Racial Equity

Discussions on the State of Race in America

March 28, 2016  • Aspen Institute Staff

The Aspen Institute will host its 2016 State of Race Symposium in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, March 29, 2016. In honor of the event, Aspen Institute Radio featured highlights of some important moments from previous symposiums.

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Data-Driven Discrimination

Data can be used to bring about positive societal change, such as increased diversity in the workplace and exposing social inequality. But its use can also raise major privacy and civil rights concerns. The same analytics that could foster diversity could discriminate against racial minorities in credit, advertising, or privacy cases, creating a kind of digital redlining. How can big data be used to decrease racial disparities and increase diversity? How can discriminatory use of data be prevented or reversed?

The State of Race in America Symposium – Race, Media and Politics Panel

Michael Nutter, former mayor of Philadelphia, and Mitch Landrieu, mayor of New Orleans, share their perspectives on the role of race in local politics, looking at how their respective cities have addressed racial issues and divides.

Policing in America after Ferguson and Garner

Recent events in Missouri, New York, and other parts of the US have undoubtedly put race relations at the forefront of Americans’ minds. Many citizens who listen to witness accounts or watch cell phone videos of these incidents feel that law enforcement officers responded with brutality and used unnecessary force. Meanwhile, some suggest that there is a disconnect between public perceptions and the official facts of a case. Minority citizens in these communities fear being wrongfully targeted by police officers, while police officers are in fear while they protect the community, and themselves, from possible threats. How do we resolve these racial fears?

Remarks by Historian and Author Taylor Branch on “The King Years: Historic Moments in the Civil Rights Movement”

Pulitzer Prize winning novelist and civil rights historian Taylor Branch gives concluding remarks at the 2013 State of Race Symposium., encouraging people to “get comfortable” talking about race.