America's largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization dedicated to political depolarization. We're fighting the forces of division to build a house united.
Yesterday was a devastating day for our nation. It’s on each of us to stop this dangerous cycle of mutual destruction.
No matter where we land on the political spectrum, here’s what we must do as we head into the upcoming election. 🧵
“...there’s not a single Trump supporter in this room right now and so you might imagine it would be really easy for me to speak in a way that denigrates both him and the people who supported him, but that’s not going to be how we heal our country...”
@HeatherEHeying
Is it moral to engage with people whose perspectives you don't just disagree with, but believe are *dangerous*?
It's a question we often get in the work we do, so
@moniguzman
asked moral psychologist
@JonHaidt
. Here's what he said. 👇
"Once you accept a good-evil framing, you can't think straight. You become stupid."
@JonHaidt
In this interview with
@moniguzman
, Haidt explains why we need to "develop the rest of our personalities and stop just being impotent political hate machines."
Former presidential candidate
@AndrewYang
is launching the Forward Party: a third-party effort to depolarize our politics.
Can it work?
@SilasKulkarni
&
@JohnRWoodJr
ask questions from a red and blue perspective in this episode of the BA Podcast.
On July 5, 2023—160 years after the Battle of Gettysburg—the unthinkable happened.
We came to
@Gettysburg
to launch a movement, bringing together 650 conservatives and liberals on equal terms to clarify differences, find common ground where it exists, and strengthen our nation.
Violence has no place in our politics. Enough is enough. 💔
We’re thinking of President Trump, his family, and our country right now. This is a moment to come together and stand united against hatred.
"If I can ever be helpful, I'm only a phone call away."
From Arizona's outgoing Republican Governor
@DougDucey
to their incoming Democratic
@GovernorHobbs
, it's heartening to see such a message of support.
"Nonviolence is humanizing. It 'does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding.'"
We must reclaim the philosophical legacy of
#MartinLutherKingJr
in the form of Nonviolence.
From
@JohnRWoodJr
Our own
@moniguzman
joined
@andrewyang
to talk about the importance of curiosity, what it means to "contain" a conversation, and how to discuss politics with family.
Check it out...
Do the parties realize that we have a problem? Would I vote the other way? Now on
@moniguzman
of
@braverangels
talks about how people stack and interpret values and how the goal should not be to defeat or even convince but to cohabitate and comprehend.
'I don't identify as either "Red" or "Blue." I am on different sides, depending on the issue. And sometimes I feel there is no place for people like me.'
Quick reminder that whether you're Red, Blue, purple, 'politically homeless,' or shun all labels, you're ALL welcome at BA!
We *can* discuss controversial issues in a way that respects each other’s humanity + helps us understand each other more deeply.
@JohnRWoodJr
will be on
@foxnews
tonight at 9:35pmPT to discuss race, class, and why everyone is losing the culture wars. Tune in!
Last night, we kicked off the 2024 Braver Angels National Convention with 700+ delegates, equally divided between liberals and conservatives.
Hundreds of us across the political spectrum came together for the largest cross-partisan Biden-Trump debate watch party in the country.
"This idea of agape love - it is a love that does not require our liking one another but that does require us to basically signal to folks with whom we have differences that we mean them well."
-
@JohnRWoodJr
speaking at a
@fairforall_org
event
For more:
Cross-partisan friendships are an essential part of our politics. 👫
Having friends who we love, respect *and* disagree with can help us deepen our understanding of the world and ourselves.
"In explaining philosophical nonviolence, [Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.] said, we do not seek to defeat or humiliate our opponent, but rather to win his friendship and his understanding so that we may be reconciled to one another in the beloved community."
@JohnRWoodJr
#MLKDay
On July 5th, over 600 delegates—equally distributed across the political spectrum—are coming to
@gettysburg
to bridge the partisan divide, bring a spirit of goodwill to our politics, and spark a movement that's larger than our organization alone.
Labels don’t define us. Oftentimes, they hide how complex we really are.
At our 2023 Convention, we asked people what others might be surprised to know about them, based on their label.
It showed how much we’re missing when we stop getting curious at “which side are you on?”
What does it mean to be Black in America? Should we transcend racial categories or embrace their distinctions?
@thomaschattwill
&
@JohnRWoodJr
tackle tough questions and trade their unique American stories in this episode of The Braver Angels Podcast.
"At a moment of danger in this era of divisiveness, We the American People come together to speak for the Union..."
This is not a time for violence. This is a time for conviction.
Sign our Letter to America. Help us keep the peace come election day.
