The Braver Angels Podcast

Extra! Extra! In this special roundtable edition of our podcast, two red and two blue Braver Angels leaders square off about the media. Where do the left and right step up or fall short in their approach to the Fourth Estate? Is all the partisan messaging out of line, or do the ends justify the memes? Featuring John Wood, Jr. (national ambassador), April Lawson (director of debates), Ciaran O’Connor (CMO), and Mónica Guzmán (director of digital and storytelling). Also in this episode: Ciaran gets real about the tension between his work to depolarize America and his frustration with politicians who are really not helping, and you'll learn which New York Times columnist has an office April can only describe as "an explosion of cool, interesting, and sexy," which Fox News star Mónica would love to spend a day with, and why you don't want to be caught in the ring with John. What tough topic should we tackle next month? Email media@braverangels.org to share your thoughts! Twitter: @braverangels, @ciaranjoconnor, @AprilALawson, @JohnRWoodJr, @moniguzman 

Sheba Williams is the founder of Nolef Turns and an advocate with deeply personal experience surviving life after incarceration. In this episode of the Braver Angels Podcast, Sheba chats with John Wood, Jr. and Silas Kulkarni about her recent appearance in the Braver Angels Coliseum Debate on Voting Rights and the efforts underway to bring together a cross-partisan, cross-cultural coalition to reintegrate the formerly incarcerated into society. Learn more about Nolef Turns on the group’s website: www.nolefturns.org  Twitter: @braverangels, @JohnRWoodJr, @SilasKulkarni, @nolefturnsinc 

Later this month, thousands of Americans—including several Braver Angels—will gather near Mount Rushmore for FreedomFest, a three-day conference dedicated to furthering libertarianism in America.  In this episode of the Braver Angels Podcast, Ciaran O'Connor sits down with Valerie Durham, the executive director of FreedomFest, for a wide-ranging conversation on the meaning of liberty, the influence of Donald Trump on the conservative movement, and how libertarians could help bring Americans together across the ideological spectrum. Twitter: @braverangels, @ciaranjoconnor, @valerieldurham 

Boom! In this special roundtable edition of our podcast, two red and two blue Braver Angels leaders share their takes on critical race theory and the recent out-of-this-world UFO stories fascinating both right and left. Also in this episode: some real talk about the hard work of building a house united—plus some stories about how thrilling (or terrifying!) everyone found Fourth of July fireworks as kids.  Featuring John Wood, Jr. (national ambassador), April Lawson (director of debates), Ciaran O’Connor (CMO), Mónica Guzmán (director of digital and storytelling). Twitter: @braverangels, @ciaranjoconnor, @AprilALawson, @JohnRWoodJr, @moniguzman 

In an era in which politics have become a religion, what role do religious people have to play? And how can people look to their faith as an inspiration for coming together rather than breaking apart? Former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam joins the Braver Angels Podcast to discuss the role of faith in the public square and how Christians can become a force for reconciliation in our politics.  Bill's new book on this topic, Faithful Presence, can be found on Amazon or wherever books are sold. Twitter: @braverangels, @BillHaslam, @ciaranjoconnor, @JohnRWoodJr

Sho Baraka is a hip-hop artist known for bringing a deep lyrical and philosophical treatment to Christian rap. But he's also a cultural commentator who takes a nuanced perspective on issues of race and politics—and has a front row seat for seeing these controversies play out in the church. Sho joins John Wood, Jr. to talk music, the culture of hip-hop, the challenge of race relations, Kanye West, and more in this episode of the Braver Angels Podcast. Learn more about Sho’s music and book on his website: www.barakaology.com. Twitter: @braverangels, @AmIshoBaraka, @JohnRWoodJr

Author Jonathan Rauch is a long respected voice in American journalism on matters ranging from marriage equality to freedom of speech. In his upcoming book, The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth, Rauch explains the social infrastructure by which truth is protected, breaking down assaults on truth from the right and the left and exploring what we can do about it. April Lawson and John Wood, Jr. join Rauch for this episode of the Braver Angels Podcast, chatting about cancel culture, the Trump administration, the idea of a "constitution of knowledge," and the importance of speaking across the divide. Pick up your copy of The Constitution of Knowledge wherever books are sold (https://amzn.to/2TTz5M0), and learn more about Jon Rauch on this website (www.jonathanrauch.com). Twitter: @braverangels, @jon_rauch, @JohnRWoodJr, @AprilALawson

Not only does political polarization breed fear, anger, and mistrust—it also breeds a sense of helplessness and hopelessness.  How can we take action? Not only to make our voices heard but to work together with our political opponents to improve our communities and perfect our union? Braver Angels alliances are where the meat of our work takes place—where ordinary reds and blues across the country come together to actually do the work of democracy, find common values, transcend our egos, and drive change on the ground. In this episode of the Braver Angels Podcast, host Ciaran O'Connor hosts a wide-ranging conversation with Steve Saltwick and Lynn Heady, the red and blue co-directors of Braver Angels' national field operations, explaining the nature and structure of alliances, how to get involved, and some inspiring examples of alliances in action. Join an alliance: www.braverangels.org/what-we-do/alliances Twitter: @braverangels, @ciaranjoconnor

Professor Steven Pinker is on a mission to spread the good news of human progress. He asserts that human life, for all its problems, has overwhelmingly improved in recent generations. But how is the progress of humanity threatened by our inability to appreciate it? And how is that progress threatened by our inability to communicate respectfully with one another? Professor Pinker (Enlightenment Now, The Better Angels of Our Nature) joins John Wood, Jr. to discuss polarization, cancel culture in the academy, his friendships with Noam Chomsky and Thomas Sowell, and how we can reason together toward a better future. Twitter: @braverangels, @sapinker, @JohnRWoodJr

America is more than half a year removed from the 2020 election. Most Trump voters still suspect voter fraud determined the outcome. The vast majority of Biden voters think such ideas are off the wall. Many Americans, meanwhile, believe that media bias and the practices of Big Tech are the real corruptors of American elections. Can left, right and center reason together about the 2020 election? Can we come together to discover why we believe what we believe? Braver Angels national ambassador John Wood, Jr. brings together political scientist Wilfred Reilly (Taboo and Hate Crime Hoax), digital entrepreneur Shouvik Banerjee (AverPoint), and podcaster Chris Paul (Be Reasonable) to find out in this special edition of the Braver Angels Podcast. With arguments for and against voter fraud from across the political spectrum, we prove that even the hardest conversations can be had in the Braver Angels way. Want to join the conversation? Register here for Braver Angels’ May 25 public debate on HR1 and voter suppression. Twitter: @braverangels, @JohnRWoodJr, @wil_da_beast630, @shouvik44