BRAVER ANGELS AT WATERFORD

Below is a transcription of a speech given by Evie H. ’26 during an US Assembly in the fall of 2024.

Hello! My name is Evie H., and I am a Junior. I have been at Waterford since midway through fifth grade, and I joined Braver Angels as a freshman. I don’t have a special story about how I joined. I saw a poster and thought that would be cool and may help develop my discussion skills. Initially, I was mostly thinking about how good it would look on my college application. However, after my first event at American Heritage with other Waterford students, red and blue-leaning, all having fun together, I realized that it was so much more than what I expected. 

It wasn’t just a club or a line on my transcript. It was a way to learn from other people about themselves, and about myself. These would be people I would not normally engage in deep conversations with, about topics I would not normally be brave enough to talk about. Over the past few years, stereotypes of “the other side” have become more prevalent than ever before. We view with suspicion anyone who thinks differently than us or who identifies with a group that has different values than ours. That first event had us sitting together in a room, encouraging us to bring forth our unique perspective on life and on current subjects while learning how to listen respectfully to the other person presenting their point of view. We learned that we don’t have to agree with someone or think like them to have a conversation with them.

I was hooked. I did another workshop in 10th grade, and I loved it even more. Whether at this school or at another campus, I learned things about my peers and got closer to them, even if they were on the other side of the political spectrum. And as I learned about them, I learned about myself. I learned that when I debate, I need to listen to what the other side is saying. That many times in a discussion I spend more time when the other person is talking, thinking of my next point, and less time listening to their current point. 

This summer, I had the opportunity to go to the Braver Angel’s National Convention in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In a word, it was incredible. Anyone I talked to, no matter the topic, maintained civility, and I was able to have deep conversations about anything and everything. We were able to talk comfortably to each other, but also listen to each other. I learned things from them, and hopefully they learned things from me. Additionally, I met people with a wide range of accomplishments, from authors, to public speakers, to news hosts, to people in government positions. These were people seeking ways to have more diplomatic conversations with their colleagues. An interesting part of the convention was that we wore lanyards that showed which way we leaned politically. There was red for conservative, blue for liberal, and other colors for no affiliation or if one preferred not to say. However, rather than causing us to bunch together in our comfort zones, it led to us reaching out and talking to people who we knew would have a very different perspective. There were people of all ages and backgrounds, and a whole variety of topics to discuss or lectures to participate in. I went to speeches ranging from the risks and benefits of AI, to a debate about capitalism vs communism. One thing we all had in common, despite our differences, we were all there to engage in open and frank discussions.

One experience that stuck out to me was in the assembly we had on opening night. I was sitting there, listening to the opening speeches and looking to my left and right, not politically speaking, and there was someone with a red lanyard, and sitting right next to them would be someone with a blue lanyard. It was a sea of colors and they were scattered around, all focused on the central speaker. This was a moment of revelation to me. Watching the news, or watching politics, I would imagine that we would have all gathered in our respective groups initially, and only as the conference went on, would we break apart and form more diverse groups. I imagined this would have to be done with intention. Instead, naturally, we all came together to listen and formed one group, not divided by what makes us different, but united by what makes us the same. Our Humanity. 

One thing I noticed in others’ presentations, and even my own, was that everyone was overwhelmingly positive and very supportive. In the middle of speeches, we were allowed to tap on our chairs if we heard something we liked, to show support while not interrupting the speech too much. During every speech and argument I listened to, there was always one person in the crowd who would tap on a chair, if nothing else, to let the speaker know they were heard. More often than not, it was a chorus of these taps, and it was a truly uplifting experience to hear people supporting other people, no matter what side of the debate they took.

I use Braver Angels in my everyday life. From discussions at the dinner table to my friends in school, many times I am able to delve more deeply into a topic simply because both sides are civil. I would a thousand times over recommend doing Braver Angels, especially in such a politically divisive time. You will never regret being able to look back at a conversation and know that you listened to the other person, and you didn’t get aggressive in your conversation. Discussion isn’t always about convincing the other person, rather it can, and should be, about hearing them out and learning from them. So, before next Thanksgiving. Where you are dreading having that dinner conversation with Uncle Joe who believes in something you strongly disagree with. Instead of fearing that conversation, join Braver Angels now, and by Thanksgiving, have the skills to listen to him, while presenting your side… respectfully.