About

Four decades after the landmark 1980 “Fairmont Conference” in San Francisco, which led to the publication of the “Fairmont Papers,” Glenn Loury, Jason L. Riley, Ian Rowe, and Shelby Steele partnered to organize a gathering of leading public intellectuals, researchers, and practitioners in Dallas. With the support of the American Enterprise Institute, Hoover Institution, and Manhattan Institute, the “Old Parkland Conference” built a space for brilliant minds to discuss alternative, proven approaches to tackling the challenges facing black Americans, both in 2022 and 2024. The conferences have featured some of the most prominent leaders in academia, government, and nonprofit spaces. Programming has spanned various issues affecting black Americans, including education, mobility, faith, family life, entrepreneurship, and more.

This year, the American Enterprise Institute is pleased to host the third Old Parkland Conference at our headquarters in Washington, DC. Continuing in the original spirit of the landmark Fairmont Conference and the success of our 2022 and 2024 conferences, our 2025 summit will provide a forum for discussing the latest research on the factors contributing to black Americans’ advancement, honing in on three major catalysts: family, neighborhood, and education.