Guest speaker John Wood, Jr., an African American Republican who challenged Rep. Maxine Waters for Congress in 2014 and is now Director of Media Development at Better Angels, addresses “Why I’m a red, and why I’ve dedicated my career to depolarization.”
‘It absolutely changed my life’: How a conflict-ridden ‘dirtball’ became a legendary bridge builder
09/02/2026
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Growing up in the eighties, his family moved all around the Midwest as his parents chased down steady, blue-collar work: factory jobs, construction, truck driving, whatever could pay the bills. “We were always poor,” Wilk said. And whether they were in Iowa, South Dakota, Colorado, or Minnesota, he often found himself on the outs. “It didn’t matter which side of the tracks we were on,” he said. “It was always the wrong side of the tracks.”
