Twenty-three leaders who disagree on many things said yes to the same thing this month.
They agreed to stand together, publicly, behind the idea that Americans can hold fast to their convictions while staying genuinely curious about the convictions of people on the other side. That’s it. That’s the commitment.
For more than nine years, Braver Angels has reached people in every state in the union. The ones who’ve engaged have experienced something that surprises them every time: the relief of disagreeing without contempt, and the discovery that the person across the table is not who the feed said they were.
We do this work because it is the right thing to do, and the more impactful way to live. It’s also the practice of governing self that’s required for self government.
Now we need to tell that story more widely. To shift culture, we have to expand the tent. We have to define courageous citizenship for the vast, exhausted majority looking for a healthier option than fear and partisan contempt. And we need influential voices, voices that reach audiences we don’t, to help carry the message.
Today we are announcing the initial members of the Braver Angels Advisory Council:
- Spencer Cox, Republican Governor of Utah
- Mónica Guzmán, Author / Founder and CEO of Reclaim Curiosity
- U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Co-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus
- U.S. Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Co-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus
- Former U.S. Congressman Dean Phillips (D-MN)
- Jonathan Haidt, Social Psychologist / Author / Professor, NYU Stern School of Business
- Paul Edwards, Executive Director, Wheatley Institute (BYU)
- Melody Barnes, Executive Director, Karsh Institute of Democracy (UVA)
- Cornel West, Author / Philosopher / Theologian / Professor, Union Theological Seminary
- Pete Peterson, Dean of the School of Public Policy, Pepperdine University
- Tim Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics and Founder of UNITE
- Yuval Levin, Author / Political Analyst and Director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at AEI
- Amanda Ripley, Journalist / Author and Co-Founder of Good Conflict
- David Blankenhorn, Co-Founder of Braver Angels and Founder of Civic Life
- Jonathan Rauch, Author and Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, Brookings Institution
- Alvin Wang Graylin, Entrepreneur / Global Technology Strategist / Author
- Keith Allred, Executive Director, National Institute for Civil Discourse
- Donna Hicks, Global Conflict Resolution Specialist / Author and Associate, Harvard Kennedy School
- Layla Zaidane, President and CEO, Future Caucus
- Vince Stango, President and CEO, National Constitution Center
- R. Scott Stephenson, President and CEO, Museum of the American Revolution
- Jim Ferrell, Author / Co-Founder of Arbinger Institute and Founder of Withii Leadership
- john a. powell, Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute and Professor, University of California, Berkeley
Look at that list. Elected officials and philosophers. Republicans and Democrats. Academics, journalists, clergy, entrepreneurs, authors, executives. People who would not agree on many questions you could put in front of them.
That’s the point. That is by design.
A skeptic reading this will say a list of names doesn’t bridge a divided country. That’s true. Neither does a council. What matters is whether any of us (them, us, you) are willing to practice what this list represents. Twenty-three people standing in the same frame is the invitation to the work.
Every person on this list shares a firm commitment to the dignity, worth, and value of every perspective. They believe our social fabric depends on our willingness to engage across differences and build together. They are lending their names, their voices, and their reach to that conviction.
We are deeply grateful to them. We are honored to be in their company.
They, too, envision an America where courageous citizenship across differences is the honored norm. More leaders will be added as this work spreads.
Now the invitation comes to you. This week, have one conversation across partisan differences you’ve been avoiding. Identify one need in your community to act on with someone else. Bring curiosity instead of your case. See what happens.
That is how courageous citizenship becomes a norm. One person, one conversation, one act at a time.
With hope and resolve,
— Maury Giles, CEO of Braver Angels
