Proof we can overcome division (3rd story)

We found a school board that works!

Today we bring you the third story in our Week of Citizening.

If you’re just tuning in, you can catch:

• Our kickoff launch post

• The first story about libraries as civic powerhouses

• And yesterday’s story on radical democracy in the workplace

🛑 Today’s focus: working through division and polarization

Check out today’s story in this Instagram Reel. If you’d rather skip the Zuckerverse, here’s the LinkedIn version. And it’s worth seeing how Jon Alexander framed it on his LinkedIn because he quotes Brian Eno!

baratunde

A post shared by @baratunde

This is the story of Steph and Lance — a conservative and a liberal, neighbors in South Central Pennsylvania, and members of the same school board.

They were expected to toe their respective party lines. They chose relationship instead.

With the support of Urban Rural Action, they refused to play the polarization game. They leaned into active listening. They challenged assumptions. They did the hard work of staying in community — for the kids in their district.

Because when people invest in relationships, the “us vs. them” story begins to crack. And a better one takes root. This is what it looks like to citizen:

• Listen deeply

• Speak honestly

• Resist the pull to polarize

• Build something different — together

💬 Seen something like this in your community?

Have you witnessed unlikely allies finding common ground to move things forward?

Visit stories.howtocitizen.com, join our list, and let us know you have a story to share. You can also comment on this post, reply or tag us on IG/LinkedIn. These stories are everywhere — and we need them more than ever.

🎥 Video produced by Anne Gutteridge. This story series is a collaborative effort of Shira Abramowitz, Jon Alexander, Elizabeth Stewart, and Baratunde Thurston.

Let’s citizen!