The Braver Angels Podcast

Will Donald Trump run again in 2024? How will the recent leak of a Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade affect the 2022 midterm elections? How can Democrats and Republicans address the divides within their own parties? Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Lincoln Project Co-Founder Rick Wilson join Ciaran O'Connor for a wide-ranging discussion—previously recorded as part of the Crosscut Festival—on the state of the national political landscape. Twitter: @braverangels, @ciaranjoconnor, @TheRickWilson, @Robt_Gibbs 

U.S. Senate candidate Steven Olikara has already had an impact on American democracy. He’s the founder of the Millennial Action Project, a nonprofit that works with young policymakers on both a national and state level to bridge the partisan divide and spur collaborative legislation. But is that the type of attitude that can get you elected to Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate seat in today's divided America? In this first-ever candidate interview on The Braver Angels Podcast, Steven Olikara gives us the backstory of his relationship to democracy through his love of jazz, his work in the field of depolarization, and his experiences on the campaign trail. Learn more about Steven's campaign: www.stevenolikara.com  Twitter: @braverangels, @StevenOlikara, @JohnRWoodJr

Braver Politics is here to fix our broken politics. In this episode, Braver Angels CMO Ciaran O'Connor introduces our new initiative to engage politicians across the United States and transform the incentives that drive division.  Then, Ciaran chats with Mark Beckwith, a Braver Angels leader and the former bishop of Newark, New Jersey, about his new book—Seeing the Unseen—and what religion can teach us about bridging the political divide. Learn more about Mark’s book: https://amzn.to/3Lw1GwZ  Twitter: @braverangels, @ciaranjoconnor

Four Reds with different views of President Trump debate how conservatives should think about the former president, his legacy, his current behavior (including on January 6), and his possible run in 2024. The conversation expands into the future of conservatism, Ukraine, and what it means to be a Red in the 21st century, highlighting both the alignments and the divergences in contemporary Red thought. Steve Saltwick, co-founder of Braver Angels of Central Texas, is a bio-psychologist who studies the guiding principles of the mammalian brain especially as it relates to artificial intelligence. Marc Ang is a conservative activist, entrepreneur, and freelance journalist based in Southern California whose work has been featured in Newsweek, The Washington Examiner, Redstate, and more. Finally, Paul N., a founding leader of Braver Angels’ Red Caucus, worked in technology prior to enjoying a post-retirement career as a psychotherapist in California. Twitter: @braverangels, @AprilALawson, @MarquesAngus, @SteveSaltwick 

Rep. Becky Carney is a Democrat representing Mecklenburg County in the highly polarized North Carolina General Assembly. Rep. John Torbett is a Republican representing Gaston County. Together, they lead the House Transportation Committee.  In this episode of the podcast, the legislators join Braver Angels CMO Ciaran O'Connor to discuss what's possible when two politicians who disagree on policy find ways to work together in a spirit of trust, citizenship, and goodwill. Twitter: @braverangels, @ciaranjoconnor, @repbeckycarney, @JohnTorbett 

Coleman Hughes has made a name for himself as a public commentator. A contributor at City Journal, Quillette, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times among others, he’s been celebrated for his sober analysis of American race relations. He’s also… a rapper. Today, he joins Braver Angels music ambassador Alma Cook to talk about his artistic past, present, and future. Learn where the inspiration for his new “Blasphemy” music video came from, how a youth drum corps eventually led him to Julliard, and whether it’s stressful to split his time between music and writing. Find Coleman's music under the artist name COLDXMAN on Spotify, Apple Music, and more. Watch the new “Straight As” video here: https://youtu.be/OGuvJkV02GY  Twitter: @braverangels, @coldxman, @HearAlma

Since the advent of film, the racial dynamics of American life have been reflected, or perhaps distorted, by a movie and entertainment industry whose impact on racial issues has been more complex than many realize.  Joy Donnell, cofounder of the Center for Intersectional Media and Entertainment (CIME), joins BA National Ambassador John Wood Jr. to explore Hollywood’s legacy—a legacy she believes is fraught with troubling implications for racism and black America, both historically and in the present day. Twitter: @braverangels, @JohnRWoodJr, @doitinpublic 

We think we have the answers. But what happens when we start asking more questions? In her new book, I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times, Braver Angels' director of storytelling Mónica Guzmán explains how and why we should get more curious—and how it might just hold the key to bridging our political divide. To learn more about Mónica’s work and buy her new book, visit www.moniguzman.com.  Twitter: @braverangels, @ciaranjoconnor, @moniguzman

From the mid 1980's to the early 1990's, the United States of America was ravaged by the violence and destruction associated with the crack cocaine trade and epidemic. But more than anyone, inner-city African American communities felt the pain, setting the stage for mass incarceration and the social conflicts that rest in the background of our modern controversies over race and policing. In this episode, once drug dealer and contemporary community advocate Lorenzo Murphy takes us into his former life as right hand man to Los Angeles' most notorious drug dealer, Freeway Rick Ross, to give us a lens through which to see this pivotal, if tragic, period of Black American history. With Braver Angels national ambassador John Wood Jr. Twitter: @braverangels @JohnRWoodJr  Instagram: murphy_law74 Websites: braverangels.org 

Annette Ritter is a school-of-hard-knocks grandma and community college student from rural Little Orleans, Maryland. Len Breslow is a retired cognitive psychologist from suburban Chevy Chase, Maryland. Annette used to couch-hop on the poor side of Berkeley, California; Len got a graduate degree there.  In this We the People’s Forum, a Braver Angels event where everyday Americans get time at the podium, Annette and Len tackle the thorny issue of class. They address their experiences of social class and explore whether the class divide might be even more significant than the partisan divide.  Lear more about We the People's Project at Braver Angels: braverangels.org/wpp  Twitter: @braverangels, @davidlappoh