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BRI Hits the Road to Promote Civil Discourse

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by Ally Silva on

<p><em>Photo: Bill of Rights Institute President and CEO David Bobb greets attendees at a BRI-hosted forum on civics education and civil discourse in Grand Rapids, Mich. </em></p>

<p>Even though “polarization” remains a popular buzzword in American society, there are still organizations and individuals who believe in the value of civil discourse and discussing our differences with respect.</p>

<p>The Bill of Rights Institute is one of them and takes several steps to promote civility. Last month, BRI President David Bobb submitted an editorial to the Cleveland Plain Dealer discussing the importance of civil discourse in education and how it can help address polarization.</p>

<p>“We must show students something better, and that is where civil discourse can be powerful,” Bobb <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2023/01/the-road-to-civil-discourse-runs-through-our-schools-david-j-bobb.html">wrote in his editorial</a>.</p>

<p>“Civil discourse is about discussing differences with respect and empathy, listening for understanding, and having the humility to acknowledge that reasonable people may hold different viewpoints,” he added. “[Most] importantly, civil discourse is not about eliminating disagreement, but managing it productively.”</p>

<p>Bobb also moderated a forum in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich., on Election Day last year. He and more than 75 other educators, students, business leaders, and concerned community members assembled to discuss how to restore more civility to our national discourse.</p>

<p>The forum, <em>Overcoming Division: Can Civics Help Unite America?,</em> was the latest event hosted by BRI to focus on the crucial role civics education can play in advancing civil discourse.</p>

<p>The forum was held at the former Ladies’ Literary Club, a designated Michigan Historic Site, and emceed by BRI Chief Program Officer Stan Swim. The forum featured an impressive list of speakers committed to advancing respectful, open dialogue, including:</p>

    • Doug Devos, Co-Chair of the Amway Board of Directors and co-founder of the Doug and Maria DeVos Foundation
    • Greg Lukianoff, President, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)
    • Nichelle Pinkney, veteran educator and co-author of Civil Discourse: Classroom Conversations for Stronger Communities
    • Jeffrey Rosen, President, National Constitution Center

<p>BRI, which emphasizes viewpoint diversity and civil discourse in its curricula, works with individuals and organizations around the country to advance civil discourse as a crucial component of civics education.</p>

<p>BRI also partnered with the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark., in September of last year for a panel discussion titled <em>Critical Conversations: Civic Friendship, Divisive Topics, and Democratic Discourse.</em></p>

<p>That discussion was led by Bobb and also featured Danielle Allen, director of the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University; Ashley Berner, director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and an associate professor of education; and Jessica Culver, a history, economics, and civics teacher at Ozark High School in Ozark, Ark.</p>

<p>Culver stressed that many of her students are actually hungry to move past polarization and toward more civility in political discourse.</p>

<p>“I think most high school students today–and I think other teachers would agree–are actually very tired of the negativity and don’t want that for their generation,” she said.</p>

<p>Berner stressed the importance of viewpoint diversity and open engagement, saying, “to raise the next generation of citizens, we have to be able to know what people think and what they believe.”</p>

<p>“The best case is one in which a range of opinions come into the conversation, and we start by listening for understanding,” Allen added. “Our first job as a learner is to say back to someone else what we think they said.”</p>

<p>In June of last year, BRI hosted a civics forum in Denver that featured speakers from FIRE, Braver Angels (a national nonprofit committed to civil discourse), and Hanna Skandera, the current CEO of the Daniels Fund and former Secretary of Education for New Mexico. BRI offers numerous additional classroom resources for teaching and practicing civil discourse, <a href="https://billofrightsinstitute.org/search?q=civil%20discourse">which can be accessed on the BRI website</a>.</p>