Aspen Ideas to Go

Rodney Foxworth says the racial “wealth gap” is a misnomer because it implies something that’s achievable to close. “Wealth chasm” is more on the nose since we’re talking about disparities created by centuries of oppression. Growing up in Baltimore, Rodney witnessed firsthand what many Black and brown communities face in America—systemic racism, over policing, economic dislocation. Now, as CEO of Common Future, he draws on that lived experience to create a network of organizations across the country that builds relationships and economic power in historically exploited communities. Foxworth is featured in the first episode of Solvers, a new podcast from the Skoll Foundation in partnership with Aspen Ideas. Hosts Courtney E. Martin and Nguhi Mwaura introduce listeners to social entrepreneurs who are tackling some of the world's messiest problems. Look for Solvers on your favorite podcast player and enjoy the entirety of the first episode on Aspen Ideas to Go. aspenideas.org

There's no denying the world is already paying for climate change. The price is stronger hurricanes, bigger wildfires, and unpredictable heat waves. So, how can people living on a changing globe literally pay to mitigate the effects of climate change? One solution is to utilize the social cost of carbon, says economist Michael Greenstone. He co-led the development of the US government’s social cost of carbon as chief economist for President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers. President Biden has raised carbon's value back to Obama-era levels after the Trump Administration lowered it. Greenstone, who leads the Energy Policy Institute at Chicago, speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post journalist Juliet Eilperin about how we're just beginning to experience what the climate has in store. aspenideas.org

America has been shaped by a hidden phenomenon that touches all of our lives. A rigid hierarchy of human rankings, or caste system, influences our culture, politics, and even our health. Race is the metric by which one’s position in the caste system is determined. In her book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, Isabel Wilkerson describes how these inherited rankings have been passed down through generations from the country's very founding. She says this system is the underlying architecture of division in America. She speaks with Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. aspenideas.org

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. aspenideas.org

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. aspenideas.org

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." aspenideas.org

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. aspenideas.org

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. aspenideas.org

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). aspenideas.org

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. aspenideas.org