Alan Curtis – författare

Why have American policies failed? What alternative policies can return America to its promise, internally and in the eyes of a global community? This book answers these questions in a preposterous way. It asks citizens and policy makers to actually connect the dots—to move America forward by developing mutually supportive and complementary foreign, national security, Middle East, economic, domestic, inner city, media, campaign finance, and voting reform policies.

American democracy is at an inflection point. Will we stride toward the 22nd century with evidence and will? Or will we lurch fearfully backwards, reinscribing the white supremist domination of the 19th century?After hundreds of urban protests in the 1960s, the presidential Kerner Commission, composed mainly of privileged white men, concluded, "It is time to make good the promise of American democracy to all citizens--urban and rural, white and Black, Spanish surname, American Indian and every minority group." Today it still is time--to reduce racial injustice, economic inequality, and poverty.Since the Kerner Commission, there has been little or no progress in some areas, and in other ways things have gotten worse. Yet the visionaries on these pages are passionate about how the problem is not lack of resources, nor a dearth of knowledge on the economic, education, youth investment, criminal justice, public health, and housing policies that work. Rather, the problem is that America still does not have the "new will" the Kerner Commission concluded was needed to scale up what works.How to create "new will?" We need to identify those who are thwarting majoritarian preferences. Use strengthened voter rights and new messaging techniques to advance Dr. King's economic justice movement based on both class and race. Weave the middle class into the coalition. Know that perfect unity is not necessary for effective collaboration. Better expose the exploitation of Americans by the privileged and the rigged system with its big myth of market fundamentalism. Make clear how that exploitation is smoke-screened by cultural deniers. Build moral language and moral fusion coalitions to revive the heart of democracy and advance a Third Reconstruction. Recover a moral commitment to long-term struggle. Balance outraged intensity with bridge-building persuasion. Don't just preach to the choir--but recognize that the choir is where, to use John Lewis' phrase, good trouble starts. Strengthen the role of nonprofit organizations. Base action on evidence and science, not on ideology, supposition, disinformation, and misinformation. Advocate for how universities can better engage their communities. And create a Harry Belafonte-like infrastructure of hope and empathy through the visual arts, monuments, and the performing arts. Through this book, and through its companion volume--the republication of the original Kerner Report of 1968--we commit to enhancing the movement and healing our divided society.Book Features:Brings together public and private sector decision-makers, seminal thinkers, activists, advocates, students, and commonsense change-oriented scholars to address a broad range of economic, education, youth investment, criminal justice, public health, and housing issues requiring urgent action.Cuts through campaign rhetoric to focus on evidence and science, not on ideology, supposition, disinformation, and misinformation.Examines what we have learned since the Kerner Commission and updates trends in economic, education, police reform, youth development, public health, and housing policies.Identifies what works and what doesn't work.Offers core lessons and takeaways for creating new political will to reduce racial and economic injustice, inequality, and poverty.Contributors: William Barber, Jared Bernstein, Cornell William Brooks, LaTosha Brown, Elliott Currie, Linda Darling-Hammond, Robert Faris, Michael Feuer, John Jackson, Margaret Morton, Janet Murguia, Naomi Oreskes, Claudia Pena, Lisa Rice, Loretta Ross, Richard Rothstein, Anat Shenker-Osorio, Dorothy Stoneman, Michelle Williams, Valerie Wilson, Felicia Wong, Julian Zelizer.

