Braver Angels Rise for America

At their recent national convention in Gettysburg, PA, Braver Angels launched the Rise for America campaign. What does it mean to rise for America? Taking action to bridge the political divide and bring a spirit of goodwill to American politics.

Mercedes Guerrero-Tune and Greg Falken joined nearly 700 convention delegates—equally divided between those who lean left and lean right— who gathered to launch a national civic renewal movement, clarify ideological differences, find common ground where it exists, and strengthen the nation. A number of national leaders also attended the convention, including U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who referred to Braver Angels volunteers as his “heroes,” and Governor Spencer Cox (R-UT), who promised to elevate Braver Angels’ work in his post as Chair of the National Governors Association.

We participated in debates—confronting controversial questions, such as “Is America a Racist Nation?” and “Should We Abolish DEI?” We also attended panels that explored such issues as whether the media could go from being the problem to the solution, and how the public health community—including panelist and former National Institutes of Health Director, Dr. Francis Collins—can regain the trust of the American public after COVID-19. Finally, we participated in a number of workshops, to practice the skills needed to bring the Braver Angels principles into our everyday lives.

Through Braver Angels, thousands of Americans have already begun to bridge the partisan divide in their communities. Braver Angels’ grassroots work made headlines during a recent PBS NewsHour episode in which they ran a 13-minute segment on volunteers in Northeast Ohio.

Building Bridges plans to support the Rise for America campaign by reprising the Depolarization Within workshop that we brought to Tuolumne County in October 2022. We will also be increasing our local outreach efforts to promote our ongoing work with depolarization. Please contact us if you have any questions. To get the latest updates, join our mailing list using the “Stay in Touch” form below.