We hope you caught the first installment of Aspen Institute Radio, our new two-hour weekend show on SiriusXM Insight (channel 121). Each episode will dive into the topics that inform the world around you. Here in our weekly Listen Longer posts, we’ll recap the episode and show you where you can read, watch, and listen to more. Don’t have SiriusXM? Try it free for a month here — that means four free episodes of Aspen Institute Radio!
In last week’s show, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we explored conversations around civil rights.
“Letter from a Birmingham Jail” at Washington National Cathedral
Civil rights leader Julian Bond, Yale Law Professor Stephen L. Carter, Dean of the Washington National Cathedral Rev. Gary Hall, and US Poet Laureate Natasha Tretheway joined Aspen Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson in a moving discussion about King’s monumental writing “Letter from a Birmingham City Jail.” Watch the full video above for insights into the poetic elements of the work, the state of civil disobedience today, and Bond’s thoughts on the importance of the gay rights movement. You’ll finish the conversation understanding the letter’s role as an ongoing influence in today’s world.
Read another perspective on King’s “Letter” by Institute Executive Director, National Programs and Vice President Eric L. Motley.
Rep. John Lewis Draws Young People to Nonviolence
Fifty years after the Civil Rights Act, how is civil rights icon and US Congressman John Lewis inspiring the next generation to embrace nonviolent social resistance? Comic books. Learn the whole story behind Lewis’ award-winning graphic memoir series “March” in this moving conversation with “PBS NewsHour’s” Gwen Ifill. Watch here.
Can’t get enough John Lewis? Watch more videos featuring Lewis, below.
- Lewis’ Big Idea
- The “Unfinished Work” of the Civil Rights Movement
- How to Never, Ever Give up on Progress
Faith and Our Communities
Each year, our Communications and Society Program’s Symposium on the State of Race in America explores new attitudes, opportunities, and challenges for and about people of color in 21st century America. In 2013, they explored how citizens view their faith, and how faith continues to serve as a catalyst for major changes that are happening in society. Last year’s speakers included Islamic law specialist and attorney Abed Awad; Faith and Freedom Coalition Founder and Chairman Ralph Reed; Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund Executive Director Jasjit Singh; and event moderator and Fox News Political Analyst Juan Williams. Learn more about the annual Symposium, held each spring in Washington, DC, and get information on how to attend the free event here.
Interested in how faith shapes our country? Check out our recap and interview with US Rep. Keith Ellison about being Muslim in Congress and his book “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee: My Faith, My Family, Our Future.”
Tune in next week to Aspen Institute Radio on Saturday and Sunday, 1-3pm ET on SiriusXM Insight (channel 121) as we review everything you need to know about the president’s State of the Union address.
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