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The Idea of America
Reflections on Inequality, Democracy, and the Values We Share
Advance Praise for Darren Walker’s The Idea of America Darren Walker is driven by a deep conviction that the idea of America can be realized if we work together—and his book will make believers out of readers, too. It beautifully captures the spirit of optimism, creativity, and compassion that has made him one of the most influential leaders of the twenty-first century and a force for change on so many important issues. -Michael Bloomberg Darren Walker's collection of essays, speeches, and reflections is a testimony from one of the most powerful voices in modern philanthropy. The Idea of America explores how rediscovering our common principles can illuminate a united path forward, at a time when we need it most. -Amal Clooney & George Clooney Darren Walker reaches into the marrow of who we are now–and who we might still become. Through a stunning chronicle of his life and learnings, Darren offers not just a reflection, but a reckoning: He shares his vision while reminding us that justice and dignity are not merely ideals of the past, but tasks of the present. Darren is dynamic, propulsive, intentional. His influence is a sprawl–from emerging artists to the world’s most high-profile leaders. The Idea of America speaks to that reach, and, more importantly, to the rare and generous spirit that fuels it. In this beautiful book, Darren Walker’s unshakable purpose becomes our rallying call. - Ava DuVernay With the values of pluralism, inclusion, and social justice under assault, we need to reassert how our historic, shared ideals should unite Americans rather than pull us apart. In these bracing essays, Darren Walker summons us, on the 250th anniversary of our founding, to remember our higher calling as a nation. - Walter Isaacson Darren Walker ushered in a new era in the history of American philanthropy, dedicated to closing the inequality gap, centering human dignity, and advancing social justice. In his valedictory book, he curates years of brilliant reflections, seminal essays, and beautifully crafted speeches. Readers witness his remarkable rise, his inquisitive and fertile mind, the clarity of his strategic vision, and the courage of his convictions. Through his visionary leadership, he has rallied us to the enduring creed of forging a more perfect union for all, especially our most disadvantaged fellow citizens. Darren Walker is a singular leader and a unique historical figure, and this collection is both a deeply moving record of his theory and practice of philanthropy, as well as an invaluable resource for those seeking inspiration in these challenging times, eager to build on his legacy by imagining and pursuing a more just and hopeful future. - Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Darren Walker (Author)
9781394353828, Wiley
Hardback, published 4 September 2025
624 pages
17.8 x 15.5 x 4.1 cm, 0.862 kg
Darren Walker has lived the promise of America. Born to a single mother in a Louisiana charity hospital, the pride of Head Start and public schools in rural East Texas, Walker serves today as the tenth President of the Ford Foundation, among the largest private foundations in the United States. Since 2013, he has overseen more than $7 billion in grantmaking, while transforming philanthropy and inspiring conversations about and commitments to democratic values and institutions around the world. As Walker writes, “I have lived on both sides of American inequality. And I know, all too personally, that the distance between the two has never been greater.” In The Idea of America: Reflections on Inequality, Democracy, and the Values We Share, Walker argues that we can narrow our widening divides by rediscovering our common aspirations and common good. With an original foreword by President William Jefferson Clinton, this prescient, timely compendium introduces us to an essential leader of and for our moment—in his own words—through his most essential reflections, essays, and speeches. Across 97 selected pieces, many published here for the first time, Walker shares from his: Ultimately, Walker calls for courageous, moral leadership from us all—challenging us to step back from the extremes, to lean into nuance and complexity, and to build longer bridges. “Hope,” Walker affirms, “is the oxygen of democracy.” The Idea of America gives powerful testimony to all that is possible “if we renew our fidelity to the values that bind us, both despite and because of our differences.”
