Braver Angels is a national movement to bring conservatives, liberals, and others together at the grassroots level — not to find centrist compromise, but to strengthen our democratic republic. Through workshops, debates, one-on-one conversations, and more, Braver Angels helps Americans understand each other beyond stereotypes, form relationships, identify common ground, and reduce the vitriol that poisons America’s civic culture. Local members of Braver Angels are forming a Columbia River Gorge Alliance chapter and will be hosting a free all-day Red/Blue workshop on April 22.
In 1960, 35-40 % of people reported they would be uncomfortable with their child marrying someone from another race, whereas 5% would have been uncomfortable if the potential spouse identified with the opposing political party. Recent data indicates those numbers are now reversed. Braver Angels seeks to address the increasingly negative effects of this political polarization on our nation.
Braver Angels was founded in 2016 in South Lebanon, Ohio. With passions high following the presidential election, the founders of the organization assembled a dozen Trump supporters and a dozen Clinton supporters for Braver Angels’ first Red/Blue Workshop. The goal was simple: To see if Americans could still disagree respectfully — and maybe find common ground. Republican and Democrat, native born and immigrant: These Americans could appreciate each other’s opinions, but first they needed to see where these opinions came from. They could listen to each other’s points of view once they saw one another, not as stereotypes, but as neighbors in a country they shared.
The first gathering was successful. This was the start of the organization originally called Better Angels, inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address in 1861: “The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”
Meanwhile, the divisions in the nation rose. Against the backdrop of demonstrations in the streets, bitter fighting in Congress, national uproar over healthcare, immigration and gun control, and irresponsible pundits and politicians inflaming the discourse at every turn, the organization held workshops, ran debates, built friendships and changed lives.
Today, there are approximately 100 citizen-led alliances across the country. Each alliance is led by one “Red” and one “Blue” individual. The organization’s definition of “Red” is those who lean toward voting for Republicans or conservative candidates, while “Blue” indicates those who lean toward voting for Democrats or liberal candidates. Those who lean neither Red nor Blue are welcome as well and comprise a substantial percentage of Braver Angels members.
In early 2020, Better Angels changed its name to Braver Angels to reflect the courage needed to bridge the divide. “Braver Angels” was also inspired by the words of Abraham Lincoln, who not only called on Americans to summon the “better angels” of our nature — but called on us to find the courage needed to pursue a more perfect union, “with malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right.” To meet the current moment, at this time of national crisis, we need more than civility. We need to challenge ourselves to work together when we disagree. We need bravery.
Local Columbia Gorge members are hosting an all-day Red/Blue workshop on April 2, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Hegewald Center in Stevenson. The event will be led by two trained Braver Angels moderators, one Red and one Blue. Red/Blue workshops bring together a small, evenly divided group of conservatives and liberals, or “Reds” and “Blues,” for a series of exercises designed to help participants clarify disagreements, reduce stereotyped thinking, and discover common values. Evaluations show that after a Red/Blue Workshop, 82% of participants feel more comfortable with people on the opposite political side and 86% feel they understand the other side better.
Tickets are free and lunch will be provided. Pre-registration is required and seats are limited. It is possible to register either as an active participant or as a passive observer. To register or learn more, go to braverangels.org (Get Involved; Find An Event). Then, filter the Event Category to Red/Blue Workshop and click on the link to the April 22 event.
This event is co-sponsored by the Fort Vancouver Regional Library. For more information, email rachel@braverangels.org.
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