The Reunited States (2021) Movie Script

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(clicks off)
Hey, everybody, I'm Van Jones,
and we are so excited for you
to watch this documentary
called "The Reunited States."
That is my prayer, that we will
have the Reunited States.
This is an important
documentary.
It profiles everyday people,
ordinary people,
who are on
this difficult journey
of trying to bridge
these political divides,
these racial divides,
because we are at a crossroads
in our nation's history.
Now, we can either keep going
where we're headed,
keep going down
this dangerous road
of division and demonization,
or we can turn things around
and start trying to see each
other as human beings again.
And now more than ever,
we gotta summon
the power to change
how we see each other,
how we relate to each other,
how we listen to each other.
That power is in our hands.
So we're inviting you
not to only watch
the documentary.
We want you to become
a bridge builder yourself,
to be a part of this mission,
this journey,
of reuniting America,
reuniting this country.
Everybody's got a role
to play in that,
and you certainly do.
Please enjoy the show.
(clicking)

Our country is very divided
right now.

We are as divided now
as we were before the Civil War.

And we're not really getting
at the root causes.
(indistinct chatter)
What we have today
is a kind of party loyalty
that is starting to transcend
our loyalty to our country.
You don't belong here!
You don't
belong here!
What we're seeing today
is a dehumanizing
of everyone who opposes us.
If you ask people why
they're a Republican
or why they're a Democrat:
"It's because I hate
the other party."
It sounds like
they're making arrests.
-Why are they making arrests?
-I don't know.
The divisions, they're happening
in our neighborhoods,
they're happening
in our schools,
and they're happening
in our families.
It wasn't that they just had
political disagreements.
Folks were physically attacking
one another.
Stop!
Stop!

The root causes of division
go all the way down
into our foundation
as a country.
We're facing problems
we've never faced before.
(shouting)
If we're going to live
in a democracy,
all of us have to learn
to be mediators
and bridge-builders.
I'm Steven Olikara.
My name is Susan Bro.
I'm Greg Orman.
I'm Mark Gerzon, I'm the author
of The Reunited States
of America,
and I've been a bridge-builder
between Democrats
and Republicans
in the partisan divide
for the last 30 years.
What I've learned
is that polarization
is not just in Washington,
it's in our own hearts.
Before we can fix government,
we have to fix ourselves
and the way we see
our fellow citizens.
-We're Erin...
-...and David Leaverton.
We decided to travel
to all 50 states
to get an understanding
of what was causing
these divisions.
The real key to solving
the partisan divide
is within each of us.
That's part of being a citizen
of America.
We are the solution.
Ordinary citizens working
across the divide every day
to make this country
a better place.
Whether it's a liberal agenda
or a conservative agenda,
hate does not belong
to either one.
We're always gonna
have liberals
and conservatives in America.
We'll never make
the other side go away.
It's in our own interest
to learn how to cross
the divide.
We are the government.
If we want to see
a different government,
the genius of America
is that it's our responsibility
to fix it.

We need a narrative
about the left and the right
working together.
This is something
we have the power to change.
This is something
we have control over.
I want to create a third force
in our politics
that's able to get us beyond
this partisan warfare.
This country needs
bridge-builders,
people who have the courage
to be pioneers,
who are willing to get out
of their comfort zones
to bring both sides together.
That's the path forward.

Mary Catherine,
what are you drawing?
-I'm making our bus.
-Are you really?
-Yes.
-Look at it.
Very beautiful.
And where is it going?
To all the states.
To all the states.
-Are you excited?
-Yeah.
Cool, me too.
-Very aerodynamic.
-Mm-hm.
I like it.

I always felt like
when I left politics
that there were some things
that were left unfinished.
I was a proud Republican,
and I was working
to defeat any Democrat
who was in our way
because I really felt like
what their policies were doing
was destroying our country.

Did everything
from opposition research
to targeted campaigns
that would turn
one group of voters
against another group
of voters.
I was involved in things
I'm not really proud of.

People are getting inundated
with this message of division
and dehumanization
and demonization
of the other side,
and it is tearing families apart
and it's tearing
communities apart.
I've been involved in
those kind of campaigns
and I know how to do that.

So, fast forward to 2016,
we were watching
a story about this guy
who got hit across the head
with a bag of rocks
because he was wearing
a Make America Great Again hat.

I sensed a deep sort of sorrow
growing in him.

And one night, I just said,
"If you didn't have a mortgage,
what would you want
to wake up and do tomorrow?"
And I answered her,
"To bring unity to America."
It came out before
I even thought about it.
I was like, "How are you
gonna bring unity
to people you've never met?"

Okay. Now where's
the wrapping paper?
-You got a Sharpie?
-Uh-huh.

So at 5:00 a.m.,
she wakes me up.
And I said, "You know,
what if the first step
of learning about division
is to go out
and actually ask people?"
I said, "You're crazy,
but I can't think
of a better way
to learn about what's broken
in our country."
Hey, guys, we've got an
exciting announcement to make.
We've gone crazy.
I quit my job,
we sold our house,
and we bought an RV.
We're going on a great
American road trip for a year
to all 50 states
with our family of five.
Our goal for this year
is to reach outside our bubble,
to host dinners and to listen
and learn from people
who aren't like us...
Hi, big bus.
...and hopefully discover
what connects us as Americans.

Come along for the ride.
It'll be fun.

(sharp exhaling)
She was still alive.
She was still alive
a year ago right now.
She was hot, she was tired,
she was thirsty.
She was still alive.

My daughter was not a leader.
She was not a known activist.

He just drove into a crowd,
and she was the one
who happened to die.

Thank you for coming
to remember Heather,
but this was not
all about Heather.
We have a huge problem
in our city and in our country.
We have got to fix this
or we'll be right back here
in no time.
The world went crazy
when Heather lost her life,
and that's not fair
because so many mothers lose
their children every day,
and we have to fix that.
I don't want other mothers
to be in my spot.
I don't want other mothers
to go through this.

So, today, not only
do we remember my baby girl,
I want to thank the troopers
for their sacrifice
who lost their lives that day.
There's so much healing to do
and we've got to do it together.
Amen.

I struggle with my own
emotional issues.
Heather died,
but there were 30 people
who were injured that day
who are having
a really hard time.
-I need to tell you something.
-Yes, dear.
-It's about Heather.
-Yes?
I stood there with her
as she went...

She went well.

I believe it.
Thank you.
I was the street medic
who was the first responder
for Heather
and initiated CPR...
I do, I just wanted you to know
I did everything
that I could do.
Thank you, I understand,
but this is the way
it was meant to be, sadly.
Heather would never want
this attention on her.
The attention belongs
squarely on the issues
that she was standing up for
that day.
Thirty-two-year-old
Heather Heyer
was protesting white supremacy.
The statue of Confederate
General Robert E. Lee
has become the focal point
since the city council voted
in February to remove it.
I did not pay attention
to politics before Heather died.