American democracy is at an inflection point. Will we stride toward the 22nd century with evidence and will? Or will we lurch fearfully backwards, reinscribing the white supremist domination of the 19th century?After hundreds of urban protests in the 1960s, the presidential Kerner Commission, composed mainly of privileged white men, concluded, "It is time to make good the promise of American democracy to all citizens--urban and rural, white and Black, Spanish surname, American Indian and every minority group." Today it still is time--to reduce racial injustice, economic inequality, and poverty.Since the Kerner Commission, there has been little or no progress in some areas, and in other ways things have gotten worse. Yet the visionaries on these pages are passionate about how the problem is not lack of resources, nor a dearth of knowledge on the economic, education, youth investment, criminal justice, public health, and housing policies that work. Rather, the problem is that America still does not have the "new will" the Kerner Commission concluded was needed to scale up what works.How to create "new will?" We need to identify those who are thwarting majoritarian preferences. Use strengthened voter rights and new messaging techniques to advance Dr. King's economic justice movement based on both class and race. Weave the middle class into the coalition. Know that perfect unity is not necessary for effective collaboration. Better expose the exploitation of Americans by the privileged and the rigged system with its big myth of market fundamentalism. Make clear how that exploitation is smoke-screened by cultural deniers. Build moral language and moral fusion coalitions to revive the heart of democracy and advance a Third Reconstruction. Recover a moral commitment to long-term struggle. Balance outraged intensity with bridge-building persuasion. Don't just preach to the choir--but recognize that the choir is where, to use John Lewis' phrase, good trouble starts. Strengthen the role of nonprofit organizations. Base action on evidence and science, not on ideology, supposition, disinformation, and misinformation. Advocate for how universities can better engage their communities. And create a Harry Belafonte-like infrastructure of hope and empathy through the visual arts, monuments, and the performing arts. Through this book, and through its companion volume--the republication of the original Kerner Report of 1968--we commit to enhancing the movement and healing our divided society.Book Features:Brings together public and private sector decision-makers, seminal thinkers, activists, advocates, students, and commonsense change-oriented scholars to address a broad range of economic, education, youth investment, criminal justice, public health, and housing issues requiring urgent action.Cuts through campaign rhetoric to focus on evidence and science, not on ideology, supposition, disinformation, and misinformation.Examines what we have learned since the Kerner Commission and updates trends in economic, education, police reform, youth development, public health, and housing policies.Identifies what works and what doesn't work.Offers core lessons and takeaways for creating new political will to reduce racial and economic injustice, inequality, and poverty.Contributors: William Barber, Jared Bernstein, Cornell William Brooks, LaTosha Brown, Elliott Currie, Linda Darling-Hammond, Robert Faris, Michael Feuer, John Jackson, Margaret Morton, Janet Murguia, Naomi Oreskes, Claudia Pena, Lisa Rice, Loretta Ross, Richard Rothstein, Anat Shenker-Osorio, Dorothy Stoneman, Michelle Williams, Valerie Wilson, Felicia Wong, Julian Zelizer.

In 1968, the Kerner Commission concluded that America was heading toward “two societies, one black, one white-separate and unequal.” Today, America’s communities are experiencing increasing racial tensions and inequality, working-class resentment over the unfulfilled American Dream, white supremacy violence, toxic inaction in Washington, and the decline of the nation’s example around the world.In Healing Our Divided Society, Fred Harris, the last surviving member of the Kerner Commission, along with Eisenhower Foundation CEO Alan Curtis, re-examine fifty years later the work still necessary towards the goals set forth in The Kerner Report. This timely volume unites the interests of minorities and white working- and middle-class Americans to propose a strategy to reduce poverty, inequality, and racial injustice. Reflecting on America’s urban climate today, this new report sets forth evidence-based policies concerning employment, education, housing, neighborhood development, and criminal justice based on what has been proven to work-and not work. Contributors include: Oscar Perry Abello, Elijah Anderson, Anil N.F. Aranha, Jared Bernstein, Henry G. Cisneros, Elliott Currie, Linda Darling-Hammond, Martha F. Davis, E. J. Dionne, Jr., Marian Wright Edelman, Delbert S. Elliott, Carol Emig, Jeff Faux, Ron Grzywinski, Michael P. Jeffries, Lamar K. Johnson, Celinda Lake, Marilyn Melkonian, Gary Orfield, Diane Ravitch, Laurie Robinson, Herbert C. Smitherman, Jr., Joseph Stiglitz, Dorothy Stoneman, Kevin  Washburn, Valerie Wilson, Gary Younge,  Julian E. Zelizer, and the editors

Welsh footballer Alan Curtis is synonymous with Swansea City, having played for the club during three different spells, but he also played for Leeds United, Southampton and Cardiff City, and won thirty-five caps for his country during an action-packed playing career that spanned two decades. Alan experienced the highs of the game at the top level with Swansea during their meteoric rise through all four divisions to reach the top flight, but this success came after he'd experienced the low of the Swans having to apply for re-election to the Football League in 1975.In this eventful autobiography, Alan recounts the topsy-turvy turns his career has taken, including a disappointing spell at Leeds United in 1979-80. He was the club's most expensive signing ever at the time, but a nasty clash with Peter Shilton left him sidelined for nine months. Determined to prove his critics wrong and overcome his injury, he played some of the best football of his career upon returning to Swansea, before moving to Southampton in 1983 to help the club challenge the Merseyside dominance of the time.Since his playing career wound down in 1987, Alan has remained in the game as a coach with both Swansea City and Wales, giving back to the game the wisdom and experience he garnered during his years as a player. In Curt, Alan reflects upon his colourful career, highlights just how much the beautiful game has changed since his playing days and explains why he's living proof that nice guys don't always finish second.