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Race has divided our country since colonization, with some calling slavery America's original sin. The history of the US, from the Civil War to Jim Crow and Black Lives Matter, is defined as conspicuously by racial strife as it is by great achievements. So what does racial progress actually mean in practice? How can political, business, and community leaders confront the t...

Black History Month shouldn't be the only time we talk about the inextricable role of race in US society. But conversations with friends, family, and coworkers about race and racism can be self-defeating. Listen as prominent voices from the Aspen Ideas To Go podcast explain the roots of the US's fraught racial politics and the ways racism continues to shape society. Their...

Capitalism has been a success, though certainly not for everyone. Disparities according to gender, race, and even birthplace have disadvantaged large groups of Americans, and increasing economic and political power among the wealthy leaves the working class — and increasingly the middle class — unable to get ahead. Can we create an inclusive capitalism?

Speakers at the 2022 Aspen Ideas Festival addressed issues in a world that is irreversibly changed by the pandemic, divided by sharpening political polarization, reckoning with race, and craving connection after several isolating years. They looked to the past, present, and future to grapple with many of the most pressing — and simply fascinating — questions of our time....


How can Yo-Yo Ma help sixth graders learn earth science? How does ballet strengthen the mind along with the body? The below clips, which feature dance, music, and performance art pieces performed at the Aspen Ideas Festival, are tantalizing parts of whole sessions that explore how the arts can heal and educate. Watch a clip or two and gain a deeper appreciation for how per...

Six months into the pandemic, cases are spiking in parts of the country, the death toll continues to rise, and the economy is in shambles. What comes next in this battle?