Bottom left to right: Brett Q. Ford, Justin Giboney, Sam Kang
It is no secret that we live in a polarized country. A 2023 study shows that less than 1/3 of those surveyed would help someone in need who strongly disagreed with them. Just 1/5 would be willing to live in the same neighborhood or work alongside someone with a strongly opposing perspective. It is no wonder that with such resistance to relationships with those across ideological and political lines, it has become harder than ever to live in communities that include diverse perspectives and are committed to finding common ground.
But an ability to coexist, and to support one another across differences, is critical for our communities and the future of our country. While the goal is not to agree with one another fully, we can learn how to have better, more productive conversations that welcome honesty, value diversity, and lead to greater understanding across divides. Often, this understanding results in stronger solutions to challenges we face together.
As a foundation that supports nonprofits working to uplift all members of society, the Murdock Trust places strong value in civic engagement as one way we can work for solutions that benefit all. “Communities are strengthened when we learn to listen more deeply and pay attention more closely,” says Rudy Carrasco, senior director of our Civic Engagement & Community Services sector. “Solutions are often closer at hand than we think, if we can intentionally look for areas of common interest and lean on one another’s strength and expertise. This is something our founder, Jack Murdock, believed in, and it’s something we try to model and support at the Trust today.”
As we enter a contentious election season, we know that stress, anxiety, and fear around the process and results are top of mind for many in our region. These strong feelings are driven by deep convictions. They have been shaped by experiences and formed by values. However, it is our belief that we can lean on these convictions while rejecting polarization and othering. Together, we can find middle ground to pursue the common good.
We are pleased to be collaborating with The Seattle Times and an outstanding lineup of panelists to host three webinars that seek to equip viewers with tools and information needed to engage well this election season and beyond. It is our hope that these conversations spark continued discussion within your communities and give you tools to deal with the real challenges and opportunities in front of you, for the sake of a better path forward for all. We invite you to join us in listening and learning together.
Civic Engagement for Children and Families
In one of the most contested election years in recent history, it can be daunting to know how to speak about politics with your children and within your family. Youth today are likely feeling much of the weight of polarization and may even be encountering conflicting opinions on social media or in friend groups. How do we model productive dialogue within our families and raise our children in ways that encourage them toward civic engagement that works for the good of all? Join us for this webinar with Mónica Guzmán of Braver Angels and Christina Bruce-Bennion of Wassmuth Center for Human Rights to consider best practices for encouraging responsible civic engagement for children and families.
Mónica Guzmán is Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels; author of “I Never Thought of it That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times”; host of A Braver Way podcast; and founder and CEO of Reclaim Curiosity. She was a 2019 fellow at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, and a 2016 fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. In 2023 Moni was the inaugural McGurn Fellow at the University of Florida, working with researchers at the UF College of Journalism and Communications and beyond to better understand ways to employ techniques described in her book to boost understanding. A Mexican immigrant, Latina, and dual US/Mexico citizen, she lives in Seattle with her husband and two kids and is the proud liberal daughter of conservative parents.
Christina Bruce-Bennion joined the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights as Executive Director in November 2022. Prior to joining the Wassmuth Center, Christina worked in various leadership capacities in refugee resettlement in the Valley for over 24 years, taught at Boise State University, led and participated in various multi-sector collaborations, and has served on various boards. She received her B.A. in political science from Willamette University and her master’s in education from Boston University. She is originally from Fairbanks, AK, but has lived in the Treasure Valley for 25 years with her husband Paul and three kids.
Moderator: Taylor Blatchford, The Seattle Times
Research shows that stress levels increase around an election. In 2016, more than half of Americans (Democrats and Republicans equally) reported that the election was a “very” or “somewhat significant” source of stress. “Election stress disorder” is an observed phenomenon in which the amplified negativity of campaigns, polarization, and social media can cause mental and emotional distress and even invade relationships with loved ones. Inevitably, this causes many to back away from engaging with the election, which can adversely affect voter turnout and democratic engagement. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Join us for a conversation with Curtis Chang of Duke Divinity School and Dr. Brett Ford of the University of Toronto to consider how we can best prepare to navigate the upcoming election with resilience and care, and how we can engage in the democratic process in a way that honors our emotions and stewards our convictions.
