Inequalities in the education system affect more than just students’ grades. These inequalities impact every aspect of the lives of many black students attending their government-zoned schools. But new efforts around the country to turn school choice into a cultural movement are bringing hope to many families, students, and black entrepreneurs. On this episode of...
At Civil Squared, we’re optimists, and we’re looking forward to 2022! In order to make 2022 a better year, we revisited some of the best ideas we heard in 2021 because we think you’ll be able to apply them in the new year and beyond. Through the course of last year, we talked to interesting...
While extreme polarization is on everyone’s mind these days, what if that is just a distraction keeping people from seeing the real problem: that Americans are losing our ability to self-govern. And we don’t even realize it’s happening. On this episode of the Civil Squared podcast, host Jennifer Thompson is joined by Tony Woodlief, Author...
Stressful and contentious conversations can ruin the holidays. That is why so many people intentionally avoid engaging in real conversation altogether and instead just stick to making small talk. And while that may be okay for a while, it can cause us to miss out on new perspectives, new points of view, and new opportunities...
When it comes to leaving prison, there are two phases: reentry – which is simply leaving prison; and reintegration – which involves a community-wide approach to helping the formerly incarcerated have true mental freedom. On this episode of the Civil Squared podcast, host Jennifer Thompson is joined by Tony Kitchens, a board member of Georgia...
Bridging divides is not about being on the same page; it’s about being able to disagree well. And it all relies on one very important foundation: a trusting relationship. On this episode of the Civil Squared podcast, host Jennifer Thompson is joined by founder and CEO of The Village Square, Liz Joyner, to discuss the...
Credible news can inform individuals and help bring communities together. But faith in the media is at one of the lowest levels of all time. The Factual is doing something about it. On this episode of the Civil Squared podcast, host Jennifer Thompson is joined by co-founder and CEO of The Factual, Arjun Moorthy, to...
The impetus to look forward is an American mode of dealing with ugly truths. It’s part of the optimism of America. But we won’t be able to move forward if we don’t deal with the past in the present. On this episode of the Civil Squared podcast, host Jennifer Thompson is joined by Dr. Colleen Murphy to discuss the topic...
The high economic and human costs of incarceration affect families and communities across America. In this episode of the Civil Squared podcast our guests Grant Callen, founder and CEO of Empower Mississippi, and Rebecca Painter, vice president of State Policy Network, discuss several efforts from across the ideological spectrum addressing sky-high incarceration rates. Hear about...
When someone commits a crime, serves their time, and gets out of prison, they face a daunting statistic: within 3 years of their release, 2 out of 3 people are rearrested and more than 50% are incarcerated again. Michelle Cirocco is doing something about it. Our guest, Michelle Cirocco, Chief Social Responsibility Officer for Televerde, joins this...
For many Americans, police issues have become their proxies for political and cultural fights. Whether people identify with the Back the Blue movement or Defund the Police movement, when they approach criminal justice reform and crime reduction through their “identity screens,” they are doing more harm than good. On this episode of the Civil Squared...
What do you get when you bring together a bunch of conservatives and liberals with Justine Lee? Chopped carrots, massaged kale, mixed dressing, and new perspectives that can lead to more mutually beneficial solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. If you want to be seen as a collaborative, thoughtful leader—whether in your community, in your...
Big challenges in society require big investments. However, quite often the institutions we rely on to fund these big solutions work slowly and cautiously and, as we’ve seen through the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of moving slowly can sometimes be deadly. What if there’s a better way? Our guest on the podcast, Dr. Shruti Rajagopalan,...
In September of 2019, 526 Americans, representing the demographic and political diversity of the country, got together in small groups to discuss policy issues. Both sides were presented a common set of facts for a discussion moderated by experts. For four days they deliberated everything from climate policy to immigration and beyond. And then they...
There are many challenging issues to talk about in American society, but those that involve race are among the most charged. For many there is anger, confusion, uncertainty, and a fear of doing harm or being harmed. Rather than participating in a conversation, many people avoid it or come armed for an argument. The tension...
If you want to be on the road to a flourishing life in America today, that first step on the ladder is a college degree. It’s become a standard pre-requisite for most well-paying jobs in the country and the hope for parents everywhere who want their kids to succeed. We believe a good education is...
We hear about the “crisis” at the border all the time in the news. Every president in recent history has struggled politically with what to do with the surges of people trying to immigrate to the US, primarily over its southern border. And most Americans today have opinions about immigration policy but are less knowledgeable...
Outside of a global pandemic, there’s a lot of general frustration with how our healthcare system works. It’s not surprising that the pressures of the pandemic put incredible stress on an already fraught system. So, what did we do in response to that pressure? Did we learn anything from that pressure that we can take into making...
Through 2020 and entering into 2021, our society has faced some pretty spectacular challenges. Many of them brought on by COVID-19. Some of them brought on by challenges we’ve created for ourselves through decisions we made generations ago, the consequences of which are now coming to a head. Younger Americans face challenges in employment, housing, and health...
In our increasingly divided society, speaking your mind is costly. Saying what you think could cost you relationships, it could cause you to lose your reputation and the respect of your social circles, or your livelihood. It’s easy to see why many of us choose to keep our mouths shut, rather than risk spreading possibly controversial thoughts around. But what...