I thought the country
was healed over racial issues.

I just didn't understand
how deeply it went.

You know, it's difficult
to explain to a child
why the Lee statue
still stands.
Even at eight years old,
they recognize the Lee statue
as a civil rights issue.
I did not seek
this opportunity.
I'm just trying to make
something positive
out of this horrible situation.
My daughter, who was not
a known activist,
would tell you as I am
telling you, get over her.
Let's get on to the issues
that she died for.
She died for lives mattering.
(applause)
All of us have to find
what our way
of caring about each other is.
Amen.
I'm trying to figure out
what I'm supposed to be doing.
I just wanted
to shake your hand.
Thank you for keeping it real.
That's the best way to be.
Thanks, I'll try.
We appreciate it.
That's something
you didn't have to do,
and we thank God for it.
Thank you, but, yeah,
we do have to do it.
We have a lot to do.

Heather got all this attention
because she was a white woman
who was killed.
I just don't think if it had
been a person of color
it would have gotten
near as much attention.

I think Heather
and the survivors deserve
their day of justice.

So, we'll see
how it comes out in court.
(traffic sounds)
Bring it over--over here.
Oh.
Let's do "Anger Face,"
get it down,
and then maybe we can
go back to that.
All right, ready.

The first passion I ever had
in life was playing music.

Here, I think, actually,
the place to cut it out
is let it go
all the way through,
and then I'll just cut out
with--with the drum track,
and then you just sit there
and do your, like, chug thing.
One more time at the end?
Yeah.
It has informed my politics
because I believe
our political system is best
when people from
different backgrounds
are sharing their ideas
to advance public interest.
Oh, that's it, yeah.

One, two, three, four.

Yeah!
That's sick!
Oh my God.

Two major forces
shape the future
of our politics.
One is the worsening
polarization and gridlock.
The second is the rising
millennial generation,
which we believe will transform
American politics.

The average American
is about 20 years younger
than the average member
of Congress.
And I had this realization:
who's actually in Congress
looking out
for the next generation?
Issues we'll inherit
in the future,
whether it's climate change
or the national debt,
are not so much dividing
between the left versus right
but, really, the future
versus the past.

We decided to create
the first-ever caucus
for young members of Congress.

Jefferson talked a lot
about the need
for future generations
to replenish American democracy.

Actually, the majority
of the Founding Fathers
were under the age of 40.
If a generation of 20-somethings
and 30-somethings
can invent American democracy,
then why can't a new generation
reinvent American
self-government?

When we formed
Millennial Action Project,
it was the first time
that millennial Democrats
and Republicans joined forces
to work on the issues
facing our country's future.

In addition to Texas,
our Oregon caucus
is trying to get
a student loan bill of rights
so that young people understand
all of their rights
and the ins and outs
of their loans.

Two-thirds of
the American public
now sees people of the other
political party as evil.

We need to decide
if we're going to work together
or attack each other.

I'm dedicated to building
a generation of leaders
across these divisions.

We have an annual conference
where we bring
our rising stars together
from red, blue,
and purple states.
And so I said to myself,
I better come down
to a summit to learn more.
That's awesome.
We're basically looking
for two things:
members who are young by age
or young by heart...
Some people would see age
as, you know, a drawback,
but in my opinion, it puts me
even closer to the issues
that are important
to my family.
Right.
of bridge-building.
It is not a partisan issue.
Over time,
Mississippi will see
a solution to the brain drain.
We support elected officials
who are bridge-builders,
not dividers.
Over the next 20 to 30 years,
our generation will take
the reins of government,
and we have a choice to make.
Are we going to lead
our country
in a different direction,
or will we be a continuation
of the status quo?
More division, more dysfunction,
more inaction.

Millennials recognize they've
been given a broken system.

They're not interested
in the old right/left argument.
They're interested
in the results.
Polling data shows
that a third of Americans
call themselves "independents."
They don't want
to call themselves
Democrats or Republicans.
They're saying,
"I'm not following
what some party leader
in Washington
tells me I'm supposed to think.
Why should I give up
my independence?"
And I believe that is the key
to our future.

One person said to me,
"You know, Greg,
I love what you're saying.
If I could pick
the governor myself,
there's no question
it would be you.
But I'm a little concerned
if I vote for you,
I might help elect
the Democrat."
Literally, 20 minutes later,
the person sitting
right next to them said,
"Greg, if I could pick
the governor, it'd be you,
but I'm a little concerned
if I vote for you,
I might help the Republican."
And of course I said,
"Well, I've got
a solution to that.
Why don't you both just commit
to voting for me right now?
And you cancel each other out,
you won't have that concern."
And so, we just need
to get people to realize
that they don't need to vote
out of fear.

Probably the most enduring
memory I have
from my childhood was being
financially insecure.

That feeling of being insecure
never really left me.

I think it's
our moral obligation
to leave a better country
for future generations.
And so, I decided we had
to do something different.

-You're Greg Orman.
-I am.
My name is Greg Orman,
by the way.
I'm running for governor.
I believe
that the two-party system
is irreparably broken.
We need to disrupt it.
It's focused on one thing
and one thing only
and that's getting
their people elected.
You know, ultimately,
it leads to
a bunch of bad representation.
I tell people,
"It's not public service
if it's the best job
you're ever gonna have."
I want to create a third force
in our politics
that's able to get us beyond
this partisan warfare,
this hatred, because it's not
meeting the needs
of the American people.

This political system
has to change.

We built a strategy
back in 2012 and 2013
that we refer to
as the Senate Fulcrum Strategy.
If there were two independents
in the U.S. Senate,
neither party would have
a majority.
We underestimate
what that's worth,
and to be the vote, to decide
control of the Senate,
we would be able
to use that leverage
to get Washington
back into the business
of solving problems.
'Cause I thought, you know,
"If you believe
There he is!
Greg Orman.
And so, in 2014, we launched
an independent campaign
for the U.S. Senate.
We did a bus tour
like we're on right now,
talked to people about issues
they cared about.
People started gravitating
to our campaigns,
and that was when the race
really changed.
The Democratic candidate
dropped out
of the race yesterday.
Now Greg Orman,
the independent candidate,
has a one-on-one shot
at Pat Roberts.
This one could determine
who controls
the United States Senate.
It really woke up
the incumbent.
There were at least two dozen
national Republican figures
who came and campaigned
against me in Kansas.
This race has
a razor-thin margin.
He has refused to say
which party he'll caucus with
because he says
he'll break the gridlock
as an independent.
to losing by about ten points
in November.

Most of our Founding Fathers
were deeply skeptical
of what would happen
if the nation was divided
into two factions.
They were concerned
about the moment
that we're in right now.

There's a reason
there are political parties.
They're not in
the Constitution.

That's why I'm an independent
and I'm running
for governor of Kansas.


