Ashton Applewhite: Ageism, COVID-19, and Grassroots Opportunities

In the final episode of 2020, Susan Ryan sits down with activist and writer, Ashton Applewhite. Her passion and focus are tackling ageism and its insidious penetration into the fabric of society. Ashton is the author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism and a TED mainstage speaker. Her 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. Susan and Ashton dive deeply into the topic of ageism and how it cuts (and divides) both ways and across generations. They examine the 'U curve of happiness' and how to dismantle the existing cultural myths associated with growing older. Finally, Ashton looks at ageism and ableism through the lens of COVID-19 and how the pandemic has glaringly exposed the attitudes, behaviors, and systemic flaws that have been around us all the time.   Watch Ashton's 2017 TED Talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/ashton_applewhite_let_s_end_ageism Follow her on Twitter here: @thischairrocks