“I strongly urge my fellow citizens to go to the Braver Angels website and investigate the work they're doing and the hope they bring to our country.”
Our depolarization efforts have been recognized in this letter to the editor of
@CantonRepdotcom
.
Don't fall neatly into the political red/blue binary?
You shouldn't have to!
We're here to fight for an America that listens to *everyone.* Labels be damned. Polarization be damned.
We're more than an either/or. Let's show it. 💪
RT if you agree!
Polarization is the wurst. The steaks keep getting higher.
We can’t just quit cold turkey. Maybe meating across divides will help?
Way to bacon-convincing,
@steak_umm
! 🙌
solutions to societal distrust, media literacy, and polarized realities have to come on both institutional and cultural levels. people need to be inspired. ideas need to be proposed. awareness is easy. everyone sees the problem. mass participation and solutions are the hard part
"Too many of the so-called debates here aren’t debates at all."
In early January, Republican
@BenSasse
officially stepped down from the Senate and shared some important parting words: "We need to believe that loving your neighbor is more important than the policy disagreements."
Hi,
@elonmusk
. We're the largest grassroots movement focused on addressing political polarization. We host events and workshops bringing the left and the right together for better political conversations.
It's
#GivingTuesday
. Want to support our work? 👉
Just a note to encourage people of different political or other views to engage in civil debate on Twitter.
Worst case, the other side has a slightly better understanding of your views.
This is a critical time for nation. Join Braver Angels Tuesday at 8pm ET for a special meeting to Hold America Together. Details and registration below. Sign up now!
"Ultimately what we're trying to do is build a system for the re-unification of the country - both in deeper terms but in more practical terms as well."
@JohnRWoodJr
w/
@ScottAdamsSays
on The Braver Angels Podcast:
Hours after the Nashville shooting, students led Braver Angels Debates on the Second Amendment and assault weapons. However, these students were not trying to “own” their opponents, but communally pursue the truth with them.
@JohnRWoodJr
on
@FoxNews
with
@tracegallagher
Conservatives and liberals distrust our electoral system for vastly different reasons—from voter fraud and election security to voter suppression and peaceful transfer of power.
What would it take for people across the political spectrum to trust the integrity of our elections?
"I respect different elements of both the right and the left," including the "sanctity of the individual" on the right and the left's "overall concern with making sure the 'least of these' are not left behind.'"
@cvaldary
does nuance well.
What's it going to take to combat political polarization?
We can’t pay, tweet, or lobby our way into bridging the partisan divide. We must take action to defeat this division.
That’s why, from now until October, we’re asking you to
#RiseForAmerica
.
Our very own
@moniguzman
encourages people to ask, “How did you come to believe what you believe?” instead of “Why do you believe what you believe?”
This way, you hear about their journey—not just their destination.
One thing that I find helps with extending the grace described here is having a bit of curiosity about where, how, and why the people you disagree with acquired the views you disagree with.
Imagine if on college campuses, we didn't just accept a diversity of opinions but *actively encouraged them.*
At Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon, professor Mark Urista has cultivated exactly that sort of environment for his students.
Six years ago, 10 Donald Trump voters and 11 Hilary Clinton voters came together in South Lebanon, Ohio to talk about their political differences. And so began the work of Braver Angels.
Thank you to everyone who has supported our work over the years. We're just getting started.
This is not a moment for despair. It’s a moment for hope and for citizenship. Join Braver Angels on Tuesday at 8pm ET for a national, action-oriented town hall meeting to “Hold America Together” in light of yesterday’s events
Seeking community on Election Night?
Braver Angels is offering religious and secular 15 minute gatherings between 7:00 pm and 2:00 am Eastern Time.
Led by an array of leaders, anyone is invited to join -- as often as you need or feel moved.
Ellen: "Just because I don't agree with someone on everything does not mean I'm not going to be friends with them. When I say be kind to one another, I don't mean only the people that think the same as you do, I mean be kind to everyone."
"The conversation about what is true is not the only conversation we can be having."
@moniguzman
Instead — especially if you’re talking to someone and can’t agree on facts — the *more important* conversation to have is about what is meaningful.
The Depolarization Movement meets the Intellectual Dark Web in this conversation between
@BretWeinstein
&
@JohnRWoodJr
.
Is there room in America for a cross-partisan movement that unites on values deeper than politics?
John and Bret intend to find out.
We are holding a debate on Voter Fraud & 2020.
This has caused concern, even outrage, from many of our members. But how can we ignore the views of most Republicans & claim to depolarize America?