Curtis Chang bridges the worlds of secular institutions and theology. In the former world, he is the founder and CEO of Consulting Within Reach (CWR), a firm serving nonprofits and government agencies. His consulting work has won an award in social innovation from the Obama White House, and he teaches strategic planning as a faculty member of American University’s School of International Service. Curtis is also a consulting professor at Duke Divinity School, a Senior Fellow at Fuller Theological Seminary, and a former senior pastor of an Evangelical Covenant Church in San Jose, California. He is the author of The After Party: Towards Better Christian Politics (with Nancy French), The Anxiety Opportunity: How Worry Is the Doorway to Your Best Self, and Engaging Unbelief: A Captivating Strategy from Augustine and Aquinas.
Brett Q. Ford (Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley) is a behavioral scientist and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, where she directs the Affective Science and Health Laboratory. Her research considers how people manage emotions and cope with stress, focusing on understanding the benefits and the costs of striving to feel good. In pursuing this work, she has published over 60 journal articles and book chapters and has been recognized with multiple early career awards.
Moderator: Taylor Blatchford, The Seattle Times
After Election Day
As an important election approaches, many voters are wondering: what happens on Wednesday, November 6? No matter which candidate is sworn in, there are fears that toxic polarization that has plagued much of our country will only increase as half of the United States celebrates and half mourns. Particularly between election day and inauguration day, what can we expect? Join us for this expert conversation with Justin Giboney of the AND Campaign and Sam Kang of Civics Learning Project to consider how we can best prepare ourselves for the day after Election Day – and how we can approach it with confidence and compassion rather than anxiety or fear.
Justin Giboney is an attorney and political strategist in Atlanta, GA. He is also the co-founder and president of the AND Campaign, a Christian civic organization. He served as the co-chair of Obama for America’s Gen44-Atlanta initiative, and in 2012 and 2016 Georgia’s 5th congressional district elected him as a delegate for the Democratic National Convention. Giboney also served on the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Board of Directors and has written op-eds for publications such as Christianity Today and The Hill.
Sam Kang is the Executive Director of Civics Learning Project, where he leads a statewide team of educators who prepare Oregon’s young people to become active, engaged, and informed participants in our democracy. Prior to joining CLP, Sam served in a variety of leadership and executive roles in government, politics, tech, organized labor, and nonprofit organizations. He has led numerous successful policy and advocacy campaigns on economic equity, environmental justice, transportation access, and consumer protection. As a lawyer, Sam has successfully litigated dozens of cases before regulatory agencies, saving billions of dollars for consumers. He also has a decade of experience advising and working on local, congressional and gubernatorial races. Sam is most proud of being a first generation American, and the son of immigrant parents who believed in the American Dream.
Moderator: Jayati Ramakrishnan, The Seattle Times
Moderators
Taylor Blatchford is an engagement reporter covering mental health at The Seattle Times. She focuses on bringing mental health reporting to community members through resource guides, live events and a series of contributed columns. She was previously a member of The Seattle Times’ investigative team, where her reporting exposed shortcomings in the state’s collection of money owed to wage theft victims. She holds a master’s degree in journalism education from Kent State University and a bachelor’s degree in investigative journalism from the University of Missouri.
Jayati Ramakrishnan joined the Seattle Times’ Mental Health Project in 2024. Her coverage areas include Western State Hospital and the broader behavioral health system. Before joining the Times, she spent five years at The Oregonian in Portland, where she covered transportation and housing. She also reported on the state psychiatric hospital and the intersection of mental health and criminal justice in Oregon. She began her career working at newspapers in rural Oregon, where she covered education, public safety and local government.
