A grassroots coalition of conservative and liberal citizens is bringing its campaign to depolarize America to Beverly/Morgan Park. The Better Angels group, named from a speech to a divided nation by Abraham Lincoln, and the Social Justice Committee of Beverly Unitarian Church will cosponsor a free workshop on “How to Talk Across the Political Divide” Sat., Oct. 6, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the church, 10244 S. Longwood Dr.
“I think we are all prone to dehumanizing people of different political views,” said Anna Carvlin, chair of the Social Justice Committee. “I wanted to bring this workshop to our community partly to learn techniques for talking within my own family but also generally for recognizing people’s humanity above their political stances.”
The skills workshop is one of Better Angels’ signature events and the first offered on the South Side. It helps participants to engage family members and friends who disagree with them politically in respectful conversations that clarify differences, search for common ground, and affirm the importance of the relationship.
Formed in 2016, Better Angels held its first national convention in June, when conservatives and liberals, fed up with political acrimony and dysfunctional politics, met for three days in Virginia. David Blankenhorn, the New Yorker who founded Better Angels, said its first forays into bringing together political opponents quickly showed that “Americans want this.”
In October, participants in the local workshop will develop skill in political conversations by practicing with someone of their own political persuasion. The workshop will be led by attorney and DePaul University instructor Chuck Stone, a Beverly/Morgan Park resident and Better Angels moderator.
Register for the event by emailing Stone at cstone2@sbcglobal.net or calling 312-833-0016.
