Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Episode 291 โ Featuring Joni Bryan of The 917 Society In this episode, Wilk sits down with Joni Bryan, Founder & Executive Director of The 917 Society, an organization dedicated to inspiring the next generation with a personal connection to the U.S. Constitution. Joni shares how a simple question โ โHave you ever read the Constitution?โ โ evolved into a nationwide effort to provide every 8th-grade student with a free pocket Constitution and the Declara...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Bridge Grades & the Fight Against Toxic Polarization This week, Wilk is joined by Brad Porteus, founder of BridgeGrades.org, to discuss the pervasive issue of toxic political polarization and identity politics in America. Brad shares his experience of returning to the U.S. after 14 years abroad, seeing a "stark" difference and feeling "mad" about the decay of the civic fabric. The conversation delves into the dangers of the outrage economy that profits...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Episode 289 | Guest: Jim Robb, Vice President of Alliances at Numbers USA Immigration is one of Americaโs most polarizing debatesโbut what happens when lifelong political opponents choose conversation over combat? Wilk Wilkinson sits down with Jim Robb of Numbers USA to discuss his organizationโs collaboration with Braver Angels on the Citizens Commission on Immigration. Together they explore: โ How employer exploitation drives illegal labor m...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Lura Forcum: The Pleasure of Outrage vs. The Cost of Division Outrage is addictiveโbut understanding it may be our way out. Wilk Wilkinson welcomes Lura Forcum, president of The Independent Center and co-host of We Made This Political, for a fascinating conversation about political schadenfreudeโthe pleasure we feel when our opponents suffer. Drawing from her background in consumer and social psychology, Lura explains how this emotion drives todayโs ...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฟ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ก๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐: ๐๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ Wilk Wilkinson is joined by Phelosha Collaros, Vice President at St. Johnโs College and founder of DepolarWise.com. Her familyโs story in Colombiaโs La Violencia reveals what happens when political conflict becomes personalโand how humanity can still prevail. Together they explore the roots of polarization, how conflict entrepreneurs profit from outrage, and what it takes to rebuild trust and community ...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Episode 286 โ Michael Sodini | Walk The Talk America In this episode, Wilk Wilkinson sits down with Michael Sodini, founder of Walk The Talk America (WTTA) โ an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between mental health and responsible gun ownership. They discuss the stigma that keeps people from seeking help, the impact of suicide prevention programs like Cause of Pause, and how the firearms community is stepping up to promote mental health awarenes...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Faith 250 โ A Clergy-Led Celebration of our Shared Civic Story What if the 250th anniversary of Americaโs founding became more than fireworks โ what if it became a spiritual renewal of our shared civic story? In this episode, Wilk sits down with Rabbi Michael Holzman and Pastor Becca Messman to explore Faith 250, a multi-faith initiative uniting clergy and congregations across the nation. Through storytelling, vulnerability, and sacred text study, Faith 25...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! "In Defense of Christian Patriotism " โ DTH Episode 284 with Daniel Darling What does it mean to love both God and country without falling into the trap of Christian nationalism? In this episode, Wilk is joined by author Daniel Darling to talk about his new book In Defense of Christian Patriotism. Together they explore: The vital difference between Christian patriotism and Christian nationalismWhy forced religion is dangerous to both church and stateHow Am...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Affirming Identity, Building Community, and Cultivating Leadership In this episode of Derate The Hate, Wilk Wilkinson sits down with Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatumโrenowned psychologist, author, and president emerita of Spelman Collegeโto discuss the challenges and opportunities facing higher education in todayโs polarized climate. Dr. Tatum shares insights from her groundbreaking work on race and identity development, her bestselling book Why Are All the Black ...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Speaking Out With Courage When It Matters Most In this episode of Derate The Hate, Wilk Wilkinson sits down with Jennifer Sey โ author, filmmaker, business executive, athlete, and outspoken advocate for children and women. Jenโs story spans from the highs of being a national champion gymnast to the lows of enduring โ and later exposing โ an abusive system in her sport. She courageously told the world in her 2008 memoir Chalked Up and later co-produced Netf...