Seven Takeaways from the State of Race Symposium
By Arica Van Boxtel
Summary
The Aspen Institute Symposium on the State of Race in America explored new attitudes, opportunities, and challenges for and about people of color in 21st century America. The 2017 Symposium explored these themes in the context of a new administration. The annual event was presented by the Communications and Society Program in association with Comcast NBCUniversal. |
| Below is a video recap of the 2016 Symposium, which included two panels on race and the university and shifting demographics in urban communities. |
| PANELISTS |
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James Clyburn Congressman, 6th District, South Carolina |
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Adam Foss Juvenile Justice Reformer |
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Amy Hinojosa President and CEO, MANA |
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Khizr Khan Gold Star Father of Muslim-American Fallen Soldier |
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Rakesh Kochhar Associate Director of Research, Pew Research Center |
 | Richard Lui Anchor, NBC News and MSNBC (moderator) |
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Pages Matam Author and Writer |
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Michele Norris Director, The Race Card Project (moderator) |
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Thomas Shapiro Professor, Brandeis University and Author |
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Tanzina Vega National Reporter for Race and Inequality, CNNMoney |
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Omar Wasow Assistant Professor, Princeton University and Co-Founder, Blackplanet.com |
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Juan Williams Political Analyst, Fox News (moderator) |
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David Cohen Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Comcast Corporation |
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Charles M. Firestone Executive Director, Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program |
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Kiahna Cassell Project Director, Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program |
| AGENDA |
| 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Light Continental Breakfast |
| 9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. | Welcome, Introduction and Opening Remarks |
| 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. | Panel 1: The Wealth Gap |
| While income inequality is often talked about as the great divide, there is an even greater economic divide in this country – wealth inequality, also known as the “wealth gap.” The wealth of white households was 13 times the median wealth of black households in 2013, compared with eight times the wealth in 2010, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances. What will these disparities mean for minority communities in the United States? Beyond the gap in minority communities, the divide between working class whites and white intellectual elites is also widening. Some suggest that there are ways to close the wealth gap, including reforming policies in the 21st century workplace and promoting savings initiatives, similar to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Project Catalyst, which is aimed at promoting savings for low-income and economically vulnerable individuals. What more can be done to close the wealth gap? |
| 10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | The Wealth Gap Continued: A One-on-One Conversation |
| What projects and initiatives are in place to tackle the wealth gap? Will lawmakers take a closer look at the social problems that are contributing to the wealth gap? |
| 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. | Panel 2: The Future Dialogue on Race |
| While the topic of race and racism will likely continue to be a contentious topic for years to come, it is a discussion that is imperative for civil society. How does the dialogue on race continue? Will protests in the streets and boycotts become the new mode of discourse? What can be done to ease racial anxiety and promote common understanding? What is the role of social media? |
| 11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Break |
| 12:00 p.m. - 12:15 p.m. | Artistic Piece |
| 12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Town Hall: Strategies for Fighting Racism |
| Are there strategies that can be implemented to fight racism more effectively? What are the new arenas and approaches that have promise in the Trump Era? What economic reforms could help shorten the wealth gap? |
| 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Concluding Remarks and Lunch |
