Ageism – how we think, feel, and act towards others or ourselves based on age – is one of the biggest barriers preventing younger and older people alike from fulfilling their maximum potential. ‘Too young’ to do this, ‘too old’ to be that: unfair stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination based on age are rife in today’s society, made all the more dangerous because broader awareness of the issue remains low.
But when author, activist, and presenter Ashton Applewhite entered the scene with the book “This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism” in 2016, things began to change. The book crystallised decades of careful research on causes, effects, and ways to prevent ageism for a much wider audience, acting as a catalyst to raise the consciousness of people around the world on what ageism is and what we can do to dismantle it.
Since then, Ashton Applewhite’s rallying call to stand up against ageism (and the way it intersects with and exacerbates other forms of disadvantage such as sexism and racism) has been amplified at the TED main stage, the United Nations, and at myriad other conferences and platforms around the world. Reflecting an ethos of placing the tools for dismantling oppression in the hands of the people, Ashton Applewhite has also worked to set up Yo, Is This Ageist?, an online space where anyone can ask whether something is ageist, and the Old School Anti-Ageism Clearinghouse, a curated collection of free resources and online community space designed to educate people about ageism and how to end it.
Ultimately, the sparks for transformation lie within each of us – and ageism is no exception if we are to be successful at truly combatting it. Ashton Applewhite shows us that a world for all ages is indeed possible if we recognise the potential within each of us, speak truth to power, and stand together as one.