Virtual Discussion Series

As part of the research for this book, during Fall 2018, Henry A. J. Ramos hosted a series of four live, virtual discussions with leading progressive voices and changemakers. 

WATCH VIDEO: Revitalizing American Democracy: Pathways to Restored Integrity & Real Inclusion, featuring:

• Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder in Residence at PolicyLink;
• Susan Henderson, Executive Director of the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund;
• and Dr. Manuel Pastor, Director of the Program for Environmental & Regional Equity at the University of Southern California.

 
WATCH VIDEO: Activating Change: New Models for Inspired Civic Engagement, featuring:

• Cristina Jimenez, Executive Director and Co-Founder of United We Dream;
• Calvin Williams, Cultural Strategist at Movement Strategy Center;
• and Surina Khan, CEO of the Women’s Foundation of California.

 
WATCH VIDEO: Moving Towards Shared Prosperity: Unrigging the American Economy, featuring:

• Zachary Norris, Executive Director of Ella Baker Center for Human Rights;
• Felicia Wong, President and CEO of Roosevelt Institute;
• and Derecka Mehrens, Executive Director of Working Partnerships USA.

 
WATCH VIDEO: New Visions for Opportunity: Forging a Sustainable Social Economy, featuring:

• Deborah Frieze, Founder and President of the Boston Impact Initiative Fund;
• Dr. Darrick Hamilton, Professor of Economics and Urban Policy at The New School for Social Research;
• and Carla Javits, President and CEO of the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund.

These free and unique discussions invited fresh perspectives on democracy and economic security with leading social justice advocates, grassroots organizers and thought leaders, and new economy champions.

Too many of us are left out

Growing inequality, political rancor and institutional failures have sowed distrust among Americans in how we see and engage in democracy and economic opportunity.

What is felt and lived by so many of us is increasingly acknowledged in our public discourse: neither U.S. civic processes nor economic opportunity are as just or accessible as they must be to fulfill the rights and needs of the average American – and our ideals as a nation.

It doesn’t have to be this way

To foster true equity, we need new ideas, a more inclusive set of voices and inspired action.

• We need fresh, progressive thinking to support enhanced democratic vitality and engagement.
• We need an expanded prosperity that is more sustainable and more widely-shared by American workers and families.
• We need a robust new social contract to galvanize cross-community support and meet the diverse, dynamic needs of the American people in the 21st century.

How can we realize a new vision?

This project seeks to engage and elevate public discourse on how we can create a more cohesive and durable set of policy alternatives to lead the country in a new direction – toward equity, inclusiveness and expanded prosperity.

Led by longtime public policy researcher and nonprofit leader Henry A. J. Ramos, the project draws on interviews, writings and public exchanges featuring a diverse cross-section of social investment innovators to outline a progressive new vision for next-generation civic participation, family economic security, justice and shared prosperity in the United States.

Partners

Democracy and the Next American Economy: Where Prosperity Meets Justice is a research and public engagement project of Arte Público Press at the University of Houston.

Project Advisors

Democracy and the Next American Economy: Where Prosperity Meets Justice draws on the guidance and expertise of a diverse range of thought leaders, advocates and changemakers in the social justice and social investment fields. The author wishes to thank the following individuals for their personal counsel and support in informing this project:

• Eric Abrams, Chief Inclusion Officer, Stanford University Graduate School of Education, Palo Alto, CA
• Orson Aguilar, Executive Director, The Greenlining Institute, Oakland, CA
• Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO, Nonprofit Finance Fund, New York, NY
• Angela Glover Blackwell, President & Founder, PolicyLink, Oakland, CA
• Chrissie Castro, Social Justice Activist & Weaver, Native Voice Network, Los Angeles, CA
• Diana Dorn Jones, Executive Director, United South Broadway Corporation, Albuquerque, NM
• Darrick Hamilton, Professor of Economics, The Milano School of International Affairs, New School University, New York, NY
• Saru Jayaraman, Co-Director & Co-Founder, ROC United, Oakland, CA
• Surina Khan, CEO, The Women’s Foundation of California, Oakland, CA
• Stewart Kwoh, CEO, Asian American Justice Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Homero Leon, Jr., Partner, Lucas & Leon Attorneys at Law, Atlanta, GA
• Geraldine P. Mannion, Director, Democracy Programs, Carnegie Corporation, New York, NY
• Adrienne Mansanares, Chief Experience Officer, Planned Parenthood, Denver, CO
• Robert L. McKay, Jr., Principal, McKay Family Investments, San Diego, CA
• Scott Nielsen, Director, Advocacy Programs, Arabella & Associates, Chicago, IL
• Derecka Mehrens, Executive Director, Working Partnerships USA, San José, CA
• Zachary Norris, Executive Director, Ella Baker Center, Oakland, CA
• Sheryl Oring, Distinguished Humanities Scholar, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC
• Felix W. Ortiz III, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Viridis Corporation, New York, NY
• Star Paschal, Board Vice Chair, Equal Voice Action, Auburn, AL
• Manuel Pastor, Director, Program for Environmental & Regional Equity, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
• Mike Roberts, President, First Nation’s Institute, Longmont, CO
• Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union, New York, NY
• Felicia J. Wong, President & CEO, the Roosevelt Institute, New York, NY
• Georgette Wong, Founder & Principal, Correlation Consulting, East Sound, WA
• Richard Woo, Executive Director, The Russell Family Foundation, Gig Harbor, WA

Click here for more information about Henry A. J. Ramos's book Democracy and the Next American Economy: Where Prosperity Meets Justice.