From a recent SAND Community Gathering (March 2025)

At a time when our world can feel increasingly divided, and many are retreating into isolation, civil rights scholar john a. powell offers a transformative approach to building connections across differences. Drawing from his groundbreaking work with the Othering & Belonging Institute and his own journey, john shows how to stop perceiving differences as threats and instead use them as opportunities for deeper understanding and collective growth. Through rich personal stories and documented study, he explains how bridging practices can help us heal ruptures in our families, workplaces, and communities.

This conversation explores practical ways to overcome the ‘us versus them’ mindset that dominates our current discourse and create a world where everyone truly belongs. Whether we’re struggling with political divides, generational gaps, or cultural differences, powell’s insights offer concrete tools for building meaningful connections in an age of separation.

john a. powell is a renowned scholar and advocate in civil rights, structural racism, constitutional law, housing, and belonging. As Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, he holds the Robert D. Haas Chancellor’s Chair in Equity and Inclusion and is a Professor of Law, Ethnic Studies, and African American Studies.

johnapowell.org

The Power of Bridging: How To Build A World Where We All Belong by john a. powell

Topics

00:00 Introduction 

00:41 Meeting john a. powell

02:24 john's Early Life and Spiritual Journey

08:02 The Concept of Belonging and Breaking

17:48 Navigating Fear and Anxiety in Activism

27:44 The Concept of Belonging vs. Inclusion

29:52 Personal Stories of Pain and Resilience

33:59 The Danger of a Single Story

39:24 Bridging Divides in the Middle East

43:44 The Power of Recognition and Dignity

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