https://better-angels.org
Better Angels
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2018

Better Angels to Host National Convention June 20-23 in St. Louis, MO

Bipartisan convention to bring together Black Lives Matter, the Tea Party, and over 250 liberal and conservative delegates from across the nation to adopt a national platform to depolarize America

St. Louis, MO. -- From June 20-23, red and blue Americans, in equal numbers from all 50 states, will assemble at Washington University in St. Louis to lay out a path toward a new kind of politics -- one that builds on what unites us, not what divides us.

More than 250 delegates representing over 7,000 dues-paying Better Angels members -- comprised of students, activists, immigrants, Trump supporters, faith leaders, and groups like Black Lives Matter and the Tea Party -- will gather to discuss and debate what it means to be an American, and to set forth a vision for scaling our national citizens’ movement to bring liberals and conservatives together into a working alliance that can influence the direction of the nation.

See coverage of last year’s convention in USA Today and ABC Nightline. Interested members of the media should contact media@better-angels.org.

This year, delegates will adopt an official platform to guide Better Angels, decide how to challenge our institutions to move toward depolarization, and invite fellow Americans to join our cause. The convention will feature workshops, debates, student discussions, and a keynote conversation between Hawk Newsome, the President of Black Lives Matter New York, and Ray Warrick, the leader of the Cincinnati Tea Party.

"Our goal is nothing less than to replace the era of polarization with the era of citizenship," said David Blankenhorn, the President and Co-Founder of Better Angels, "an era where we can find one another again as citizens and friends; put love of country before political faction; achieve accurate instead of exaggerated or imagined disagreement; look first for shared values and common ground; and refuse to treat our opponents as enemies."

Click here to see the full convention agenda.

Recent polls show that a majority of Americans feel our country is more divided than ever, and increasingly view members of the opposite political party as not just wrong -- but bad people. At the same time, Americans are increasingly separated into bubbles and echo chambers with limited exposure to "the other side," consuming news that confirms their opinions and stereotypes.

By creating opportunities for meaningful discussions, Better Angels works to dial down the rancorous rhetoric that gets in the way of real conversations and accurate understanding of our differences. The objective is not to push a centrist political agenda, change participants’ minds, or paper over disagreements -- but rather to provide a place for deeper understanding.

“It smashes a lot of the stereotypes of what one group or another group is supposed to be," said Julie Sparks, a Republican who participated in a Better Angels workshop in Lebanon, Ohio.

"If more people had this experience, I think maybe our country could come back together and understand, it's okay to have opposing ideas,” said Andie Moon, a Democrat.

Better Angels has been covered in the New York Times, Fox News, The Atlantic, NPR, The Daily Caller, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and many other national outlets. See our full list of media coverage.