Foreword xxv Part I My American Story and Our American Journey Finding My Way Home 9 New York, New York July 25, 2013 Build a Bridge to a Better World 14 Austin, Texas May 23, 2015 The Power of the Mighty Sunflower 20 Austin, Texas May 21, 2016 Activism Is Our Rent 25 Bronxville, New York May 21, 2018 A Proud Son of the American South 31 June 28, 2021 Healing and Serving the World 34 New York, New York October 23, 2022 Repeal of Affirmative Action Is Only the Beginning 41 June 30, 2023 Part II Uprooting Inequality and Moving The Ford Foundation Forward Enduring Mission, New Vision 49 New York, New York September 9, 2013 Taking Stock, Looking Ahead 56 September 2, 2014 Work in Detroit Doesn’t End with Grand Bargain 62 November 19, 2014 What’s Next for the Ford Foundation: A Blueprint for Social-Justice Philanthropy 65 June 11, 2015 All In on Detroit 72 with Kofi Appenteng June 15, 2015 Moving the Ford Foundation Forward 75 November 8, 2015 Putting FordForward into Action 84 June 30, 2016 Ignorance Is the Enemy Within 91 September 12, 2016 Unleashing the Power of Endowments: The Next Great Challenge for Philanthropy 99 April 5, 2017 A $1 Billion Experiment in Philanthropic Investing 109 April 7, 2017 Aligning Our Investments and Our Values 112 October 18, 2021 Healing the Breach: The Ford Family and Ford Foundation 116 With Edsel B. Ford ii December 5, 2024 Part III A New Gospel of Giving for Our New Gilded Age Rejecting the Tyranny of Strategy 125 May 15, 2014 Toward a New Gospel of Wealth 128 October 1, 2015 Maintaining the Mobility Escalator Together 136 Cambridge, Massachusetts October 18, 2015 Why Giving Back Isn’t Enough 140 December 18, 2015 Philanthropy Is an American Idea and Birthright 144 June 30, 2016 The Coming of Hope: A Vision for Philanthropy in the New Year 147 January 9, 2019 The Hard Work of Hope: How We Move Forward 155 January 22, 2020 In Support of Philanthropic Pluralism 160 with Heather Templeton Dill, Kathleen Enright, Sam Gill, Brian Hooks, and Elise Westhoff April 13, 2023 Finding Philanthropy’s Forgotten Founder 165 September 9, 2024 Part IV The Art of Democracy Open and Free: On Arts, Democracy, and Inequality 177 Mexico City, Mexico January 26, 2015 The Imperative of Diversity in Arts and Culture 184 New York, New York January 27, 2015 On the Art of Change 188 Oxford, United Kingdom April 17, 2015 The Detroit Institute of Arts Belongs to the People— as Does the City of Detroit 193 Detroit, Michigan June 16, 2015 Our Nation’s Most Precious Heritage 195 Washington, dc September 10, 2015 Yes Justice, Yes Peace: The Role of Art in Confronting Inequality 201 Rothko Chapel Houston, Texas October 3, 2016 The Art of Democracy: Creative Expression and American Greatness 206 The Kennedy Center Washington, dc March 20, 2017 Celebrating Democracy’s Art 218 The United States Department of State Washington, dc April 16, 2018 Museums Need to Step Into the Future 222 July 26, 2019 Through Art, Hope—and Through Hope, Justice 226 Bennington, Vermont May 28, 2021 The Urgency of Art: Art and Justice During a Time of Crisis 232 The Royal Academy of Arts London, England November 7, 2023 Part V Democratic Capitalism: Economic Opportunity and Shared Prosperity Where Markets Lead, Justice Must Follow 247 San Anselmo, California May 30, 2015 Internships Are Not a Privilege 253 July 15, 2016 Building Inclusive Economies in an Era of Inequality 256 Paris, France November 22, 2016 On the Future of Work(ers) 261 October 1, 2018 The Value of What Matters 267 Madrid, Spain July 19, 2019 How to Save Capitalism from Itself 273 October 17, 2019 Are You Willing to Give Up Your Privilege? 278 June 25, 2020 In Response 50 Years Later: The “Subversive Doctrine” of Milton Friedman 282 September 14, 2020 Shared Company Ownership May Be the Missing Path to the American Dream 285 with Pete Stavros August 11, 2022 AI Is Changing Everything— and We Need New Guardrails 288 with Hemant Taneja March 28, 2023 Part VI The Covid- 19 Crisis: Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Measures A Note from Home 295 March 20, 2020 Why Foundations Like Mine Need to Give More to Stave Off the Collapse of Vital Nonprofits 300 June 8, 2020 Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Measures 304 June 11, 2020 To End the Pandemic, Every Business Leader Must Put Worker Health and Equity First 311 February 23, 2021 Rebuilding Our Post- COVID World Together 314 March 24, 2021 An Equitable Vaccine Rollout Must Prioritize the Most Vulnerable 319 April 6, 2021 How to End Global Vaccine Inequality 322 with Charlize Theron October 6, 2021 The Stubborn Persistence of Vaccine Inequality 326 November 2, 2021 Part VII From An American Century To Inclusive Global Engagement Democracy Has No Finish Line 335 Johannesburg, South Africa February 11, 2014 A New Global Era of Urban Disruption 340 Medellín, Colombia April 7, 2014 How Can We Help You? 345 July 8, 2015 Old Money, New Order: American Philanthropies and the Defense of Liberal Democracy 354 October 15, 2016 Supporting Ukraine and the Values of Democracy 365 March 9, 2022 Building a More Inclusive Global Order 370 September 19, 2022 Part VIII Out of Many, One: Why Difference Need Not Yield Division The Opposite of Inequality Is Justice 379 South Bronx, New York, New York June 4, 2015 Choosing E