Darren Walker Releases The Idea of America: Reflections on Inequality, Democracy, and the Values We Share

With a foreword by President Bill Clinton, Walker calls on Americans to reclaim hope, bridge divides, and reimagine the common good

NEW YORK, Sept. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation and one of today's most influential voices on democracy and justice, today released his landmark book, The Idea of America: Reflections on Inequality, Democracy, and the Values We Share (Wiley), featuring an original foreword by President Bill Clinton.

A stirring collection of 97 essays, speeches, and reflections, many published for the first time, The Idea of America captures Walker's uniquely American journey, his bold leadership at the helm of the Ford Foundation, and his audacious vision for a more just future.

"Hope is the oxygen of democracy," Walker writes. "At a time of deep division, this book is both a testament of resilience and a call to reimagine the common good."

Walker added, "This book is not just about my story. It's about the American story. The Idea of America is a summons to every American who believes in the promise of this country. It asks us to resist despair, reject extremes, and embrace the hard, necessary work of building bridges across our divides. The idea of America is not inevitable. It has always required courage, imagination, and a willingness to believe in one another. That work is ours to do, and it begins again today."

In The Idea of America, Walker weaves together the defining threads of his life and leadership into a rallying vision for the nation's future. He tells a story only America could write, from birth in a Louisiana charity hospital to the helm of one of the world's largest philanthropies, as proof that the country's promise is still alive. He redefines the very purpose of philanthropy, transforming it beyond charity to confront inequality at its roots and to shape a new "Gospel of Wealth" for the 21^st century. He champions art and culture as forces of justice, wellsprings of empathy, and engines of social transformation. He argues for a democratic capitalism that ensures prosperity never comes at the expense of fairness. And he reaffirms America's enduring covenant: that from many, we are one, and that dignity, fairness, and opportunity must belong to all.

"There's always been a buzz when Darren Walker enters the room," wrote President Bill Clinton in the book's foreword. "The explanation for this is simple: In the universe of people working to do social good, few voices are as respected and few track records are as accomplished as his...When he speaks, this crowd listens."

"The Idea of America is more than a book; it's a gift to the national conversation," said Judith Newlin, editor at Wiley. "Darren Walker has distilled decades of leadership and reflections into a vision both urgent and enduring. His words remind us that justice and dignity are not lofty ideals but living responsibilities we each share. It is rare that a book feels both timeless and perfectly of its moment. The Idea of America is one of them."

The book has already drawn wide acclaim. Filmmaker Ava DuVernay calls it "a reckoning" and "a rallying call." Michael Bloomberg describes it as capturing "the spirit of optimism, creativity, and compassion" that defines Walker's influence. Walter Issacon, Amal and George Clooney, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. each praise Walker's vision, courage, and legacy of leadership.

The Idea of American: Reflections on Inequality, Democracy, and the Values We Share is available now wherever books are sold.

About Darren Walker

Darren Walker is president of the Ford Foundation, a $16 billion international social justice philanthropy. Before joining Ford, Darren was vice president at the Rockefeller Foundation, overseeing global and domestic programs. In the 1990s, he was COO of the Abyssinian Development Corporation, Harlem's largest community development organization. Darren co-founded both the US Impact Investing Alliance and the Presidents' Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy. 

Educated exclusively in public schools, Darren was a member of the first Head Start class in 1965 and received BA, BS, and JD degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. He has been included on numerous leadership lists including TIME's annual 100 Most Influential People, Rolling Stone's 25 People Shaping the Future, and the Wall Street Journal's 2020 Philanthropy Innovator of the Year. He is the recipient of 16 honorary degrees, including Harvard University's W.E.B. Du Bois Medal. In 2022, he was awarded France's highest cultural honor, the Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, for leadership in the arts. In 2023 he was also appointed by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II to the Order of the British Empire for services to UK/US relations. In 2024, President Joe Biden awarded Darren the National Humanities Medal, which honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation's understanding of and engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities subjects.

About the Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For nearly 90 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Learn more at www.fordfoundation.org.

SOURCE Ford Foundation