Last year, some of the leading advocates for improving dialogue among politically diverse Americans convened a two-day virtual event in which thousands of people engaged in one-on-one conversations. And now America Talks is returning for a second round in April.
America Talks will once again offer the opportunity for people to better understand those with differing viewpoints through a guided conversation. This year, participants may participate in a small-group talk rather than a one-on-one discussion.
The program will take place April 21 and 23, kicking off the National Week of Conversation, during which dozens of organizations will host events designed to bridge the partisan divide.
“The vast majority of Americans don’t want to be divided,” said Pearce Godwin, CEO of Listen First Project and co-director of America Talks. “As the personal pain and national fear caused by this toxic polarization increases, people of good will are looking for a way out. Thanks to Gannett, thousands of Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs will be invited to take that step together.”
Gannett is back as a media partner for America Talks, and is expected to be a primary source of registrations through USA Today and its other properties. Other sponsors include Walmart, Microsoft, Twitter and the Bridge Alliance. (The Fulcrum, which is a media partner as well, is operated by the Bridge Alliance.)
Godwin, who worked on Republican campaigns before founding Listen First, runs America Talks with Brandyn Keating, a former Democratic operative who now leads the anti-polarization organization YOUnify.
“We are thrilled to invite all Americans to an experience in which differences are greeted with respect and curiosity,” Keating said. “Americans' capacity to solve problems has no bounds when we honor one another's humanity. And participants are always shocked about how much they do agree on.”
People who sign up for America Talks answer a few survey questions. The answers are used to match each respondent with someone who has a different set of beliefs. After the event begins matched participants are sent to breakout rooms for guided one-on-one or small-group conversations.
Register for America Talks and learn more about the National Week of Conversation.
photo courtesy of Michael Varga.
An Independent Voter's Perspective on Current Political Divides
In the column, "Is Donald Trump Right?", Fulcrum Executive Editor, Hugo Balta, wrote:
For millions of Americans, President Trump’s second term isn’t a threat to democracy—it’s the fulfillment of a promise they believe was long overdue.
Is Donald Trump right?
Should the presidency serve as a force for disruption or a safeguard of preservation?
Balta invited readers to share their thoughts at newsroom@fulcrum.us.
David Levine from Portland, Oregon, shared these thoughts...
I am an independent voter who voted for Kamala Harris in the last election.
I pay very close attention to the events going on, and I try and avoid taking other people's opinions as fact, so the following writing should be looked at with that in mind:
Is Trump right? On some things, absolutely.
As to DEI, there is a strong feeling that you cannot fight racism with more racism or sexism with more sexism. Standards have to be the same across the board, and the idea that only white people can be racist is one that I think a lot of us find delusional on its face. The question is not whether we want equality in the workplace, but whether these systems are the mechanism to achieve it, despite their claims to virtue, and many of us feel they are not.
I think if the Democrats want to take back immigration as an issue then every single illegal alien no matter how they are discovered needs to be processed and sanctuary cities need to end, every single illegal alien needs to be found at that point Democrats could argue for an amnesty for those who have shown they have been Good actors for a period of time but the dynamic of simply ignoring those who break the law by coming here illegally is I think a losing issue for the Democrats, they need to bend the knee and make a deal.
I think you have to quit calling the man Hitler or a fascist because an actual fascist would simply shoot the protesters, the journalists, and anyone else who challenges him. And while he definitely has authoritarian tendencies, the Democrats are overplaying their hand using those words, and it makes them look foolish.
Most of us understand that the tariffs are a game of economic chicken, and whether it is successful or not depends on who blinks before the midterms. Still, the Democrats' continuous attacks on the man make them look disloyal to the country, not to Trump.
Referring to any group of people as marginalized is to many of us the same as referring to them as lesser, and it seems racist and insulting.
We invite you to read the opinions of other Fulrum Readers:
Trump's Policies: A Threat to Farmers and American Values
The Trump Era: A Bitter Pill for American Renewal
Federal Hill's Warning: A Baltimorean's Reflection on Leadership
Also, check out "Is Donald Trump Right?" and consider accepting Hugo's invitation to share your thoughts at newsroom@fulcrum.us.
The Fulcrum will select a range of submissions to share with readers as part of our ongoing civic dialogue.
We offer this platform for discussion and debate.