This is good.
Just take my way
(indistinct chatter)
Sorry, this is more important.
No!
Please!
Does anybody know any more words
than that three?
It winds from Chicago
We're gonna go out
and just talk to people here,
hear their stories.
This is a beautiful city,
and we're excited
to get to meet the people
in state number one.
-You have a baby on the way.
-I do.
Tell us about
how you're feeling about that.
I'm really, really excited,
but I'm also incredibly scared
'cause right after
I got out of the military,
right before I started this job,
I was on the verge
of being homeless.
I met people
who I never talked to before.
We have to bring
our white brothers and sisters
to the understanding
of what white privilege means.
I still hate the word
"white privilege."
Why don't you like the word?
I don't as much feel it
as a privilege
as it is a right
that we should all have.
-But we don't.
-Yeah.
Right, but not everybody has it,
so then what do you call it?
I don't know,
I just don't like the word.
Hey, guys, I'm at
the Boston Methodist Church
in Tulsa, Oklahoma,
and we just finished
the most beautiful ceremony
for the MLK celebration.
We're just finalizing RSVPs.
A couple of people
are kind of on the fence
and so, we're just trying
to lock that in.
You're doing a good job,
by the way.
Thank you.
around the country
and we can host dinners
of Republicans and Democrats,
and if we can just get people
to sit down
at a table together,
they'll realize
that they're a lot more alike
than they thought.
All right, welcome.
We already kind of
welcomed you already,
but I think the first thing
is to admit
this is weird, right?
One question I would love
to just sort of kick off
is, like, what is your, um,
your American story?
Our theory
that divisions in America
are rooted in politics
got completely blown up
on Day One.
Being called "illegal"
and being called a "wetback"
and, you know,
every time I hear them,
it's--it's dehumanizing.
We learned very quickly
that our political divisions
are more symptomatic
of something
that goes a lot deeper.
There's a huge division
in our country right now
and, yeah, we wanted
to maybe see if we could
start a little bit
of a conversation
to try and break down
some walls of division.
Generally speaking, um,
I'd have to honestly say
that I don't have
a really great feeling
towards white people.
Um, a lot of it is because of
some of my experiences
and some of what I've seen
my parents experience.
I went into labor
with my first child
when I was seven months along,
and my water broke while I was
walking around the mall
with my dad.
He was buying baby clothes.
And I went to the hospital.
The nurse came in, and I said,
"I think I'm having
contractions,"
and she examined me
very quickly and she said,
"Oh, you're not ready
to have this baby yet.
You call me back in here
when you're ready
to have this baby."
And they let me lay there
for hours.
By the time the doctor came,
I was crowning.
-Wow.
-And my first baby died,
and I know that they did not
give me the care
and the attention
that I deserved.
I lost my baby
because they did not provide
proper care for me.
I'm so sorry.
And it's so hard
to know that I'm a good person,
I'm a good mother,
and to have someone look at me
or to look at Black children
as if they're criminals,
as if we don't deserve
to be respected,
we don't deserve
to be treated fairly,
it does something to you
mentally and spiritually
and emotionally.
I've never forgotten
losing my first child
because I was
a Black unwed mother,
and they didn't think
that my child's life
was as important
as the child being delivered
in the room next to me.
Mechelle, I'm so sorry.
Stand up.
(crying)
Nothing can make it right.
-It still hurts.
-I know.
I know it does,
I'm so sorry.

Beneath what we call
"political polarization"
are a lot of other
fundamental tensions
in our culture:
race, religious differences,
economic differences,
gender issues.
Division is a human problem,
not just an American problem.

If we're going to be
a democracy,
we have to recognize our rights
and the rights of others
and work through
the differences.
That's our responsibility.

Jazz is inherently
a call-and-response art form.

The most important skill
is to listen.
We have a special guest up here.
(unintelligible)

Imagine if we had a real
call-and-response in Congress
where people would listen
and then respond
with their ideas.

That fusion of ideas
is what creates
a stronger country.

We were looking at
all the possible states
for this year
to really focus on,
and we thought because of--
Iowa is significant
as a swing state
and because of
the young leaders
who just got elected
in the capital,
we thought it would be
a good time
to come here to Iowa
and see what's going on.
The next project
is a program designed
to have bipartisan colleagues
come together,
have meaningful conversations.
And I'm very grateful
that this future caucus
has been established.
With that, I want to make sure
that we welcome Steven Olikara,
the Millennial Action Project
president.
(applause)
What wows me when I'm in
the state capital
is that we have
so many young legislators
who are uniting
across party lines.
They're legislators...
So it's become a movement.
Youngest representative,
youngest senator.
You know, we want
to change politics.
Probably going to be
the younger leaders
who change it, so, actually,
you'll now be invited
to our annual conference.
Okay. Sometimes, like,
with different caucuses
and stuff,
I get a little weary
because they might be--
slide to one side
or the other,
but, yeah, I gotta talk
to leadership about it first.
Yeah.
I had a lot of people tell me
we would never get
Democratic members
and Republican members
to actually sign on.

I remember Steven
actually talking to me
back in 2014, 2015,
when MAP was still just an idea,
this kind of bipartisan
talking across the aisle,
and I wasn't sure
if I thought it was
something that would
actually work.
You know, we were both
pretty young, right?
I mean, you were
a year or two out of...
We were going
against the grain
by seeking credibility
on both sides of the aisle.

That goes against virtually
everything in politics.

People immediately dismiss us
and say,
"Oh, they're just a bunch
of millennials.
They don't really know
what they're doing."

Yeah, there was a lot
of discouragement, right?
-Yeah.
-Yeah, especially
with people telling him
that he's going to have
a hard time convincing people
to work together.
You know, at the end of the day,
you have to do something
which you really enjoy.
When you die,
you have to look back and say,
"Did I have a good life?"

We are in Montgomery, Alabama.
Slidell, Louisiana.
Georgia!
I'm standing in front
of the first
White House of the Confederacy.
We thought that this journey
was gonna be
about bringing people together.
I don't think we factored in
the impact
that these stories
would have on us.
Would you say that
there are African Americans
who are not familiar
with the full history?
There aren't
history books written
that capture these realities.
We love Arkansas!
South Carolina, North Carolina,
I could not get past
this racial divide.
You have to make your life
less comfortable
to understand the experience
that people of color
are going through.
Louisville!
Wichita, Kansas.
Welcome to Wyoming.
Bozeman, Montana,
on the way
to the Donald Trump rally.
And I was a Trump supporter,
and in Jeff,
I mean, he just about
didn't let me in his house.
He was just like, "Pfft."
(shouting)
This one person in particular
works for an organization
that my whole
professional career
has fought against them
as a real enemy.
I'm raising money
for a good cause,
making sure people get
healthcare that they need.
I didn't know
this was your house!
-Happy Easter!
-Okay, let's go get eggs.
It was cool to see
our kids begin
to wrap their minds
around injustice.
To you
To break it down
to the simplest thing,
-it's not fair.
-I originally thought
I wasn't gonna be able to work
'cause I have autism
and it makes it harder for me
to get a job.
I mean, the way I see it,
everyone has challenges.
You can either let it
put you down
or you can find
the bright side.
I expected to find an enemy.
Instead, I found
a family member.