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Leadership Beyond the Checklist: How โBeingโ Leaders Create Value and Navigate Complexity What does it really mean to become betterโnot just at what we do, but in who we are? In this episode, Iโm joined by Dr. Ryan Gottfredson, a best-selling author and leadership professor whose work has transformed the way we think about growth. Ryan explains why most leadership training focuses too much on โdoingโ and not enough on โbeingโโand how that shift makes all t...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Coaching Beyond the Game: Football as a Platform for Healing, Accountability & Social Progress This week, we kicked off the 2025 NFL season โ and what better time to explore how youth football can be so much more than just a game? Host Wilk Wilkinson sits down with Coaches Jim Place and Al Powell, the co-founders of the Miami Valley Football Coaches Associationโs Social Justice seven-on-seven tournament in Dayton, Ohio. Itโs not about Xโs and Oโs...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Common Ground from the Ground Up: Humility, Healing & Rethinking Our Politics In this episode of Derate The Hate, Wilk sits down with Nathan Smolenskyโauthor of Common Ground from the Ground Up. Nathan brings a unique perspective shaped by his upbringing in a family of Soviet immigrants and his experience working with Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike. Together, they explore how humility, introspection, and storytelling can help us b...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! From Rooftop to Roadwork: Faith, Dignity and the Walk Across America Pastor Corey Brooks โ known to many as the Rooftop Pastor โ is back on Derate The Hate with a story thatโs nothing short of incredible. What began years ago with a bold stand on a rooftop has grown into Project Hoodโs 90,000-square-foot community center, now halfway complete on Chicagoโs South Side. This isnโt just a building. Itโs a lifeline โ with trade schools, culinary arts pro...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! On the Road with US United: How Sheriffs Spark Community Connection In this episode of Derate The Hate, Iโm joined by Adam Mizel, Co-Founder and CEO of Us United, for a conversation that gets right to the heart of how communities heal. Adam and his team are literally on the road, traveling across America to meet with sheriffs, local leaders, and everyday citizens. Their mission? To spark conversations, rebuild trust, and remind us that unity is still possi...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Bridging Racial Divides Through Sacred, Selfish & Shared Action โ DTH Episode 276 with Rev. Dr. Terrlyn L. Curry Avery Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of the Beloved Community โ a vision of reconciliation, redemption, and shared humanity. This week, Wilk is joined by Rev. Dr. Terrlyn L. Curry Avery (โDr. TLCโ), a groundbreaking โpastologistโ who unites the worlds of psychology and ministry to lead transformative conversations on race, leadership, and ...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Courageous Connections: Embracing Pluralism Amidst American Populism In this Derate The Hate bonus episode, host Wilk Wilkinson sits down with fellow Braver Angels Ibrahim Anli and Will Harwood for a powerful discussion on cultural and religious pluralism in the face of American populism. They explore what it means to be American in todayโs polarized climate and the importance of courageous connections in embracing diversity. Ibrahim, an immigrant to...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! DTH Episode 275 with Neil Ghosh โ Purpose, Empathy, and Engaged Citizenship This week, Wilk is joined by Neil Ghosh - author, executive, and social impact strategist, for a powerful conversation on purpose, empathy, and building a meaningful legacy. From the immigrant experience to small acts of micro-altruism, Neil shares personal stories and actionable insights that remind us why active participation in democracy and community is more important tha...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Episode 274: Reigniting Purpose Through Gratitude & Legacy with Dean Taylor In this episode, Wilk is joined by Dean Taylor for a powerful discussion on how gratitude, personal accountability, and intentional mindset shifts can transform your life. Dean opens up about rediscovering his purpose after years of feeling stuck, inspired by the dream his father never got to fulfill. They explore the power of morning routines, the Miracle Morning frame...
Send Wilk a text with your feedback! Can community service heal what politics has broken? This week, Wilk sits down with Chip Webster, founder of Unity in Service, for a powerful conversation about bridging divides through action, not outrage. From the rise of cancel culture to the erosion of trust in democracy, Chip offers a bold vision for rebuilding unityโone citizen at a time. ๐ฌ Key themes: The lost art of responsible citizenshipHow volunteering fosters empathy and shared purposeThe trans...