Braver Angels is America’ largest, grassroots, bipartisan organization in America dedicated to reviving the communal spirit of American democracy.
A high-minded vision! I’ve been a leader of Braver Angels for going on four years now. But I wouldn’t be on the front lines of this movement to unite the American people in goodwill if it wasn’t for my long time friend and associate, writer, historian and Braver Angels staffer Luke Phillips. Luke drops by the studio in L.A. for a conversation looking back on our path to Braver Angels, and the personal struggles and circumstances that led us to the movement to depolarize America.
‘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.”