Our daughter, Grace,
is six years old,
and the day that she was born
was one of the happiest,
toughest days of our lives.
Neither of us had ever met
a person with Down syndrome
until that day.
Grace has changed the way
that I look at the world
and look at other people,
and that is a gift
that hardly anybody can give.
It causes me to look
at other people with hope
and not prejudgment
because what you see
on the surface
is not always
what is within somebody.
She broke down the belief
that certain people have
more value than others,
and that started us
on a journey
that we're on to this day.

-Hi. How are you guys?
-Fine, thank you. Come on in.
-I'm David.
-Good morning. Hello, hello.
Just grab something.
It's all gonna be
handed out today.
Thanks for taking us
around, man.
This is really--really
kind of you to do this.
Sure, sure.
Tell me what you're doing today.
-We feed hungry people.
-Okay.
So when you deliver this
to somebody,
is it their only meal
of the day
or just a good start
to the day?
-What is here usually...
-Sometimes, they tell me
they haven't eaten
in five days.
Oh my gosh.

-Hi. How are you?
-Good morning.
I'm tagging along
with Bear today.
-I'm David.
-Henry.
-Good to meet you, Henry.
-Cranberries today.
-Thank you.
-You're welcome.
-Are you from around here?
-Yeah, yeah.
-Family around here?
-They don't consider me
as family because of what
I'm doing around here,
because I'm just drinking,
so I choose to be out here
and I choose to drink.
It's not good, though,
it's not good.
I want to stop, it's just
gonna take me some time.
Yeah. Is there support to stop?
-I mean, like...
-Oh, yeah.
My family comes, they stop by.
Yeah, they get mad at me,
stuff like that.
So you know you're breaking
the law, right?
Alcohol is illegal
in the reservation.
Wake up, man!

So alcohol is illegal
on the reservation?
This is a dry reservation.
You know, I might be
a friendly guy,
I might be, you know,
taught well by my parents,
but there are things
that anger me, right?
And when you hurt my people,
it really bothers me.
Well, sometimes anger is okay.
Yeah, righteous anger,
you know?

Hey, guys.
How's it going? How's it going?
All right, all right.
Yeah. You want some coffee?
-So are you Navajo?
-Yeah.
What's one thing
you would want to tell people
to help them understand
what life is like
on the reservation?
It's like Third World.
Some places, it's like
a Third World country
with no jobs here,
no opportunities.
It's depressing
living on a reservation.
There's no auto parts store.
There's no cafe that you can
go and meet and have coffee.
There are thousands of mines
across this landscape,
uranium mines
never paid us a dime for,
never closed it up
and capped it.
That's our reward
for being Native American!
We get uranium, we get murder,
we get alcohol!
Nobody is doing
nothing about it!
I used to serve a lot of people
on the east side of Shiprock.
He dropped his 40,
he turned around to pick it up
and a swift truck hit him
pretty quick.
Killed him instantly.
Floyd is gone.
And every day I go by at 9:30
and I still look for them.
I still look to see
if they're over there,
see if they're hungry.
You know, I love them
like a brother would.
And when they go home,
yeah, it takes a part of me.
Maybe there's these problems
with poverty and alcoholism
because our government
forcibly took them
off their land,
removed their homes from them,
punished them
for speaking their language,
ripped families apart.
You know, so I feel like
I have now a context
of why there's brokenness
and that has led
to how things are today.
Our history is so much more
dark and complex
than this, like, fairy tale
that we're taught.
So we have to reconcile
that being an American
for one person is not the same
as being an American
for another.
The great line
in our founding documents,
"We the People" did not mean
"all the people."
Policy cannot
accomplish something
that can only happen
in a human heart.
We've never been a place
where all men are created equal,
but we could be.
Now that we have this,
how do we use this
in a constructive way?

When I gave birth
to my third child,
there were probably 15 doctors
in the room.
The full power
of American medicine
was behind that delivery.
And Mechelle,
she deserved that
and she didn't get it.
That day was a turning point
in my life
when I began to understand
for the first time
why you need to say something
like, "Black Lives Matter."
In my life
previous to that moment,
I didn't understand
why it needed to be said.
I thought, "Isn't it obvious
that everyone's life matters?"
And the answer is, no,
it's not obvious.
And it became clear to me
that day why it's so important
that we, as her white brothers
and sisters,
come into agreement
with the fact
that her life matters
and her baby's life mattered.
How horrible is that?
We don't want more or better
or different attention
than someone else
with a different color skin.
That's not what America
is supposed to be.
So if you're shining a light
on these stories,
then hallelujah,
it's gonna make us better.
I realized that something
was shifting inside of me,
and I wasn't becoming
a Democrat.
That's not what was happening.
Which has been a big fear
for a lot of our friends.
"Oh, no, you guys are
becoming Democrats."
It was--it was stepping
into someone's story, okay?
And that's different, that has
nothing to do with politics.
Yeah. You know, so I think
we learned that racism
has been a thing in the past
for a long time, but, to me,
I kind of thought that was over.
I thought with
the Voting Rights Act,
Civil Rights Act,
amend, get over it.
These are just
small little things,
but we saw how it manifests
still today
in our communities,
and it was shocking to us.
When did prayer come involved?
How much does God matter
in terms of what
you're doing together?
And how would you, you know,
you can be candid with us,
who is God to you?
I don't want to impose
my faith on others,
but, for us, God is everything.
I'm gonna push back
just a little bit.
-Yeah.
-Um, you began with the premise
that things are broken,
but would you agree
that not everyone agrees
on what is broken?
-Of course, yeah.
-There are a lot of people
who'd say, "Well,
politics isn't designed
to solve all these problems
that you've talked
about tonight."
But we want to share
these stories
with the people from our world
who don't know
that there's a problem.
But I think the hard part
is to talk about these things
in platitudes, because I think
every one of us would say,
"Yeah, there are things
that are broken,"
but we wouldn't
necessarily agree
with what they are
and what the solution is.
I've seen a level of brokenness
in this country
that you haven't seen,
and you've seen a level
of unbrokenness
that I haven't seen.
And that's why
it's super difficult
to get everyone, as you say,
to do this thing
that's reconciliation.
I guess part of it
is kind of me thinking,
I wonder if
it's even possible.
I don't know if it's possible.

