“Will Millennials Be Left Behind?” Debate Live at NYC’s Village Underground, June 7

Millennials have surpassed the Baby Boomers as the largest generation group in the U.S. Now, the oldest Millennials are reaching their forties and feel they don’t have the financial and emotional standing their parents did and have instead been left behind. Those who agree say Millennials are America’s most educated — but broke — generation and pay more for basic items, leading them unable to afford to buy a home or have children. Those who disagree say that not buying a house or having kids are their choices, not based on economic hardship; and really, they will soon be doing well financially because they strive for higher education and better jobs and they are close to reaching their peak earning years. On Wednesday, June 7, Open to Debate (formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S.) returns to the Village Underground stage to debate the following question: “Will Millennials Be Left Behind?” Press are invited to attend.

Arguing “YES” is New York-based journalist, lawyer, and CNN columnist Jill Filipovic, author of OK Boomer, Let’s Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind. Arguing “NO” is Director of the Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility at the American Enterprise Institute Scott Winship, who researches social mobility, economic insecurity and inequality, poverty, and living standards.

The “Will Millennials Be Left Behind?” debate will be held on Wednesday, June 7 at 6:00 PM ET (5:30 PM doors) at The Comedy Cellar at The Village Underground (130 W 3rd St. btw 6th Avenue and MacDougal Street), then air soon after on the syndicated public radio show and podcast "Open to Debate.” Reason editor-at-large Nick Gillespie will serve as guest moderator. Media can email raypadgett@shorefire.com for access to the in-person event.

DEBATER BIOS

* Jill Filipovic: Journalist, lawyer, and author 
Jill Filipovic is a New York-based journalist, lawyer, and author of “OK Boomer, Let’s Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind” and “The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness”. A weekly columnist for CNN, her work on women's health and human rights has appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Review, Foreign Policy, Bloomberg Businessweek, and more. She is a former contributing opinion writer to The New York Times and a former columnist for The Guardian and writes at jill.substack.com.

* Scott Winship: Senior Fellow; Director of the Center of Opportunity and Social Mobility at the American Enterprise Institute
Scott Winship is a senior fellow and the director of the Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility at the American Enterprise Institute, where he researches social mobility, economic insecurity and inequality, poverty, and living standards. Before joining AEI, Winship served as the executive director of the Joint Economic Committee where he created the Social Capital Project, a multiyear research project to investigate the evolving nature of social relationships within families, communities, workplaces, and religious congregations. He was also a fellow at the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, and the Brookings Institution; and was the research manager of the Economic Mobility Project at the Pew Charitable Trusts. He has a Ph.D. and an MA from Harvard University and holds a BA from Northwestern University.

ABOUT OPEN TO DEBATE
Open to Debate addresses a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. We are the nation's only nonpartisan, debate-driven media organization dedicated to bringing multiple viewpoints together for a constructive, balanced, respectful exchange of ideas. Open to Debate is a platform for intellectually curious and open-minded people to engage with others holding opposing views on complex issues. We know debate works to find common ground: On average, 32% of the Open to Debate audience changes their mind on contentious topics after hearing a debate. That’s the power of debate done right, and at scale, it can change the direction we’re headed in America. Open to Debate is broadcast as a weekly public radio program, carried on NPR stations including WNYC (#1 in the nation). Open to Debate is made available as a podcast, video series, and digital platform, and records episodes with live audiences nationwide. Visit opentodebate.org to become a member, access an archive of more than 220 debates, and attend live events.