A project by AARP inviting thought leaders to imagine how we might close the longevity gap—so that we can all live longer, happier, and more prosperous lives.
Closing the longevity gap requires new ways of thinking, seeing the complex web of factors that contribute to inequity, and identifying solutions to address those factors. To do this, we’ve convened experts from a wide variety of disciplines to help answer a powerful, yet simple question:
How might we make longevity more equitable for all?
Join us, alongside our contributors, in understanding the challenge and taking action in closing the longevity gap.Read full PDF
This past year has laid bare and accelerated longstanding inequities in our nation. We need to harness the energy of this moment and the movements it has sparked to lead people to bolder and braver action.
Our Contributors
Founder and CEO, Center for Economic Inclusion
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Director Stanford Center on Longevity
Founder, Daphne Foundation, Fork Filmsk
President, Echoing Green
President and CEO, Chicago Community Trust
President and CEO, Health Begins
CEO, Robin Hood
Principal, Studio O
Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Founder, Urbane Development
Executive Director, Longpath
CEO, The Female Quotient
Understanding the Challenge
There is no single driver of the longevity gap in the United States. It is fueled and maintained by an intersecting array of factors. In order to understand—and eventually close—the gap, we must look at it through a series of lenses.
Where you’re born, where you’re raised, and where you live has a profound effect on your longevity. In the United States, policies both past and present have created stark disparities across geographic lines.
The strength and depth of your relationships have a huge impact on your day-to-day life—and they also affect your long-term health.
At the end of the day, your health is the most important driver of longevity. Anything that makes it harder for us to get healthy, stay healthy, or recover when we’re sick will inevitably widen the longevity gap.
Racism and discrimination drive and exacerbate many of the inequities we see in the United States. The longevity gap is no exception.
Taking Action
Building equitable longevity in the United States requires bold and collective action. Here are a series of provocations and strategies for closing the longevity gap that were generated by our conversations with thought leaders across a variety of topics and sectors.
View the PDF of the Full Compendium.
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