Courageous Citizenship: Bridging the Divide
2026-04-09 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | BigTent Zoom Room
What if the path out of America’s division starts with a constructive conversation?
Join the BigTentUSA community on April 9 at 12pm ET for a powerful and interactive TentTalk with Randy Freeman and Michael Asbury of Braver Angels, the nation’s largest cross-partisan volunteer movement working to bridge America’s political divide. Moderated by Jess Piper, Executive Director of Blue Missouri, they’ll walk us through the Braver Angels approach—a proven process that helps people engage across differences, listen with curiosity, and find unexpected common ground.
To help make this a more impactful experience, speakers ask that all attendees print out and complete a short questionnaire in advance and come prepared to reflect on your responses during the event. Don’t overthink it—go with the answers that feel right to you (no judgment).
You’ll hear real stories of communities healing deep political rifts and learn practical tools you can use to bring more productive, courageous conversations into your own life and community.
If democracy depends on us talking to each other, this is where we start. Join us.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Jess Piper is a mother to five and grandmother to three and lives on a small farm on the Missouri/Iowa border. She was born and raised in rural America. She was an American Literature teacher for 16 years. After the 2016 election of Trump, Jess became politically active. Jess ran for office in 2022 for State Representative in HD1 in Northwest Missouri. Jess writes a well known newsletter: The View from Rural Missouri
Randy Freeman is a retired psychotherapist and couples therapist who joined Braver Angels in 2017 because she was upset about the political divisiveness. She is presently the New York State Coordinator, an Ambassador and a moderator for the organization. Randy sees this as a continuation of her work as a couples therapist and sees her role as a therapist for the country.
Michael Asbury is the Co-Chair of the Capital Region of NY State Alliance of Braver Angels since 2020, one of over 125 such local Alliances across the USA. Serving with a Co-Chair of the opposite political persuasion, he guides the local mission of Braver Angels to bring Americans together by bridging the partisan divide to strengthen our democratic republic, and by seeking common ground where none was formerly known. Braver Angels works with all those answering the call for civic renewal.