BA leaders discuss in this special podcast. Please watch:
“You can disagree without being disagreeable.”
Having the same political perspective is not a prerequisite for an honest friendship – even in Congress.
Thank you former
@SpeakerBoehner
and
@SpeakerPelosi
for the important reminder. ❤️💙
Will you join us?
Tomorrow we'll be featuring
@GlennLoury
& others in a conversation about the future of Black America.
Moderated by
@JohnRWoodJr
in partnership w/
@NICDInstitute
&
@1776Unites
this is a dialogue you won't want to miss!
What's YOUR 'red line' in conversations across the political divide?
Can you be a good person without one?
@JonHaidt
tackles these and other thorny questions in conversation with
@moniguzman
on the latest episode of the Braver Angels Podcast
"...we did not struggle in this campaign [to turn] all these people into pariahs...We fought so that we could live in a cultural climate where we not only had the protection of law but where people would be tolerant of each other."
@jon_rauch
This is what it looks like when elected officials and constituents across the political spectrum work *together* to serve their community.
On March 11th, Braver Angels Indiana worked with
@Habitat_org
in Monroe County to organize a cross-partisan day of service.
We start out every Red-Blue workshop with an exercise designed to dispel stereotypes, so participants can transcend the caricatures they have in their heads about each other.
Is cancel culture a major problem in America? Or is it overblown?
Either way you'll want to check out our live debate on Free Speech in America feat:
@sullydish
@ConceptualJames
#KimIversen
@kenbone18
& more.
Thursday 17th 8p ET.
Sign up, stay tuned!
In the words of
@moniguzman
, it's "politically risky to champion healthy disagreement with officials across the aisle in a toxically polarized society." But last week,
@GovCox
did just that.
Great piece in
@dcexaminer
from
@Julian_Liberty
.
Check it out:
We're thrilled to announce that
@GovHerbert
(R-UT) and
@RepDeanPhillips
(D-MN) will be joining tonight's event!
They'll be joined by red and blue Braver Angels members & leaders from across the country.
Haven't registered yet? Do so with the link below!
Empirical truth is important to understanding social reality. But we must also see things through the lens of experience. How do these facts apply to the understanding of race and police?
@coldxman
and
@JohnRWoodJr
explore on The Braver Angels Podcast:
For anyone worn down by political polarization and worried about how division impacts the relationships that matter most to us, check out
@abraverway
hosted by our very own
@moniguzman
.
This podcast, like its host, is an absolute gift.
Give it a listen:
“Let us become a country where we do not stigmatize each other for our deeply held convictions. Let us be a nation in which we reason together, seeking to persuade from a place of kindness and goodwill.”
Read
@JohnRWoodJr
reflection on Roe v. Wade.
Is there a cure for political polarization?
A
@bopinion
columnist interviewed our
@moniguzman
on the costs of burning bridges with people we disagree with.
I’m going to get destroyed in the mentions with mockery and hate, and maybe I will regret this. But whatever.
We have to try harder to meet people with different perspectives from all walks of life with juuuust a modicum of grace. I’m not saying be naive. But hear people out in
When
#BLM
and
#TeaParty
are coming together for respectful but impassioned dialogue, you know you’re working with a different type of organization.
#BetterAngelsConvention
President of Black Lives Matter, NY
@HawkofNewYork
and Cincinnati Tea Party leader
@RayEWarrick
sitting down together to critically discuss the issues of America at the
@BetterAngelsUSA
convention.
BLM & Tea Party!
Still think we can’t sit down and respectfully talk politics?
Can societies rise or fall based on the habits and virtues their individual citizens practice themselves? Does moral talk have a place in politics?
Join BA and
@CivicRen1
tomorrow for a discussion with political commentator
@BillKristol
and
@LexiOHudson
.
For years, we've unleashed bitter contempt on our fellow Americans who think and vote differently and, as a result, have created a toxic cycle to which both sides contribute.
Together, we can change the trajectory of this polarization. Now is the time. Our country depends on it.
If we want to better understand people's perspectives, we have to get curious about the path that led them there.
To start, ask yourself about your own journey to your opinions... The answer may (or may not!) surprise you.
@moniguzman
@JohnRWoodJr
&
@ciaranjoconnor
recently appeared on "Your Undivided Attention," hosted by
@tristanharris
!
They discussed how we can engage with people whose views we find dangerous — and how can we design a digital architecture that brings us together.
Second, we have to tone down the apocalyptic rhetoric that our democracy will not survive four years of President Trump or President Biden.
When the survival of the American experiment is at stake, violence can seem justified and even heroic.
