ECONOMY

VIDEO (33 MIN)

Is the American Dream Finished?

Do billionaires put democracy at risk? Will Main Street survive? Ford Foundation President and CEO Darren Walker joins PayPal CEO DanSchulman to consider the unfinished work of building a more just economy. This conversation was produced in collaboration with our partners at Unfinished, a new impact network and media platform exploring the most urgent questions of our time. The video is an extended-cut version of a shorter one that aired this week during the first episode of Unfinished Live, a multimedia digital experience hosted by Baratunde Thurston. Watch.

Join the Unfinished community and register for future events here.

SOCIETY

VIDEO (12 MIN)

Do Millennials and Gen Z Believe in the American Dream?

Where do you see yourself in ten years? A new study led by Kristin Soltis Anderson, author of TheSelfie Vote, asked young Americans how they feel about their future. Turns out that despite a pandemic, political polarization, and multiple recessions in their lifetime, two-thirds of those surveyed believe the American Dream is achievable, and nearly half expect to have a life better than their parents. Why is that? And is it possible that a life defined by this kind of hope could be defined by fear at the same time? Anderson joins fellow millennials Viridiana Carrizales and Rebecca Rivas, leaders in education and the arts from immigrant families, to reflect on the findings. Watch.

The study was funded by the Walton Family Foundation. Read the full report.

SOCIETY

VIDEO (23 MIN)

Can we Imagine a Better Way to “Be” Americans?

“It’s not cutting it to say my intentions are good,” says Claudia Rankine, author of Just Us: An American Conversation. As white supremacy becomes increasingly vocalized and often without reproach, how should we deal with it? One of the things Rankine set out to do with her book is interrogate the conversations we have with each other and “show how what seems like an inconsequential moment is tied to systemic patterns in our country.” She and Eric Liu, CEO of Citizen University, discuss the urgency of imagining a different way of being American. A way, as Liu puts it, “that's not bound to an old power-laden notion of whiteness.” Liu leads the Citizenship and Identity Program at the Aspen Institute. Watch.

SHOW UP

VIDEO (4 MIN)

Aspen Ideas: Show Up Trail Breakers

Showing up comes in various shapes and sizes, through service, community building, and direct action. At Aspen Ideas: Show Up, we profiled a number of young activists who are stepping up for their communities around climate, gun violence, voting rights, and civil discourse. Watch these short profiles of trail breakers making an impact in their communities. Alister Martin founded VotER to help patients, often in underserved communities, register to vote. Aalayah Eastmond, who survived the Parkland school shooting, is actively advocating gun violence prevention in Washington, DC. Tania Israel, author of Beyond Your Bubble, demonstrates that active listening is critical to bridging the political divide. And Benji Backer founded the American Conservation Coalition to unite behind market-based climate solutions. Watch their inspiring stories of meaningful change. Watch.

IDEAS FROM ALLSTATE

ARTICLE (3 MIN READ)

We Can Do Better

Every four years, we come together to elect a president, to deliberate our shared future. Yet the moment a winner is declared, we split apart to celebrate… or not. The cycle is predictable, as are its consequences. But what if it didn’t have to be this way? The Better Arguments Project – a national civic initiative launched by Allstate, the Aspen Institute, and Facing History and Ourselves – is built on a framework that relies on five key principles, creating a means to address our issues head-on. Read more about the critical need for engaging in our humanity, how Better Arguments is working in communities around the country, and learn how to have better arguments in your community, workplace, and around the kitchen table.

Unfinished Live: Democracy & Voice

November 10, 2020

One week after the election, we know we’ll be living in a country in need of connecting. So we’re asking the poets and the preachers, the activists and the academics to remind us: Who is ‘we the people?’ What do we owe each other? When can the healing start? Host Baratunde Thurston and guests including Yo-Yo Ma, Krista Tippett, Arthur Brooks, Rev. William Barber, Valarie Kaur will help ground us.

Register.

What’s the state of the American Dream?