If you look very closely,
you can see
that her ear is kind of closed.
When Heather was born,
she only had one ear open.
That encouraged her
to be more recognizing
of people being treated
unfairly.
I learned a lot from her
over the years.
I was struggling to understand
white privilege
'cause I thought,
"My parents and I worked
for everything we got."
My kids grew up being called
"trailer trash,"
but that's not what
white privilege is about.
(engine puttering)
Your daughter was fighting
the real fight, was she not?
And you taught her that.
And so, here in Cleveland,
the same thing is going on,
because it is when things
like this happen
that we see the true power.
It was an incident
that happened that...
It really screwed
with our lives.
I'm trying not to get
emotional, I'm sorry.
My 15-year-old sister,
she was jumped
at busted her teeth.
I tell my mom
to call the police.
Make a police report
'cause that's all we can do.
My mom tried everything,
doin' it the right way,
and we got charged
with felony two.
Oh!
It's a hard struggle.
Um, a couple of things.
I wear today Angelo Miller.
Angelo Miller
was killed by police,
and I wanna say I thank you
for standing up
for people who can't
stand up for themselves.
-Amen!
-I just wanted
to come here and say that.
What I hear from you guys,
unfortunately,
I hear a lot of places.
And believe it or not,
there are still a lot of people
who would never
believe your story.
I know your story is true,
I have heard that story
in so many places
across the country.
So, we have a lot of work to do.
Thank you so much.
(applause)
A lot of people think that
there are no
racial issues whatsoever.
Why are we treating
people unequally?
Thank you.
When any of us is marginalized,
-we are all marginalized.
-That's right.
That's right.
Part of the reason
I do what I do
is because parents
are losing their kids
in tragic circumstances
all the time.
That's what I'm
trying to prevent.
-Rob!
-Susan!
What's your
official title now?
I'm a professor, so, um,
they call me Professor Lee.
I just go by Rob most days.
It is my distinct privilege
to introduce to you Susan Bro.
When I met Susan,
she came up to me,
gave me this huge hug
that I didn't deserve,
and I apologized to her
because my ancestry has been
filled with hate and racism.
The statue of my ancestor
was the reason
that many people were
marching on Charlottesville.
Susan looked at me,
and she said,
"Don't apologize.
Do something about it."
(applause)
Thank you, good morning.
On August 12th, I joined a club
that no mother
ever wants to join
where you have a child
who is removed from your life.
She was just 32 years old,
finding her voice.
She showed up.
You say, "Okay,
that happened a year ago.
What does that have
to do with anything?"
Well, here's what I would like
you to take away from this.
There is a great divide
in our country,
and I think it's
probably a good thing.
We're finally looking at issues
that we have glossed over.
What I hear from people of color
is white people annoy
the heck out of 'em
when they say,
"I don't see color.
Race isn't important to me.
All lives matter,"
because how it
sounds to them is
"I have to see you
as another white person
in order to accept you."
I used to say those same things.
What they would
like us to say is,
"I see your color,
I see your heritage.
I recognize them,
I celebrate them with you."
And therein lies the difference.
Be willing to understand
we as white people have had
a free ride in a lot of ways,
even if we've struggled
from poverty all the way up.
We still have
layers of protection
that other people
don't necessarily have.
So we have to rethink
a lot of the structures
of our country.
Simply glossing over,
and everybody
hugging each other
and singing Kumbaya
is not gonna solve anything.
We have some serious
issues to work on.

I just hope everybody
stays calm in court
because I've seen
how the evidence
has triggered people
in the past.

One problem is
Heather's death,
nor many major hate crimes,
are not counted as hate crimes
in the FBI statistics,
but we've gotta change
the way we report hate crimes.
In your own words,
can you just kind of
go over your platform points?
You know, Kansas is
at the geographic center
of the United States.
Does it discourage you at all
that you've been trailing behind
-your opponents?
-I'm still confident
we can win this race.
All eyes are on Kansas
in a heated governor's race
that's too close
for anyone to predict.
I was proud that he'd go
as an independent.
I think that's
the only way you can run
without selling your soul.
Hopefully, people can see
that there are more choices
than just being an R or a D.
Both sides play the same games.
It does not a damn thing
for the country.
I would like to ask you
where you stand on the LGBTQ?
I've got a brother who's gay,
I understand that.
I wouldn't wanna create
an environment
where he felt like
he couldn't build
a full and complete
life in Kansas.
Thank you.
(applause)
A poll taken in August
shows Laura Kelly
ahead one point of Kris Kobach,
and Greg Orman with
12 percent of votes.
The candidates are vying
for every last vote.
You feel re-energized
out of it?
You know, I think as
we travel the state,
it's very clear to me
that we're pulling votes
from across
the political spectrum.
Welcome the next governor
of the state of Kansas,
Greg Orman!
(cheering)
Thank you very much.
I'm actually gonna
open it up to questions.
Some of the recent polls
don't give you
very high percentage
of the polling vote.
There's no question
we're behind,
but I also very much believe
we can win this race.
It's a little hard
for me to think
that you're gonna move
that many percent
in a little over a month.
The biggest single issue
facing an independent candidate
is psychological.
People tend to make decisions
now more based out of fear
than on what we
can become as a country.
But when fear dominates,
it's hard to break through.

Somewhere between 30
and 40 percent of Americans
call themselves independents.
They're saying, "Hey,
I'm a combination of things.
I wanna vote
for people I trust."
Where are all those independents
in our state legislatures,
in the House of Representatives
and Senate?
There are very few independents
because we have now two parties
that control institutions,
which parties were
never meant to control.
We've gotta return
the institutions
that determine our lives
to the people,
not to the parties.
-Hi, how's everyone?
-Good!
I don't know why
anyone would want
to work in politics, honestly.
He wants to be
a public servant.
We're just getting going here.
I am your moderator, Nick,
and I'll be guiding everyone
through this telephone
town hall tonight.
His passion is
to change the way
and the direction the state is.
-Hi, Scott, how are you?
-Yes, sir,
I wanted to know your stance
on the second amendment.
Just succinctly,
I am a gun owner,
but I also believe we can
honor the second amendment
and have reasonable
firearm safety laws.
Any kind of conflict,
like he's really great at
looking at it and saying,
"Okay, there's a way
that we can fix this"
where everyone
comes out feeling whole.
Hi, Chuck, how are you?
Fine, Mr. Orman.
I'm retired military,
and me and my friends
meet for coffee every morning.
We just know you're
gonna be the next man,
and we're all very excited
to see you in there.
He sees something that's broken,
and he can really fix it.
Our next question
is coming from Dolores.
Hi, Dolores, how are you?
I'm fine.
I'm glad to hear your voice.
I am wondering
why you don't
drop out of the race
because I don't see
a snowball's chance in Hell
that you're gonna be able to
get in there.