We have to believe in ourselves
More of this! Now! Yesterday! 💪
Whether you love
@benshapiro
or can't stand him, he is spot-on here. 🎯
Can *all* our big-name political thought leaders endorse smart thinkers on the other side? Every one?
Can we just up and *ask* them to?
Can you?
If you want to de-polarize American society, begin with a simple task: say publicly that someone you totally disagree with about politics, someone who voted for the other guy, is a nice human being and people should give them a read or listen.
"Our politicians may be at war, but we American citizens aren’t. The harsh words that are hurled at us − fascists, racists, Marxists − are lies. Only by sitting at the table across from each other can we realize this."
- Braver Angels member Jason Klein
Recently, our Director of Debates April Lawson and chair of the Department of Sociology at the Catholic University of America, Brandon Vaidyanathan, joined Anne Snyder on her podcast “The Whole Person Revolution”.
Full episode here:
"Don't let the battleground obscure the common ground."
Working across the aisle helped
@VanJones68
rethink his approach to criminal justice reform. Through this advocacy, the Senate was able to pass the FIRST Step Act 87-12.
Collaboration isn't just possible; it's necessary.
Hey,
@DrewBarrymore
. We're with you.
Connecting with someone despite your disagreements is one of the great joys of life. Don’t miss out on it.
(credit:
@ChicksInTheOff
)
You can't stand it, but can you UNDERstand it?
Here's Christian hip-hop artist
@AmIshoBaraka
on Trump, BLM, and what it takes to critique humans humanely. 🗣
The immediate priority is to not escalate an already precarious situation.
Do not throw fuel on the fire through attacks and counterattacks over responsibility for the assassination attempt.
We’ve gotten ourselves into a deep hole. The first thing we must do is stop digging.
Can we fix what COVID broke? 🧵
Four years after the pandemic began,
@abraverway
with
@moniguzman
is opening up unfinished conversations between those who led our COVID response, and those who opposed it.
Hear from Dr. Francis Collins &
@TravisTripodiNH
:
Have you heard our latest podcast episode yet? Here's a snippet. Use your favorite podcast player and listen to the rest of this vital conversation featuring
@IamHawkNewsome
&
@BobWoodson
, moderated by
@JohnRWoodJr
It's not easy to hear such heartfelt, polar-opposite takes on the presidential election.
But it's critical.
In less than 2 minutes, here are key moments from our podcast with
@wil_da_beast630
,
@shouvik44
, Chris Brown, and
@JohnRWoodJr
In light of a recent
@WSJ
article covering our work, a clip from our 2023 Braver Angels Convention is circulating, so we thought we'd provide some context.
But first, here's the full video:
"There was no screaming. No one hurled accusations or stereotypes. People thanked each other for sharing their opinions.
It felt like a miracle."
Braver Angels in the
@WSJ
Just hours after a gut-wrenching day at The Covenant School in Nashville, where six people – including three children – were shot and killed, Braver Angels is following through with a pre-scheduled debate on whether we should ban assault weapons at
@UTBakerCenter
in Knoxville.
Our hearts are broken for Nashville today.💔
Tonight the
@UTBakerCenter
is hosting a previously scheduled, student-led
@braverangels
debate on the ban of assault weapons.
I don’t know the answers, but it involves more discourse among UT students on issues that matter most.
Starting now: Two hours (!) of extended Q&A for the depolarization experts testifying to Congress today
@ModernizeCmte
, including BA's own
@billdoherty
.
This is gonna be GOOD.
Watch LIVE with us here: .
We'll thread the highlights!
#DepolarizeCongress
Third, we must use this time to soul-search what we’ve allowed to happen in our political culture, from the national to the local level, and in our families and friendships.
Polarization is a “We the People” problem and not just a “those politicians” problem. We have a role to
Only a few hours 'till our conversation on The Future of Black America w
@GlennLoury
& a terrific panel. Moderated by
@JohnRWoodJr
!
What vision should guide the progress of Black America? Join us, listen & speak up in this meaningful conversation.
We pray for the Pelosi family today.
I don’t care what side of the aisle you’re on—if you’re serving in Congress you deserve security detail because the world has gone insane.
Better Angels board member
@JonHaidt
speaks w/
@cvaldary
about identity politics, campus polarization and psychological resilience on the Theory of Enchantment Podcast:
"These re-emerging platoons embody the encouraging reality that Americans are capable of working together—even if their elected representatives cannot."
This is a wonderful piece centering on Better Angels by
@LexiOHudson
for
@QuilletteM
.