Intelligence Squared

Survival and Hope in New York City, with Andrea Elliott

Feb 11, 2022

Andrea Elliott, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and investigative reporter for The New York Times, shares her insights on the life of Dasani Coates, a resilient child navigating homelessness in Brooklyn. The conversation highlights the stark wealth gap in America and the family’s emotional struggles. Topics of systemic racism in child welfare, the impact of gentrification, and the psychological toll of poverty on children are discussed. Elliott also emphasizes the need for empathy in healthcare and the importance of policy change to address these issues.

01:00:53

Episode guests

Andrea Elliott

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Dasani's Journey: Dreams and Realities

9min

Navigating Homelessness and Inequality in NYC

22min

Navigating Fear and Suspicions in Healthcare

1min

Understanding Abuse vs. Neglect in Child Welfare

4min

Navigating Success and Gentrification

9min

Dasani's Journey: Overcoming Homelessness

10min

Andrea Elliott is the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and New York Times investigative reporter who spent nearly a decade following the journey of one family living on the poverty line in Brooklyn. Elliott's book, Invisible Child, tells that story, focusing on Dasani Coates, a child moving from homeless shelter to homeless shelter with her tight-knit family. A reflection on the extremities of America's wealth gap between rich and poor and also how racism threads through the country's approach to welfare, the book is also a study on how Dasani has managed to shine while growing up surrounded by adversity. Joining Andrea to discuss the book is novelist Alex Preston, author of In Love and War and As Kingfishers Catch Fire.

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