-Welcome to California!
-Thanks!
Forty-six
of fifty sates so far.
You were a politician,
that's very important.
Staffer, not like
an elected official.
I was kinda behind the scenes.
-Operative, if you will.
-Operative, okay.
What was the trigger point
that the two of you
got together and said,
"You know what, let's do this"?
The brokenness that
we saw in our country
in this last
presidential election.
We saw Americans really
wanting to destroy one another,
and that was different than
having political disagreements.
I had been part of what had
caused that in the past,
so for me this was
an opportunity
to do something in
the opposite side of that.
Has it changed your
approach in the way that you
deal with other people,
or people who
perhaps won't even
change their minds?
Absolutely because
it's really not about
where you stand,
and where I stand on an issue.
It's really more about
hearing your story.
If I can sit down with you,
and just listen to you
tell your story,
then I'm gonna find a way
to connect with you
as a human being
It's 8:00 in the morning,
and we woke up in San Diego,
and we're headed
down to the border
to go into Tijuana.
A month ago a story came out
about the migrant caravan
that was coming up
from Central America.
The media can take information
and present it in a way
that creates a narrative
that they want to create,
but there's also the reality
that there are families
who are walking 2,500 miles,
and there's a reason for that.
I wanted to find out
what the reason is.
What are they
announcing right now?
He was calling out
the names of the people
that need to get
all their stuff together
to get moved to the other one.
(speaking foreign language)
I'd love to hear
where you're from,
and why you came.
Her husband was kidnapped,
and an extortionist
coming at her and saying,
"I want money, or I'm
gonna take your children."
And she doesn't know
where her husband is,
or if he's alive.
She walked here
with five kids somehow
into a situation like this
with nowhere to go.
It's just hard to imagine.
I wish there was
something I could do
to help her.

I do meet a lot
of people who say,
"What could I possibly do
to make a difference?
I'm not a senator.
I'm not a CEO.
I don't have any power,"
and I really empathize with them
because we're all
ordinary people in the end.
But I think each of us
have a certain kind of power.
And at whatever level we live,
I think we make a difference.
Every time you interact
with someone else
you can either express
decency, and empathy, and care,
or fear, and animosity,
and judgment.
The key thing is to feel like
we're part of the solution
for our own lives.

I went on this journey
trying to figure out
what's causing the problem,
and I found out that
I am part of the problem.
It exposed something in myself
that I didn't wanna see
that's deeply rooted
in all of us,
the belief that certain people
have more value than others.
It has been hard for me
to come to terms
with the darkness
that lies inside of me.
And that darkness judges
people before I meet them.
And that's a,
that's a hard thing to face.
It was horrendously difficult
and full of tears,
asking the question,
"What in the hell
are we doing right now?
Why are we here?"
We have no home to return to.
We have no job to return to.
I've never felt more
irresponsible in my life,
but the transformation
that we're going through
in our minds,
and in our hearts
is worth every penny of this.
We felt a responsibility
to take these stories
and to share them
with people like me,
who don't know
there's a problem,
and that feels impossible.

When I look at this nationally,
it's hard to be optimistic.
But meeting people
across the country
who have a passion
to see our divisions heal,
that gives me hope.

There's no question
there are obstacles
that independents face.

Oftentimes, they're prohibited
from participating in debates.
They try to make it like
the independent doesn't
have a chance to win,
and therefore why
would you vote for 'em?

My process for
becoming an independent
has occurred over
a long period of time.
My dad was a Republican,
and my mother was a Democrat.
Becoming an independent
may have been a way to bridge
the divide between
my mother and my father.
Greg always uses the analogy of
a couple going through
a bitter divorce.
We've gotten to a point
and maybe we need a mediator,
and maybe that's what
independent
politicians could be.
This is my daughter Imogen.
The average American family
hadn't seen a pay increase
in 17 years!
It doesn't feel like
you're treading water.
It feels like you're drowning,
and that's one of the reasons
I continue to work so hard
to break the stranglehold
because it's put us
in a very, very bad spot.
We're going to continue
to make progress,
but it's going
to take a long time.
-Okay.
-I think you're good.

When we were getting
the Millennial Action Project
off the ground,
of course there was
a lot of skepticism.
They thought this idea
of bringing people together
across party lines and
empowering young legislators
was too idealistic.

Some people,
without even meeting,
would close the door.
People were looking
for reasons to dismiss us.

I was 23 when we were
getting it off the ground.
I did have some moments
where I felt
"Why do I think I can
do anything about this
huge problem?"

I think people are often
quick to dismiss
bold new ideas,
and even quicker
to dismiss those ideas
if it comes from young people.
Our bold new idea
is the bold new idea
of the founding of the country,
which is
an E Pluribus Unum society.
"Out of many, one."

As Bobby Kennedy said,
and the greatest
stake in the future."
So it's really important to
listen to the next generation.

We're on our way
to the first day of the trial.
I don't really expect
any sort of closure from this.
If it stops somebody else
from doing the same thing,
then it's worthwhile.
The man accused
of ramming his car
into a crowd appeared in court.
Now, this is expected to be
a high-profile case.
It's expected
to last three weeks.
If convicted,
one of those charges
could result in
the death penalty.
I don't hate him.
Hate is caustic
to the person who hates.
I'm glad I'm not the one
who has to place
judgment on him 'cause...
...he murdered my child.
Her loss is a hole
in the family.
It's a hole in my heart.
It's a hole in every
celebration that we have.
It's not right
that people had to wait
till a white girl was killed
to go "There's a problem."
Heather got all this attention,
but too many mothers
are going through this
all the time.

That corner, guys,
or this corner?

How 'bout right here?
Good afternoon.
A United States district judge
determined that
Mr. Fields deserved to spend
the rest of his life
in federal prison,
and imposed that sentence.
Susan, what do you think?
I'm very happy he got
life in prison across the board.
I did not want
the death penalty.
Blood on my hands.
Did this sentence help you?
Knowing that he won't
be out again
to cause more harm
to more people helps.
Knowing that a clear
message has been sent
hoping to prevent
other deaths, that helps.
The last time I saw my daughter
was to identify her body,
and I held her bruised hand
and bruised arm,
and I said, "I'm gonna
make this count for you."
And that's what I've done.
You don't get
to knock my child down
and silence that voice
without 500 more raising up.
Other than that,
I'm kinda done with him,
and I'm moving on with my life.
I have things to do.

(truck honking)
(cheering)

We made it back to Texas!

