Lincoln, King and Braver Angels
The civic philosophies of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. echo in the work of Braver Angels.
Listening past the slogan
As slogans collide in a polarized era, the mass of our distrust grows larger and larger. Our ability to communicate craters beneath the weight of it.
How will we look back on the 2020’s?
One day, we will likely look back on the America of the 2020’s with nostalgia as well. The weighty question is simply why?
Upcoming debate: should there be an age limit for politicians?
This is the question we are wrestling with in our upcoming Braver Angels Debate on the question should there be an age limit for politicians?
Upcoming debate: should there be an age limit for politicians? Read More »
Black History Month and the politics of race and education
Can Black history be both Black and American history at the same time? Can it unite us in understanding rather than divide us through politics?
Black History Month and the politics of race and education Read More »
Intellectual humility and Braver Angels
Braver Angels is not just an organization, it is a mission driven community. It is generally bound by both a love of country and an essential goodwill towards the people of this country (whether they are people we agree with or not). As such, Braver Angels has a creed. That creed is illustrated in what we call the Braver Angels Way.
The crisis at the border
At Braver Angels we seek to provide a haven for discourse on this issue as with so many others. As a part of this I invite you to join our upcoming national debate on immigration featuring Braver Angels members and leaders from across the country.
Redemption and reconciliation: lessons from MLK
“The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community,” a society in which we have confronted our shortcomings, reckoned with truth, and have made peace with one another. That process is a painful one. But let its goal be the reconciled America that Martin Luther King Jr. hoped for, and a culture of redemption available to all.
How do we close the wounds?
When we truly see each other as human beings politics is no barrier to friendship…especially when all we are focused on is the dignity of the man or woman before us.
Intellectual Humility and Braver Angels
How does intellectual humility express itself across the tapestry of Braver Angels?
On TED, Braver Angels and the near “cancellation” of Coleman Hughes
At Braver Angels we decided to compromise in a way that, in some respects, was similar to what Chris Anderson chose to do at TED.
On TED, Braver Angels and the near “cancellation” of Coleman Hughes Read More »
Trump’s arrest and the 60th anniversary of the I Have a Dream speech
Our experience as a country reminds us that we are capable of overcoming the mightiest of obstacles. But whatever your politics, we cannot do it by sinking ever further into the culture of dishonesty and demonization that got us here.
Trump’s arrest and the 60th anniversary of the I Have a Dream speech Read More »
What we are building
At Braver Angels we, and our allies, are building a movement. It is a movement for reconciliation and goodwill in America that responds to the civic ailments and the cancer of animosity that has spread across our land.
The indictment of Donald Trump
At Braver Angels we are telling a different story about what is happening in America. Come join us.
Learning and unlearning red and blue
We may need labels like “red” and “blue” to do what we do. But let us never confuse our labels with the truth of who we actually are.
The America of Tim Keller and Jim Brown
Tim Keller and Jim Brown were not afraid to sacrifice their reputations on their side of the political and cultural divide because they were men of conviction and conscience.
Can Jesus Cross Our Divides?
This belief that love can transcend our differences is a belief that yet binds many Christians and non-Christians alike. We need love if we are to heal America. And we need the teachings and exemplars of love to come forth from our heritage to show us the way to mend.
The Screen of Whiteness
But the question of whiteness is a profound one, arching over history, society, psychology and identity. Is whiteness a cancer? A legitimate identity? Or is it just another divisive racial category that obscures the value of the individual?
The answer is complicated for a Black man like me.
Living the humanity of life and choice
John Wood Jr. shares his personal reflection on the overturning of Roe v. Wade, with an important reminder for us all: healing is still possible.
From the Depolarization Movement to the U.S. Senate? | Steven Olikara with John Wood Jr.
U.S. Senate candidate Steven Olikara has already had an impact on American democracy. He joins John Wood, Jr. on the Braver Angels Podcast.
From the Depolarization Movement to the U.S. Senate? | Steven Olikara with John Wood Jr. Read More »
Introducing the Braver Angels Guidelines on Tolerance
We cannot trust each other if we cannot tolerate the differences in our points of view. Still, aren’t some views wrong and perhaps dangerous as well? Braver Angels members and followers deserve a clear understanding of the principles that guide us. That is why we have published these Braver Angels Guidelines on Tolerance so that everyone who participates in and observes Braver Angels may understand exactly what informs our editorial and programming decisions.
Introducing the Braver Angels Guidelines on Tolerance Read More »
Ketanji Brown Jackson and the prism of experience
Each of us is a product of our experiences. Understanding them helps us see that which makes the other human. This seems particularly important to me as we watch the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson unfold.
Ketanji Brown Jackson and the prism of experience Read More »
The crack cocaine era and the spectrum of black experience
“Black lives matter enough to view black life through prisms more concerned with truth than with the political interests of professional Democrats and Republicans.”
The crack cocaine era and the spectrum of black experience Read More »
The crack cocaine era and the spectrum of black experience
This week we released an interview with Lorenzo Murphy, once righthand man to one of the most powerful drug dealers in America during the crack cocaine era: Freeway Rick Ross. The crack era gave rise to the phenomenon of mass incarceration, the decline of inner-city life and a new age of distrust between African-American communities and police. Our current controversies over race cannot be understood without an understanding of what happened to America—and black America—during this particular period of time.
The crack cocaine era and the spectrum of black experience Read More »
Awkwafina and the Conflicts of Assimilation
How does one actresses controversy reveal the larger tensions between the African American and Asian American communities?
We Do Not Draw the Line: Braver Angels & Censorship
John Wood Jr. on YouTube’s censoring of Braver Angels’ recent podcast episode with Peter Wood
We Do Not Draw the Line: Braver Angels & Censorship Read More »
Is there room for compassion in the US vaccine debates?
Whether you are against or for vaccine treatments, vaccine debates have instilled doubts and distrust among the American people. What will it take for us to come together and search for the truth on issues that matter most?
Is there room for compassion in the US vaccine debates? Read More »
Class and Black America | A Conversation with Bertrand Cooper
Bertrand Cooper explores the specific struggles of the black poor in contrast with black America at large.
Class and Black America | A Conversation with Bertrand Cooper Read More »
Empathizing with the Left?! Discussing Race with Dennis Prager
Should conservatives empathize with the left on race?
Empathizing with the Left?! Discussing Race with Dennis Prager Read More »
