In 2020, in the wake of the election, I was desperate to find an organization that was addressing the pervasive amount of political polarization breaking out in my home state of Michigan. I heard from so many people who were no longer talking to old friends, or seeing their own children, because politics had torn them apart. I was in it too.
I wanted to know: Is anyone actually doing something about this? So I Googled it. That’s how I found and eventually began working for Braver Angels.
While there are so many incredible organizations in this space, the thing that set Braver Angels apart for me was the fact that it was grassroots. Braver Angels is powered by volunteers: everyday people who believe they have a role in bringing out the best in our country. And seeing our volunteers in action—giving their time and energy to bring together individuals who never dreamed they’d be in a room together—has buoyed me through all the political uncertainty.
It’s not hard for me to find reasons to despair—reasons to be fearful and anxious about what will happen next—but if there’s one thing that I’m certain about, it’s that this nation is filled with good, generous, hard-working people. Braver Angels taught me that. You taught me that.
April is National Volunteer Month, a time when we recognize the contributions of volunteers. Because here’s the thing: Volunteer work isn’t rainbows and sprinkles and cupcakes and sunshine…
Being a volunteer is hardcore.
It’s organizing and emailing and setting up meetings and booking venues and putting together Eventbrites and obsessively checking your registrants. It’s running though your checklist at 3AM and reaching out to people for favors and quelling the churn of nerves in your stomach and just hoping people show up. It’s driving all over and following up and building relationships and sometimes covering out-of-pocket expenses because you really just want to make it work.
Volunteer work can be tough, but when it all comes together, and you see the magic unfolding, the gears shifting and the trust building, it’s simply electric.
Braver Angels is lucky enough to have thousands of volunteers across the country who have made an impact in their communities and beyond. But before I close, I just wanted to take a minute to highlight one of them.
Donna Murphy was an early Braver Angels volunteer who was involved in the original bus tour and served as the Blue co-chair of the first convention. She’s impacted Braver Angels in a number of ways, but her greatest achievement has been starting 1:1 Conversations, an incredible program that pairs two people across differences to better understand one another. It’s one of our most successful programs: a whopping 97% of participants find common ground with their partner. Not only that, but there are people who have been talking to their partners for years after their first conversation.
To honor Donna’s contributions, we wanted to ask long-term participants about the impact 1:1 Conversations has had on them. Here’s what they said:
- “The model Donna created has been a helpful starting point for all of my cross-differences conversations; whether specifically related to BA or not. It is the awareness of an intentionality about getting to know a person on a more general level before diving into political matters. This has, in turn, helped me in my family conversations. I am a pastor and a teacher, who does a lot of this sort of connecting by nature. Donna’s work has given my skills more focus and new horizons.” — Peter Pierson, Red
- “Having a 1:1 partner has made a huge difference in my ability to listen to differences and respect ideas that once seemed foreign or created upset in me. Although I have met with other people in different 1:1 meetings, my relationship with Dave Kaufman has been ongoing for over five years and I consider him a dear friend. When October 7 happened in Israel, he called me since I was his only Jewish friend and he wanted to hear how I was. He touched me deeply. Recently, when the Iran war began, I called him since he is my only good friend that was in the military and I wanted to hear what he thought of it.” — Cheryl Brown, Blue
- “It is a bit hard to put into a few words just how much the 1:1 Conversations have helped me. It has helped me realize where my beliefs and biases originate, to appreciate and respect those who have very different beliefs. It has helped me realize just how easy it is to label and lump people with different beliefs than mine. Talking to people removes the label ‘those folks’ once you listen to what they believe and why. I have talked with 31 people from all over the country and have learned from each and every conversation.” — Dave Kaufman, Red
- “I love the 1:1 conversation I’ve been in and it’s been going on for 4 years! It’s changed me to be more open to others’ opinions, perspectives, and perceptions, and how they differ from mine. And also, how can I practice being curious instead of trying to change their minds to believe what I believe. It’s also helped me identify the ‘news’ I get in my silo and how it differs from the ‘news’ my 1:1 partner gets in hers. It’s eye opening seeing what is being sold to us. How the narratives differ based on what each side is promoting. I am forever grateful to have this ongoing conversation with a person on the other side of the aisle. It has been absolutely necessary for me in navigating this time.” — Sam France, Blue
So thank you, Donna, and thank you all Braver Angels volunteers. You are the embodiment of courageous citizenship in action, and I’m grateful to be in this work with you.
