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Braver Angels
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Braver Angels
Braver Angels (formerly Better Angels) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to political depolarization. The organization runs workshops, debates, and other events where "red" (conservative) and "blue" (liberal) participants attempt to better understand one another's positions and discover their shared values.
The organization says it is the "largest, grassroots, bipartisan organization in America dedicated to reviving the communal spirit of American democracy" and that its "method involves bringing politically diverse people together in small groups to listen empathetically to each others' perspectives."
Braver Angels was founded by David Blankenhorn, Bill Doherty, and David Lapp shortly after the 2016 United States presidential election. The organization's original Better Angels name was inspired by Abraham Lincoln's plea for national unity at the close of his first inaugural address:
We must not be enemies. ... The mystic chords of memory ... will yet swell the chorus of the Union when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.
The name was changed to Braver Angels in 2020 pursuant to a trademark infringement suit.
Braver Angels says it seeks to build a national movement and has sponsored conventions for its members across the United States since 2018. For its first convention, in June 2018, Braver Angels selected 72 conservative and 72 liberal delegates. The organization reported that over 100 delegates signed "An American Declaration." In the declaration, the signers claim to represent 3,100 members in calling for an end to political polarization and affirming "a shared faith that this land we love will again be touched by the better angels of our nature." The convention had musical performances by Peter Yarrow, Dana LaCroix, and Steve Seskin.
The 2019 convention was held in St. Louis. The delegates passed a platform and heard from speakers, including leaders from Black Lives Matter NY and the Tea Party in Cincinnati. The 2020 convention, planned for Charlotte, NC, was canceled due to the COVID pandemic.[citation needed]
At its July 2023 convention in Gettysburg, a featured speaker was Utah Governor Spencer Cox, who created the National Governors Association's "Disagree Better" initiative. Gettysburg was chosen for its association with Abraham Lincoln, source of the "better angels" plea for national unity. The convention included music and political sketches. A performance by Gangstagrass began with a skit, with co-founder Bill Doherty in a barber's chair getting a haircut from a local barber. During the skit, Hawk Newsome of Black Lives Matter chided the audience for "snickering" he'd heard when he had talked about reparations.
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Braver Angels
Braver Angels (formerly Better Angels) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to political depolarization. The organization runs workshops, debates, and other events where "red" (conservative) and "blue" (liberal) participants attempt to better understand one another's positions and discover their shared values.
The organization says it is the "largest, grassroots, bipartisan organization in America dedicated to reviving the communal spirit of American democracy" and that its "method involves bringing politically diverse people together in small groups to listen empathetically to each others' perspectives."
Braver Angels was founded by David Blankenhorn, Bill Doherty, and David Lapp shortly after the 2016 United States presidential election. The organization's original Better Angels name was inspired by Abraham Lincoln's plea for national unity at the close of his first inaugural address:
We must not be enemies. ... The mystic chords of memory ... will yet swell the chorus of the Union when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.
The name was changed to Braver Angels in 2020 pursuant to a trademark infringement suit.
Braver Angels says it seeks to build a national movement and has sponsored conventions for its members across the United States since 2018. For its first convention, in June 2018, Braver Angels selected 72 conservative and 72 liberal delegates. The organization reported that over 100 delegates signed "An American Declaration." In the declaration, the signers claim to represent 3,100 members in calling for an end to political polarization and affirming "a shared faith that this land we love will again be touched by the better angels of our nature." The convention had musical performances by Peter Yarrow, Dana LaCroix, and Steve Seskin.
The 2019 convention was held in St. Louis. The delegates passed a platform and heard from speakers, including leaders from Black Lives Matter NY and the Tea Party in Cincinnati. The 2020 convention, planned for Charlotte, NC, was canceled due to the COVID pandemic.[citation needed]
At its July 2023 convention in Gettysburg, a featured speaker was Utah Governor Spencer Cox, who created the National Governors Association's "Disagree Better" initiative. Gettysburg was chosen for its association with Abraham Lincoln, source of the "better angels" plea for national unity. The convention included music and political sketches. A performance by Gangstagrass began with a skit, with co-founder Bill Doherty in a barber's chair getting a haircut from a local barber. During the skit, Hawk Newsome of Black Lives Matter chided the audience for "snickering" he'd heard when he had talked about reparations.
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