Last month, I attended the Braver Angels Convention in Kenosha, WI with the One Small Step (OSS) on Campus team. With over 750 delegates present, equally represented by half “red” and half “blue,” the event was bustling and bubbling over with diverse ideas and perspectives. Our One Small Step breakout sessions were well-received, and it was thrilling to see participants from across the country appreciate the uniquely human-centered approach of our model. After his workshop experience, one participant noted:
“I had previously heard my interview partner share out in another session, but in a million years I wouldn’t have been able to guess the unique childhood he had. The experience left me with a feeling of wonder and thoughts about how every single person has a unique story that no one else but them will ever fully understand.”
The highlight of my experience was the College Debates and Discourse Alliance Symposium, which offered invaluable insights into creating thriving, dialogic communities of practice on college campuses. Something that stuck with me was Virginia Military Institute’s learnings from their fellowship program. They underscored the importance of empowering students and supporting them as leaders and experts in their own communities. It was an exciting and reassuring reminder that, amidst the AI revolution, this work of connecting humans will always be done by people, for people. Moreover, relationship-building and empowering people to work toward change in their own communities is what will lead us to a more cooperative, kind, and thoughtful democracy.
Our presence at the convention, both through structured sessions and informal interactions, highlighted the connections between the work of OSS and Braver Angels. I was reminded that we are a part of a broader movement toward civic renewal and bridging divides. By participating in events like the Braver Angels Convention, we are joining a coalition of like-minded changemakers. We do not agree on all the details, but, most importantly, we agree on where we’re going together. Above all, the convention felt like it was pointing us toward StoryCorps’ larger north star: helping us believe in each other by illuminating the humanity and possibility in us all — one story at a time.
