This Chair Rocks
A Manifesto Against Ageism
What if discrimination on the basis of age were as unacceptable as any other kind of prejudice? Ashton Applewhite is a leading voice in an emerging movement dedicated to dismantling ageism and honoring age as a vibrant and necessary aspect of diversity. The author of This Chair Rocks and a TED mainstage speaker, she reveals the untapped possibilities of late life—in our communities, at work, and in ourselves.
The coronavirus pandemic has glaringly exposed the ageism, ableism, and racism all around us—and as Ashton Applewhite sees it, given us a historic opportunity to build on that awareness. “We’re engaged in a massive collective experiment to protect the vulnerable, whoever they turn out to be,” says the anti-ageism activist. “It’s high stakes, and it’s as intersectional as things can get.” Learning to live with COVID is going to present us with all kinds of ethical dilemmas, from who gets included in drug trials to who decides the value of a human life. Issues of age, and age equity, will become ever more prominent, not least because population aging is a permanent, global trend. More and more organizations, including the World Economic Forum, the World Health Organization, and the American Society on Aging, are recognizing the urgent need to confront ageism. “The global community has a role and a responsibility to combat ageism, which is the single most impenetrable barrier to the pursuit of healthy aging,” the WEF writes.
Applewhite asks us to question the status quo and challenge the economic and social forces that frame some lives as more valuable than others. If it’s not ethical—or legal—to allocate resources by race or sex, as she points out, “weighing the needs of the young against the old is equally unacceptable. Period.” Her book, This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, charts Applewhite’s journey from apprehensive boomer to pro-aging radical, debunking the countless harmful myths and stereotypes about aging along the way. The manifesto was listed as one of the “100 Best Books to Read at Every Age” by the Washington Post, and named one of “10 Books To Help You Foster a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace” by Forbes.
In her accompanying talks, Applewhite looks at ageism from a variety of angles: from discrimination in the workplace, to the cost of the all-American myth of independence and the misinformed portrayal of older people as burdens to society. And with her funny, straight-talking approach (showcased on the TED mainstage, where she received a standing ovation), audiences realize the often-overlooked benefits of advanced age, and the need for greater age diversity in our public and private lives. The corporate world is waking up to the reality of age discrimination in the workplace, and its negative effect on business and individuals: it’s time to make change and reap the benefits of an intergenerational workforce.
In 2018, Applewhite was named a member of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ “100” list. She was also recognized on the PBS site Next Avenue’s annual list of 50 Influencers in Aging as their Influencer of the Year. She has been acknowledged by the New York Times, New Yorker, NPR, and the American Society on Aging as an expert on ageism, and has written for Harper’s, The New York Times, The Guardian, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. Applewhite speaks widely, at venues that have ranged from universities and community centers to the Library of Congress and the United Nations.