radically more diverse and inclusive. And it needs to come not from one person but from all of us. Eric Liu, executive director of the Aspen Institute Citizen and American Identity Program, asks Anne-Marie Slaughter (president of New America), Jose Antonio Vargas (Pulitzer Prize-winning author), and Hirsh what they think it means to be American.

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Actress Ashley Judd is an advocate and activist who has traveled the world promoting empowerment and equality, effective grassroots programs, and strategies to advance women's health, curb HIV, alleviate poverty and much more. As a global champion for women, she has led major campaigns to reduce maternal mortality and increase resources for women and girls. Later in the episode: The Best Thinking about the Transformative Power of Women and Girls featuring a stellar lineup including Arianna Huffington, Jane Harman, Shiza Shahid of the Malala Fund, and others.

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In honor of President's Day, biographer Jon Meacham explores Jefferson's complicated legacy and suggests how we might reclaim the Jeffersonian insistence that political leaders be conversant with the philosophical and cultural currents of their time. Meacham wrote the No. 1 New York Times bestseller "Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power."

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Hear what former prisoner Shaka Senghor, who was incarcerated for 19 years and now directs strategy for the bipartisan initiative #cut50, has to say about President Obama's recent pledge to end solitary confinement for juveniles and low-level offenders. Senghor shares his insights from seven years in solitary in one of the nation's most violent prisons. Since 1980, the number of people incarcerated in the United States has more than quadrupled; the US now has the largest prison population in the world.

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Can art tackle some of the most difficult social-justice questions we face today? Over the past year we have witnessed images of our country at war with itself; how can poetry dispel alienation and give rise to a new level of citizenship in America Featuring three of America's most powerful poetic voices: Elizabeth Alexander (author of The Light of the World), Juan Felipe Herrera (current United States Poet Laureate), and Claudia Rankine (author of Citizen: An American Lyric). The conversation is moderated by Eric Liu, executive director of the Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program.

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Meditation and mindfulness have gone mainstream. From improvements in perception to body awareness, to pain tolerance and emotion regulation, to an increase in complex thinking and a sense of self, two experts in the field explore the benefits and outcomes of these practices. Featured speakers: Richard Davidson, William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin and Robert Roth, Executive Director, David Lynch Foundation. Their discussion is moderated by documentary filmmaker Perri Peltz.

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I wrote this book not sure I could follow the road to character, but I wanted at least to know what the road looks like and how other people have trodden it, David Brooks has said about his experience writing his latest New York Times bestseller about personal virtues and honesty in a materialistic age. Katie Couric explores this journey with the deeply thoughtful author.

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Clint Smith is a high school educator, a Harvard PhD candidate, and a slam poet. In a series of spoken-word performances, Smith confronts inequality in American society. His poetry touches on black parenting, social justice, and violence against kids of color. Following his performance, three high school students from the South Washington, DC, area are interviewed about how they experience systemic inequality in their neighborhoods.

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We'll be back in January with new episodes. In the meantime, don't miss this inspiring episode with stories of human resilience and ingenuity. During the Ebola crisis, strong grassroots relationships and homegrown leadership made the difference between life and death. Drawing on that learning, movers and shakers from the Aspen New Voices Fellowship will share their stories about the silo-busting connections that can be forged under stress. From Sierra Leone to Nepal, these kinds of bonds keep our most vulnerable communities healthier and safer in perilous times. Aspen New Voices Fellows: Rubayat Khan, Relebohile Moletsane, Serufusa Sekidde, David Kuria, Kopano Mabaso, Abraham Leno, Samuel Kargbo, ElsaMarie D'Silva, Esther Ngumbi. Learn more at http://www.AspenNewVoices.org

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