Pluribus Unum 383 Burlington, Vermont May 19, 2019 Confronting Anti- Asian Violence 389 March 17, 2021 Building Multiethnic, Multiracial, Pluralist Democracies 391 New York, New York March 22, 2023 Turning the Rising Tide of Anti- Semitism 394 September 15, 2023 Holding Fast to Our Shared Humanity 397 October 22, 2023 The Democratic Values That Bind Us Together 399 Beirut, Lebanon June 8, 2024 Part IX The Promise of America A New Testament of Hope 407 December 15, 2014 What Makes Us Exceptional: The Act of Perfecting, Not the Fact of Perfection 415 New York, New York January 21, 2016 The Power of Privilege 422 Brunswick, Maine May 27, 2016 Let America Be America Again 427 January 4, 2017 Justice Over Greatness: A New Year’s Reflection 432 January 17, 2018 With Four Freedoms, Four Responsibilities: A Defense of Democratic Values 441 February 2018 Democracy Is a Threat to White Supremacy 478 January 7, 2021 The Dawn Is Ours 480 January 22, 2021 Inclusion Is Patriotism of the Highest Order 482 July 2, 2021 Jefferson’s Republic, 246 Years On 485 Monticello, Virginia June 17, 2022 These Truths We Hold 489 July 4, 2022 Part X In Celebration: Profiles in Love and Leadership My David: A Love Story 499 New York, New York February 23, 2019 John Lewis: A Legacy of Good Trouble 505 July 18, 2020 The Resolve and Righteousness of Ruth Bader Ginsburg 507 September 19, 2020 Standing on the Broad Shoulders of Vernon Jordan 509 March 2, 2021 Celebrating the Remarkable Legacy of Franklin Thomas 511 December 23, 2021 Franklin Thomas, Giant of Justice and Generosity 513 New York, New York January 9, 2022 Vartan Gregorian: The Philanthropist’s Philanthropist 516 New York, New York April 13, 2022 Unafraid, Unbowed, and Unapologetic: The Life and Legacy of Judy Heumann 519 March 6, 2023 Harry Belafonte: Firefighter for Justice 522 April 25, 2023 The Gift and the Grace of Alma Powell 524 Washington, dc October 25, 2024 Cecile Richards, Champion for Justice, Forever Undaunted 529 New York, New York February 1, 2025 Part XI A Call for Courageous, Moral Leadership A Call for Moral Courage in America 537 September 6, 2017 In Defense of Nuance 546 September 9, 2019 The Imperative of Moral Leadership 551 October 7, 2020 Democracy at a Crossroads: A Call for Courageous Leadership 558 New York, New York March 4, 2024 There Is No Leadership Without Risk 568 October 20, 2024 Acknowledgments 573 Credits 579 About the Author 581
President Bill Clinton
Statement upon Appointment as President of the Ford Foundation
Address to The University of Texas at Austin Class of 2015
Address to The University of Texas at Austin Law School Class of 2016
Address to the Sarah Lawrence College Class of 2018
Sermon to Church of the Heavenly Rest
The New York Times
Inaugural Address to the Ford Foundation Community
2014 Annual Message
Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
2016 Annual Message
Stanford Social Innovation Review
The Wall Street Journal
Fortune
Stanford Social Innovation Review
2015 Annual Message
Statement upon Election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The New York Times
Time
2019 New Year’s Message
2020 New Year’s Message
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
The Atlantic
Address to the Association of Art Museum Directors
Introduction of Partnership with New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
Skoll World Forum
Ford Foundation Board Meeting
Address to the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities
Frances Tarlton “Sissy” Farenthold Endowed Lecture
Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy
Address to the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies
The New York Times
Address to the Bennington College Class of 2021
Rothschild Foundation Lecture
Address to the Presidio Graduate School Class of 2015
The New York Times
Address to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Summit on Inclusion, Innovation, and Resilience
Address to the IE University, Madrid, Class of 2019
Fast Company
The New York Times
As Submitted The New York Times
Fortune
The Washington Post
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Fortune
The Washington Post
Time
Foreign Affairs
Address to Ford Foundation Trustees Symposium
Address to UNHABITAT, World Urban Forum 7
2015 CIVICUS State of Civil Society Report
Foreign Affairs
The New York Times
Address to the Hostos Community College Class of 2015
Address to the University of Vermont Class of 2019
Statement upon Appointment into the Order of the British Empire
Address to the American University of Beirut Class of 2024
Expanded Version
Address to the Hunter College Class of 2016
Address to the Bowdoin College Class of 2016
2017 New Year’s Message
2018 New Year’s Message
Expanded from Addresses to the Classes of 2017
at Michigan State University, Simmons College, Oberlin College, and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
The Washington Post
Rededication of the Burial Ground for Enslaved People
The New York Times
Read by Anna Deavere Smith
Remarks in Remembrance
Tribute at Carnegie Hall
Tribute at the Kennedy Center
Tribute at the Ford Foundation
2017 Annual Message
2019 Annual Message
2020 Annual Message
Benjamin Menschel Distinguished Lecture at Cooper Union
The New York Times
Subject Areas: Finance & accounting [KF]
