Aspen Ideas to Go

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. aspenideas.org

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.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. aspenideas.org

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.Additional Resources A More Perfect Union: Jeffrey Rosen and Ali Velshi on the Founders and the Mob Mobs in America's Past and Present The Internet's Challenge to Democracy: Framing the Problem and Assessing Reforms Social Media and Democracy The Storming of the Capitol and the Future of Free Speech Online The Election Reform Agenda: A Deep Dive into H.R.1 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. aspenideas.org

Most Americans see religious freedom as an important right. Yet how that freedom is defined and applied isn’t consistent, and efforts to safeguard the religious freedom of some may be discriminatory for others. Experts say it is critical to address this issue politically, socially, and culturally or risk alienating people from all backgrounds. Religious liberty lawyer Asma Uddin works for the protection of religious expression for people of all faiths. She speaks with Montse Alvarado of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, The Sikh Coalition’s legal director Amrith Kaur, and political and religious strategist Michael Wear. They discuss the causes of political and religious polarization, tribalism, and ways to find a path forward and a common cause, while advocating for equal freedom and fairness for all. They also talk about the role religious freedom played in motivating the mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6. aspenideas.org

Joe Biden is a centrist who believes in the power of bipartisanship. To get both sides to listen to each other, he’ll have to break down the barriers created by today’s polarized politics, says New Yorker magazine staff writer Evan Osnos whose latest book is “About Joe Biden: The Life, the Run, and What Matters Now.” Osnos speaks with Margaret Brennan of Face the Nation on CBS News. They discuss how Biden’s experience with loss and grief gives him the ability to connect with people in relevant ways, how Catholic faith is truly part of who he is, and why it’s valuable to make the vice presidency into a meaningful role. Osnos also speaks about his perspective being in the Capitol during the violence on January 6th. aspenideas.org

Last year Russia infiltrated the digital networks of federal agencies and many of America’s largest corporations, and last week’s armed insurrection on the US Capitol was fomented through disinformation campaigns on social media. Cyberattacks and manipulation of elections and domestic affairs threaten national security and global relations. John Carlin of the Aspen Institute’s Cybersecurity & Technology Program leads a conversation with Kevin Mandia, CEO of FireEye, the cybersecurity company that uncovered last year’s massive Russian hack, Senator Mark Warner, Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Luta Security’s  founder and digital defense expert Katie Moussouris. They discuss how the Russian hack was discovered and what it means for the future of digital security worldwide, including how to assign responsibility for cybersecurity and social media failures. Senator Warner also shares his assessment of the damage of a foreign-led cyber attack compared to the domestic insurrection he experienced at the Capitol. Their conversation was recorded on January 7, 2021. aspenideas.org

Even though women are likely to live longer than men, their hormonal changes make them far more susceptible to age-related memory loss like Alzhemier’s disease and other conditions. Yet gender is often not a primary consideration by the medical community  — but more and more research shows that it should be. Professor of neuroscience, neurology, and radiology Lisa Mosconi directs the Women’s Brain Initiative at Weill Cornell Medical College. Her latest book is “The XX Brain.” She discusses the female brain’s unique risks and strengths and ways to maximize cognitive health with Natalie Morales of NBC’s TODAY Show. aspenideas.org

Today’s women are warriors and peacemakers, athletes and artists. Women in leadership roles can play a crucial role in leading us toward a better and more equitable future, and women must be part of the solution to the current global crises. Former US secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright and former prime minister of New Zealand the Honorable Helen Clark are trailbreaking leaders and powerful advocates for women’s empowerment. They speak with the Aspen Institute’s Forum on Women and Girls co-chair Peggy Clark about women’s roles on the global stage now and into the future. aspenideas.org

Psychologist Angela Duckworth explains how to raise a child with strong character. Duckworth, who's the author of Grit and a MacArthur "Genius," talks with Jackie Bezos about how young people learn to be grateful, vulnerable, and fearless by modeling the adults in their lives. (This conversation is from the 2018 Aspen Ideas Festival.) aspenideas.org

Corporations can play a critical role in closing the wealth gap and confronting systemic racism in America. Taking a hard look at diversity in their workforces, supply chains, and customer bases will pay off — not just in a better corporate image but in an improved economy that benefits everyone, including the corporations. “We as leaders, those of us in positions of power, have an obligation to stand up and act as true corporate citizens, says Dan Schulman, CEO of PayPal. “It also gives us competitive advantage when we do that.” Schulman and Ariel Investment Co-CEO Mellody Hobson discuss corporate responsibility, financial literacy, supporting small businesses, and more. Aspen Institute CEO Dan Porterfield leads the conversation. aspenideas.org