It feels kinda foreign.
Because it isn't
home anymore, you know.
Mm-hm.
Heavenly Father,
thank You for this day,
and thank You for
Erin and Dave,
and all the adventures
that they have been on.
Father, I thank You
for bringing us all
together through the years.
We love you so much, amen.
Amen.
So we would get to a new state,
we'd park, and hook up,
and all that,
and then we would
just kinda start
learning about
where in the heck we are.
Sometimes we'd
pull up in places,
and we'd know nothing.
What are the big stories here?
What are the areas of division?
It's just something
different everywhere,
-and then you'd find out--
-You didn't find one
central theme necessarily,
or it felt different
every single place you went?
You know, the biggest
disparities that we saw
were against Blacks,
and against Natives.
And we weren't looking--
It wasn't like we went in,
It was just like,
"What's the story?"
And we would find
in every single city
-this tragic story.
-And so, I think what we found
in this country
we've never been forced
to deal with the things
that have caused
to where we are today.
And so to heal them,
we have to go pretty far back.
Did you ever meet anybody
that didn't wanna talk to you?
So we're in Savannah, Georgia
kinda early on in our trip,
and I'm reaching out to this guy
who's a real kind of
community leader in Savannah.
-African American gentleman.
-African American guy,
he's 85 years old.
He's lived in Georgia
his whole life,
so he's seen lots
in his days in Georgia.
And he goes, "David,
you know, even if
I had time to meet with you,
-I don't think I would."
-Oh, okay.
-I was like, "Okay, all right."
-Did he give a reason?
He goes, "It's hard
to be reconciled
with someone who has
a boot on your neck."
-Wow.
-That is not
the America that
I believed that I lived in.
He saw me as
a white guy outsider
walking up to him
standing over here
where he's got
a boot on his neck.
And for me to
come up to him and say,
"Hey, can't we all
just get along?"
But before we do that,
we've gotta deal with the boot.
I had to realize
that he associated me
with the man
standing on top of him.
So has it changed how you vote?
Or whether you vote at all?
Um, I think it will
change the way I vote,
but I don't think
I'm Democrat now.
I'm not drawn to either party.
I think they're both
part of the problem.
So, I voted for Donald Trump
in the last
presidential election.
I wasn't wild about
either candidate,
but I will never vote
I'll vote for a human being
who I resonate with.
Where are you gonna
take the RV and go next?
We're gonna drive the RV
from Dallas
to Charlottesville.
Okay. And why Charlottesville?
I don't know is
probably my best answer.
We've just seen
the doors open there.
And so, that's
where we're goin'.
Okay, let's raise a toast
to the deep treasures
that you have discovered
in all 50 states.
-God bless America.
-Yeah, amen!
-Cheers!
-Cheers.
Cheers to that.
Thank you for tellin' me that.

People around the country
where early posts
still have the candidates
too close to call.
Is that what we're seeing
in the reporting now,
-is advanced and early?
-Yeah.
Thank you for being here.
-that you've done.
-You're welcome.
What's that?
MSNBC has called it for Laura.
-Called it for Laura?
-They called it for Laura.
Well, you know,
she would be my second choice.
I know for a lot of people
that's the case.

I'm callin' Laura.
-You okay?
-Yeah.
Yeah, they called it
for Laura,
-so I'm gonna call her.
-Did they?
Yeah.
Good luck (unintelligible).
Okay, will do.
Hi, senator.
Congratulations on
an incredibly
impressive victory.

Yeah, I know you will.
(crowd murmuring)
Yeah, you have a great night.
Okay, bye-bye.
I have to say
how very grateful I am
to the voters who stood up
despite the fact that
they were being told
they were wasting their vote.
We will eventually
break through the 164 years
of two-party stranglehold
on our politics.
What has been the most
gratifying thing
is all of you
in this room tonight.
I've heard people say
that my family
is a little
overbearing at times,
but I have to tell you there's
nothing that feels better
when the people who
know you the best
are so very dedicated to you.
Thank you so much
for everything you've done.
Have a good night.
(cheering)
It's amazing to be
at our third annual
Future Summit, thank you.
(applause)
So, this is just
a very overwhelming moment.
I'm destroying it.
Back in 2013,
a few friends and us
came together.
Sorry, I don't know if
I'm gonna get through this.
It's a lot of people stepping up
to believe in this mission.
And to get to this point
really means a lot.
(applause)
Thank you very much,
and onward.
(applause)
Everyone who's here,
we see this as a calling.
This is not just a job.
It's so cool to see
our vision on display.
We bring 60 state
legislators together
from across the country,
across party lines.
Speaking of the spirit
of bridge-building,
being here in Nashville,
music has been a powerful
force in our country
to bring people together.
So, we're gonna incorporate some
of the Nashville music scene.
We're gonna get
Steven Olikara on drums.
Democracy is, at its best,
a boisterous jazz ensemble.
I'm a state representative
out of Montana.
I'm a state representative
from Oregon.
I'm a state senator in Hawaii.
I'm a state representative
in Florida.
I'm 23 years old,
and I'm Republican.

I am 26 years old,
and a Democrat.
I'm a Republican,
and I'm 34 years old.
I'm a member of
the Republican party.
Member of the Democratic party.
-I'm a Republican.
-I'm a Democrat.
-A Republican.
-A Democrat.
-A Republican.
-I'm a Democrat.
I'm 27 years old.

There wasn't enough listening
across the aisle happening.
The only way that we're
ever gonna bridge the divide
is if we actually
have these conversations.
Republicans,
Democrats are not your enemy.
Democrats,
Republicans are not your enemy.
Our enemies are the problems
that we need to solve.
Good jobs,
affordable housing, education.
This is what the future
caucus is gonna work on.
It's gonna be young people
are gonna have to live out
the actual ramifications
of the policy.
If we just sit on the sidelines,
and let the generation
before us do it,
we won't have any leadership.

Letting young people
carry the torch.
We have to recruit
younger folks.
Get regular people talking
with their friends
and families about politics.
We can aspire to make the system
better than we found it.
We're actively trying
to find solutions.
You can have those
candid conversations,
and they may get heated.
Be a little more civil,
and you both might
learn a little bit.
your voice there.
You have to get
to know each other.
We're not too far off.

I'm elated that
this all worked out.
And so if anyone's wondering
what the future of our
political system will look like,
it's here.

They're on the frontlines
of reuniting our country.

(applause, cheering)

We right or left?
We're on the right.
It's a cute neighborhood.
Oh, here we are.
Okay, you guys ready
to go see your new house?
Yes!
Let's do it.
Here we go!
Wow!
There's not a good why.
I think the main answer
to why Charlottesville
is I don't know yet.

