Civil Discourse

The problems and divides we see every day seem too big to solve. Politicians enrage us to fight. News media sensationalizes the worst extremes. And they all do this so well that we can't help but feel angry and disenchanted.

But we can do something about it. 

Enter Mismatch, a program by AllSides. We pair you with your political opposite so you can have a respectful conversation about hot-button issues. 

We built AllSides in part because we believe in the power of civility and civil discourse. AllSides helps people build relationships with those who are different from them, which we believe will ultimately improve our democracy.

But, could we be wrong? What if civility is actually a sham?

We often think of Thanksgiving as a time when we relax with family and friends, stuff ourselves silly — and maybe apologize for burning the casserole. But aside from all the revelry, Thanksgiving can also bring uncomfortable political conversations.

As I sat in the front row of Second Baptist Church of Boulder, Colorado waiting to be called up to join my fellow panelists, I found myself wondering what Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would think of this moment. On this Saturday morning, some fifty years after he was assassinated, members of two of the most historic congregations in town—one largely African American, the other largely with members of European descent—along with other citizens of this community, gathered together to both honor the legacy of Dr.

Minnesota has some of the worst gaps in educational attainment in the country. That’s not really news anymore. What may be news to people living outside the state, however, is the degree of ethnic and class segregation in our apparently progressive “best places to live” Twin Cities. Our extreme segregation is what inspired a handful of Minneapolitans from varying ethnic backgrounds to try hosting an intimate, honest conversation about race. The Living Room Conversations model provided a perfect format for this conversation.