Unity In Action
On April 18th, Reunited States Organization Night unfolded as a gathering that ignited hope among our Battery Powered community. Welcoming both longtime members and newcomers, the evening focused on the question of how we can overcome political polarization to fortify our democracy and society.
Building off of previous Healthy Democracy themes in 2018 and 2020 – where we explored how to empower people to participate in our democracy – the Reunited States theme is addressing the deep-seated challenges of online hate and disinformation spread by media and social platforms, and the loss of social trust and cohesion.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation segment, where leaders from 10 different organizations shared their efforts in the fields of Media and Information and Civil Society. Speakers like Deepti Doshi of New Public and Kristin Hansen of Civic Health Project articulated compelling visions for creating inclusive digital spaces and detoxifying online environments, while Jessica González of Free Press and Esperanza Guevara of Latino Media Collaborative emphasized the importance of locally and culturally relevant independent media for a healthy democracy and robust civic engagement. Their insights underscored the necessity for responsible media and technology in bridging societal divides.
On the Civil Society front, we learned about the emerging bridge-building field from Andrew Hanauer of One America Movement, Stephen Hawkins of More In Common, Dawn Strauss of Braver Angels, and Olivia Azaira of the Othering and Belonging Institute: four leaders in this movement to bring Americans together across political divides to open lines of communication, find common ground, and work together to improve their communities.
Bianca Agustin uplifted another bridge-building strategy: worker organizing. Her organization, United for Respect, unites retail workers across racial, political, urban/rural, and other divides to advocate together for quality jobs and dignity at work. Our final speaker of the evening, Laura Hall of Bipartisan Policy Center Action, shared her organization’s successful efforts to build across-the-aisle relationships between members of Congress and shepherd through bipartisan policy solutions.
The Open House that followed allowed for more intimate conversations, enabling members to further connect with the organizations and understand more about their crucial work towards an inclusive and cohesive society. The event fostered a sense of community and urgency, encouraging participants to engage with one another and delve deeper into the initiatives discussed.
Looking ahead, the excitement builds for Allocation Night on May 21st, where grants will be awarded to these commendable organizations. This future gathering promises not only to support but to celebrate the continued efforts of these organizations in their vital roles of mending the fabric of American society. As we anticipate this event, we remain committed to the journey of bridging divides and enhancing the collective spirit of democracy.
In case you missed the event, we invite you to learn about our grantees’ work here, and watch the full video here.
We look forward to seeing you again soon.