What Unites Us?

Eric Liu, co-founder and CEO of Citizen University & the director of the Aspen Institute’s Citizenship & American Identity Program, joins Crosscut’s Northwest Newsmakers host, Monica Guzman, to discuss a range of topics, including why he’s hopeful in the midst of the fragility of democracy, how we talk across big divides, how we need to generate a community centered culture in the city of Big Tech and the most important lessons we can learn from the last year of deprivation and suffering.

Northwest Newsmakers brings you conversations with leaders shaping the region’s politics, arts, culture and industry.

About the speakers:

Monica Guzman (moderator) is the host of the Northwest Newsmakers series.  She is the co-founder of The Evergrey, is a recent fellow at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation and Harvard's Nieman Foundation for Journalism, and is a former columnist at The Seattle Times and GeekWire. She is currently an advisor to Braver Angels and the author of an upcoming guide to staying curious in divided times. She lives in Seattle with her husband, Jason, and two kids.

Eric Liu is the co-founder and CEO of Citizen University, which works to build a culture of powerful and responsible citizenship in the United States. He also directs the Aspen Institute’s Citizenship & American Identity Program. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker;​ ​The Gardens of Democracy​ (co-authored with Nick Hanauer); ​You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen;​ and his most recent, ​Become America: Civic Sermons on Love, Responsibility, and Democracy,​ a New York Times New & Notable Book​.​ He has been selected as an Ashoka Fellow and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is featured on the PBS documentary ​American Creed ​ and is a frequent contributor to​ ​TheAtlantic.com​. Liu served as a White House speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and later as the President's deputy domestic policy adviser. He was later appointed by President Obama to serve on the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service. He and his family live in Seattle. 

Special thank you to our Northwest Newsmakers series sponsor Waldron. 

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