Look who's here!
Okay, doorbell.
Let's go see who's here.
Hello.
-Come on in.
-I'm Erin.
I'm Susan.
Pleasure to meet you.
This is Grace, she's a hugger.
I hope you're not
big on personal space
'cause this one will invade it.
-I'm David.
-Hey, Alfred.
Why in the world
are you sitting at our table
is the million dollar
question, I guess.
I wanted to help make
my community better,
and so I volunteered
on a campaign.
I worked at many
different levels
to incite fear or anger
against the other side.
What I've found is that
it's two systems
fighting for power,
and the American people are, um,
getting left by the wayside.
To know that you were
part of this team
that are purposefully
trying to create this division.
It makes sense 'cause if you
make the other side weaker...
-You have power.
-...you get power.
And so, you worked with Heather?
Mm-hm.
and I wanna honor
you as a mom
because I see the way
that you have picked up
on something that
you didn't ask for,
and you've carried it
with grace.
Not always.
I didn't wanna come today.
I started watching your video,
and I was so angry with you!
So angry with you
for stirring up opposition.
And I knew if I could
just come and talk to you,
I could find the human being
on the other side.
You connected my involvement
in the political system
to the murder of your daughter,
and that's--I gotta
wrestle with that a little bit.
I don't hold you responsible
for Heather's death,
-do you understand?
-Yeah, yeah.
Because bottom line,
nobody made him put
his foot on the gas pedal.
I appreciate the fact
that when you saw what
you were doing was causing harm
to the country,
you stopped
immediately and said,
"How can I undo that harm?"
I feel just a responsibility now
to be a part of
shaking up that system.
I think that
giving your kids
the mindset that you have
will have a huge impact.
Thank you for saying that.
Little things like
walking in the door,
and your daughter
grabbing Alfred's hand,
and pulling him in.
What little girl
would see Black guy,
and just be so
open and welcoming?
You know, that's--I noticed
that right off the bat.
-Wow.
-I didn't notice that.
That's awesome.
You guys opened up and decided,
"There's something wrong,
we gotta fix this."
And it takes a white female
to teach other white females
about how they need
to make this change.
Susan, I think that
there's power when you
come out on these issues
-to say something.
-We have an obligation
and a responsibility,
once we are awake,
to wake up other people.
If I do that,
and then they each do that,
and then you guys each do that,
then you can have this
tsunami of change.
This is not
a political movement,
it's all a heart movement.
Agreed.
Nothing will teach you
like having a theory,
and it getting totally
blown up in your face.
'Cause our original thing was
"Let's just host dinners
with Democrats and Republicans,
and see if they can, like,
sing Kumbaya by the end.
(laughing)

Today's the subcommittee's
first hearing
on how America is
addressing the rise
of a particular form
of domestic terrorism,
violent white supremacy.
First off, let me state
that there is an act, um,
under consideration right now,
Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer
Hate Crime Reporting Act.
How did you come to be able to
articulate these points,
and how do you educate others?
We need to recognize
our differences,
taking time to
listen to one another,
taking time to
talk to one another,
and actually thinking about
what we have in common,
finding points of connection.
And from there, we can
work through our differences.

Happy birthday to you
MAP is continuing to grow
extremely fast.
It is remarkable
within one generation
a family can move
to the United States,
and their children
can have a direct impact
on government.

We're going through
massive shifts right now.
The biggest thing we can do is
build a common understanding
because through
that understanding,
we see the humanity
in each other.
We need to try much harder
to find compassion.

After the election,
I started paying
attention to things
that I had neglected
for the prior year.

Obviously,
we started this campaign
fully intending to run
a campaign to win.

I would far prefer
to lose an election,
but have given myself the chance
to actually improve
the lives of people.

I don't want my daughters
growing up thinking
you shouldn't do something
if you think there's
a possibility of failing.

The two campaigns that I've run
have really been
moments during
a decade-long effort
to really change
our system of government.

For a long time, people said
no one would break
the four-minute mile.
When we broke those
psychological barriers,
well, we ultimately were able
to achieve a lot more
than we thought we would.

So today on the podcast,
we're going to be
talking with Mechelle Brown
in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
So, here we go!
It is so nice
to speak with you both.
Our time together
has shaped our lives.
Well, I felt honored
to meet both of you as well.
Because you were
so genuine and open,
I felt that I
could be vulnerable.
You opened our eyes,
and I just--I cannot tell you
how thankful I am.
It has stuck with me so because
it was the first time
that I had shared
my experiences
with a white person.
It's not a story that
I've shared often with anyone.
I think that that was just
the time that God had ordained
'cause it was healing for me.
It made me aware of how
I had pushed it to the side.

You have helped us heal
from racism in our own hearts.
Reconciliation is possible
when you have people
being open enough
to have really honest dialogue.
I just want you to know that
we love you, we truly love you
in the depths of our heart.
Thank you, love you too.
There's no one magic
solution to fix democracy.
We've gotta do it
at the grassroots level,
in legislatures,
in town councils,
in the school systems.
We have to be reuniting
all the time,
every day in our lives.
Don't be afraid
of difficult conversations.
Don't be afraid
to reach out to someone
who might not believe
exactly like you believe.
And this I actually
learned from my daughter,
take a minute and say,
"Can you talk to me?"
We have to start
thinking of people
different than ourselves
as potential allies,
and as part of the solution.
Being a bridge builder
isn't about
compromising your beliefs.
It's about standing up
for your beliefs,
but respecting your adversary
when they do
exactly the same thing.
The divisions run a lot deeper
than we ever
could have imagined,
but so does the depth of love
that we've seen in people.
Meeting people
across the country
who have a passion
to bridge divides,
that gives me hope.
As citizens, we like to say,
"I have rights as a citizen."
We do have rights,
but we also have
responsibilities,
and that's working
through our differences
when our rights clash.
I want people to
declare their independence.
Tell elected officials
"You no longer can take
my vote for granted.
You gotta earn it
by solving problems."
There are already millions
and millions of Americans
crossing the divide every day.
That's why our country
hangs together.
Our country is resilient,
but we can't take
democracy for granted.
The genius of America is that
it's our responsibility
to fix it.
Everyone has a role to play
in reuniting the country.


I'm Bill Doherty.
I'm one of the cofounders
of Braver Angels.
I'm Joan Blades,
and I'm a cofounder
of Living Room Conversations.
My name is Tru Pettigrew,
and I am the founder
of Tru Access.
What started off
as conversations
that involved law enforcement
and the Black community
has expanded significantly
to include all walks of life.
I'm Pearce Godwin, I founded
the Listen First Project.
I'm Robb Willer
here at Stanford,
and I'm the director of
My name is Kristin Hansen.
AllSides Connect
to engage in conversation
on difficult topics.
Braver Angels is bringing
conservatives and liberals
together to depolarize America.
-My name is Maso Kalima.
-I'm John Gable.
My name is John Wood, Jr.
As an African American
Republican,
maybe I could build the bridge
between the two sides
of the political conversation,
and also in
the racial conversation.
Our responsibility is
to really listen.
The Listen First Movement
is about bridging divides
with conversation.
People tend to
distance themselves
from that problem
of polarization.
I think the truth is
that we're all a part of this,
but it's also good news
A lot of spaces where
we are divided
is rooted in fear.
Simply put,
we can choose courage.
There is a huge desire
among human beings to connect.
We all want the same thing,
and we're so much more alike
than we are different.
And so we created
the Bridge Alliance,
which is now a network
of over 100 organizations.
All Sides is part
of a much bigger movement
that's underway
in our country right now
to break down divides.
There's a whole
bridging movement
all around the country
that are doing wonderful work.
And with 1,000 different
organizations in the U.S. today
working to bridge divides...
We invite everyone
to join the thousands
who have already signed
the Listen First pledge.
There's almost
the right organization
for any American
who wants to get involved.