We continue with our series of recommendations from nonprofit leaders of books, podcasts, TV shows, and movies.
A former Republican strategist driving across the country in an RV. The mother of Heather Heyer, who was killed in the 2017 march in Charlottesville, Va. A champion for a third party in American politics. These are some of the protagonists of The Reunited States, a 2020 documentary about people exploring the country’s divisions — and what might bring people together. It’s recommended by Liz Vogel, co-executive director of the New Pluralists funder collaborative.
“This documentary follows real Americans who are bridging divides in their families, workplaces, and communities,” she says. “It shows that building trust and understanding isn’t just possible, it’s already happening in many corners of the country. It is an accessible, hopeful way to see pluralism in action through lived experiences.”
Coming Soon: Tim Shriver Joins The Commons
In an age when the nation’s leaders routinely label opponents as “evil,” can we find a way to disagree better?
Tim Shriver believes we can. In recent years, the chairman of Special Olympics International has turned his attention to the idea that division in America is not the result of our differences. Rather, he thinks it’s a byproduct of how we treat each other when we disagree. Shriver is the co-creator of the Dignity Index, which ranks rhetoric — particularly that of politicians — on a scale to measure the contempt or respect we show one another.
Shriver joins Chronicle of Philanthropy deputy opinion editor Nandita Raghuram to talk about the index and how demeaning discourse deepens our polarization and increases the risk for violence.
Register now for this free, live event on LinkedIn on Tuesday, September 23, at 12 p.m. ET.
The Commons has spotlighted how language can divide us — and bring us together. Now comes a controversy over a proposal by the centrist group Third Way to put aside 44 words commonly used in progressive ranks — and in the nonprofit world.
The proposal. In a memo addressed to “All Who Wish to Stop Donald Trump and MAGA” but that is chiefly aimed at policymakers, the group says it aims to spotlight language that “puts a wall between us [Democrats] and everyday people of all races, religions, and ethnicities.” Among the terms it called problematic: “privilege,” “centering,” “small-d democracy,” “safe space,” and “LGBTQIA+.”
Activists to blame. Third Way says policymakers too often shy from “authentic language that voters understand” because it “rebounds badly among many activists and advocacy organizations. These activists and advocates may take on noble causes, but in doing so they often demand compliance with their preferred messages.”
Jeers. On Instagram, one critic declared the list “a sign that we’re backsliding into a devolved, uncivilized culture.” Gay-rights advocates argued the list dehumanized them; an editorial in a news outlet for San Francisco’s LGBTQ community said “safe space” is “not doublespeak for anything; we actually mean a place where queers feel safe, like a community center or event.”
Impact? Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of the Pod Save America podcast and former senior adviser to President Obama, endorsed the list but cautioned those who believe Democrats about the “Magic Words Fallacy”: the belief that if “we can just find the perfect phrase — or eliminate the offending ones — the door will swing open and voters will flood back. It’s an appealing idea because it makes losing feel like a simple marketing problem rather than a deep structural one.”
