Reducing Prejudice Requires Meaningful Conversation—but the Results Speak for Themselves, Says Dave Fleischer
Prejudice divides us, and to Lavin speaker Dave Fleischer, Director of the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Leadership LAB, dismantling it is nothing less than a science. “Deep canvassing”—a method refined by Fleischer and his team—means knocking on doors to engage people in fact-based, personal... Continue Reading →
It’s Easy to Empathize with One Person. Stanford’s Jamil Zaki Helps Us Scale Up.
“For decades, social scientists have documented a troubling quirk in human empathy: People tend to care more about the suffering of individuals, and less about the pain of many people.” In the wake of what seems like an increase in natural disasters around the world, empathy expert Jamil Zaki... Continue Reading →
Lavin Speaker Vijay Gupta—a Violinist Who Helps the Homeless and Incarcerated—Named a 2018 MacArthur “Genius”
Violinist and educator Vijay Gupta has just been named by the MacArthur Foundation as one of their 2018 Fellows—a distinction known cheekily as the “Genius” Award. Recognizing Gupta’s remarkable work with Street Symphony, his musical engagement program that pairs professional musicians with Skid... Continue Reading →
What Can We Learn From the Young Changemakers Marching for Their Lives Right Now?
Young changemakers are fed up, furious and fighting for real reform—and for the first time in decades it might actually happen. How have young people been able to make headway where so many others have failed? Jessica Kriegel, Karim Abouelnaga and Vanessa Grigoriadis speak on the singular power of... Continue Reading →
Reza Aslan: Fighting Islamophobia, Championing Diversity, and Now, in His New Book, Writing a Human History of God
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Zealot and host of CNN’s Believer, Reza Aslan continues his investigation of our relationship to religion—historically, and in the 21st century—with his fascinating new book God: A Human History, out today. As discussed on WNYC’s Leonard Lopate show,... Continue Reading →
“It’s time to ditch the Old/Young binary”: Watch Ashton Applewhite’s Acclaimed TED Talk on Moving Past Ageism
“Ageism is the last acceptable prejudice,” says Ashton Applewhite, but it doesn’t have to be. In her just-released, standing ovation-nabbing TED Talk about the misconceptions that surround getting older, Applewhite offers clear ways we can change our minds—and actions—related to aging. Author of... Continue Reading →
“Aging is a natural process that unites us all”: Ashton Applewhite, Anti-Ageism Activist
One of the freshest faces to the Lavin roster is the wonderful Ashton Applewhite, author of This Chair Rocks, whose energy and dry wit infuses her writing, activism, and keynotes. Addressing ageism in the worklace and society at large, she presents new persectives on aging, pointing to alternative... Continue Reading →
“The travel ban ruling means my kids don’t belong”: Wajahat Ali in The Atlantic
“A crisis allows for an opportunity,” says writer and commentator Wajahat Ali in a new video essay for The Atlantic. The crisis in question: the Trump administration’s controversial Travel Ban—“or as we call it in my home, the Muslim Ban,” says Ali. Suspended in March of this year due to... Continue Reading →