“We The People” is all Americans
Politics is seen as the realm of lawyers and experts, not truckers and nurses. We’re working to change that.
Posts
General posts
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.
The psychological dangers of being in a silo
Being in a silo is like eating junk food: it feels great in the short term, but it’s not great for any of us in the long run.
‘Don’t be a jerk’: How this college professor encourages his students to discuss controversial issues
What happens in a classroom that doesn’t just accept a diversity of opinions but actively encourages them? How can instructors invite students to listen conscientiously and share their opinions fearlessly but constructively?
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 Sum of Our Parts
By combining the ideas of very different people—and organizations—to discover not only what each can contribute but what collectively we can create, we might finally accept that together, we’re greater than the sum of our parts.
Resolutions for a More Patient Year
BA Leader Randy Lioz reflects on better ways for 2023.
Want to fight polarization? Take a vacation! | Aziz Abu Sarah with Randy Lioz
Want to fight polarization? Take a vacation!
Remembering Sandy Hook
Braver Angels South Carolina State Coordinator Monica Rockwell reflects on the tragedy ten years later.
What’s Up With Elon Musk? | A Braver Angels Podcast Holiday Special
Seriously: what’s going on with Elon Musk?
Leader Spotlight: Rachel Weinstein
Braver Angels leader Rachel Weinstein thinks of herself as “a plumber” — helping the organization flow. Read what she’s done already — and what she’s driving now.
What’s your ‘red line’? | Jonathan Haidt with Mónica Guzmán
Does engaging bad ideas across the divide make you a bad person? Tune in for some real talk on tough questions with renowned psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt.
“What Liberals Miss About Conservatives”
An all-red panel discusses what liberals, academia, and the mainstream media “miss” about conservatives.
The ‘peculiar and lonely’ experience of running for office as a uniter
“People have all the control. If it drops out of favor to be polarized and it becomes cool to collaborate, then we can change it. Politicians want to get elected – they will conform,” Greg said.
What Curiosity Can Teach Us | Monica Guzman with Ciaran O’Connor
How can we get more curious, together, as a nation in crisis?
The 2022 Midterms: A Humble Debate | Ciaran O’Connor and John Wood, Jr.
Braver Angels leaders John Wood, Jr. and Ciaran O’Connor come together for a wide-ranging debate on the most critical issues animating the 2022 midterm elections.
How innovation and scrappiness help a North Carolina alliance serve their community
“We’ve pushed the envelope a little bit – particularly with developing new workshop ideas – and had to negotiate with the powers that be in order to have quality control and ensure it’s a positive Braver Angels experience. But that is what we do.”
ACROSS THE DIVIDE: Perspectives on President Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness
What do reds and blues think about President Biden’s student loan forgiveness?
How Civil Wars Start — And How to Stop Them | Barbara Walter with Ciaran O’Connor
What can America learn from civil conflicts in other countries, and how can we, together as citizens, take a stand for peace?
A Trump Supporter Interviews a Biden Supporter | Wilk Wilkinson and Jordan Carmon with Ciaran O’Connor
A Trump supporter interviews a Biden supporter on everything from Hunter Biden to January 6th.
How a workshop in Michigan helped politically-divided strangers connect on something deeper
For years, our country’s all-consuming political conflict has made it harder for us to recognize each other’s humanity. But Red/Blue workshops challenge participants to go beyond politics and see each other as people.
A Catholic, a Jew, and a Protestant Walk Into a Bridge-Building Movement | Eduardo Andino & Randy Lioz with April Lawson
Three Braver Angels leaders talk about how their respective religious traditions inspire their bridge-building work.
A Trump Republican on the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago Raid
Why are conservatives so angry about the FBI’s raid of his residence at Mar-a-Lago?
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.
What Jon Stewart missed: Sharing space (and power) across the divide
This piece headed the Braver Angels Weekend Newsletter for July 17th, 2022.
Leader Spotlight: Bill Doherty
Braver Angels’ co-founder Bill Doherty has built a life and a career around helping people reconcile the differences that divide them. See how…
A Red and a Blue walk into a workshop. Can they find common ground on a controversial issue?
Just a day after one of the most controversial and consequential Supreme Court decisions – Roe v. Wade – was overturned, eight Reds and eight Blues from across Massachusetts and New Hampshire gathered together in a Boston College classroom to see if they could find common ground on another hot-button issue: how to ensure trustworthy elections.
Wrestling With Your Angels
This piece headed the Braver Angels Weekend Newsletter for July 17th, 2022.
Keeping the Faith | John Wood, Jr., Monica Guzman, April Lawson, & Ciaran O’Connor
In this Braver Angels roundtable, four of the organization’s leaders take turns discussing how they keep the faith at a time of deepening division.
Braving the Gun Divide
Ciaran O’Connor shares insights from his latest podcast “Braving the Gun Divide,” featuring a gun safety advocate and a conservative proponent of gun rights.
