The Aspen Institute

The past two months have shone a renewed light on the Black Lives Matter movement and brought the attention and support of wider communities. For the many in the white community who consider themselves allies, the question remains how they can be partners in changing society and rebuilding our country to eliminate structural racism. In February 2020, Socrates convened participants in a seminar, “Learning from Native Sons: The Pain, Rage and Hope of America’s Most Loyal Critics”. This seminar focused on the singular promise of America and its frequently brutal history of failing to make good on that promise through the rich critical lens of black male autobiography, reading works of Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, through Richard Wright and James Baldwin, and into the present moment, with Reginald Dwayne Betts, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. The seminar was transformative for many participants, who have stayed in touch and have continued the discussions and friendships, asking how they can move towards sustainable action. In this webinar longtime Socrates alum Lincoln Ellis will moderate a discussion between three Native Sons seminar participants, Haley Littleton, Samuel, Kimbriel, and Brenda Gerber Vincent. They will discuss the initial impacts of their seminar experience and how their learning and growth has continued since leaving the seminar room.

Many people had read about food deserts and food security before the coronavirus pandemic, but the last two months has revealed concerning brittleness in the food supply chain. We see reports on farmers destroying food they can’t store while food pantries are over-subscribed. What are the public and private sectors currently doing to ensure supply chains are safe? Who are the portions of the US population are at most risk? What should be the actions to provide food security for the most vulnerable populations? What could be the implications brought by COVID-19 for food security in the future?

Digital technology, its pervasiveness in our lives, its impact on how we think and remember, its central role in mediating our relationships, has been a growing concern for parents navigating raising children in a rapidly changing landscape.