Bridging Divides: A Celebration of Civic Unity in North Carolina

This weekend, I thought a lot about the Langston Hughes poem “Let America Be America Again” where he writes:

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

The room was packed with over 70 folks who showed up to celebrate the American political process founded on values of civility and democracy. We were there for Civic Saturday, a program of Citizen University that brings together folks from across the political spectrum for a service of celebration around civic unity.

We heard from civic pioneers, elected officials, scholars, poets, songwriters, dreamers, and students who came together in support of a better way forward.

In an era where political tensions often feel like an unbridgeable chasm, this remarkable event offered a refreshing and hopeful vision of democratic engagement. It felt like a rare opportunity where a country was united and everyone in the room, despite having differences of conviction and belief, was hopeful that America could be America again.

Civic Saturday wasn’t just another conference—it was a powerful demonstration of how Americans can come together, despite our differences, to celebrate our shared values and commitment to community.

For those feeling discouraged by political polarization, this gathering offered a blueprint for hope. It showed that meaningful civic engagement isn’t about winning arguments, but about creating spaces where understanding can flourish.

I had the opportunity to speak in-depth with Michael Cooper, who had the dream for this event and served as its lead organizer. Michael is a journalist and attorney from the North Carolina foothills who now lives in Raleigh and has an impressive list of credentials: a Community Advisor for Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute, a 2020 Civic Saturday Fellow, and a 2020 Presidential Leadership Scholar, a fellowship program hosted by the George W. Bush Center, the Clinton Center, the George & Barbara Bush Foundation, and the LBJ Foundation, a 2024 Obama USA Leader.

What inspired this idea? 

I grew up in the foothills of North Carolina where mom was a school teacher and our family owned a used bookstore on Main Street. That place sparked a curiosity about the world and an interest in civics and being involved in the community.

That’s always been a part of my life and then in 2020 I was fortunate to participate in the Civic Saturday Fellowship hosted by Citizen University. Their mission as a non-profit is to build a culture of powerful, responsible citizenship across the country. They design gatherings, workshops, and rituals for people who are looking for ways to strengthen civic culture in their own community. Civic Saturdays are a part of that. Civic Saturday gatherings are designed to be an antidote to the divisions of today and the feelings of apathy, despair, or disconnection. They function like an analogue to a faith gathering (music, fellowship, food, remarks, a civic text or two) with the purpose of deepening connection and belief, in this case that belief is in democracy.

I hosted two Civic Saturdays back during the pandemic in my hometown of North Wilkesboro. But after moving to Raleigh in 2023 I was interested in convening a Civic Saturday in this area and doing it in person. I was lucky to then be connected with you.

There is a trend where folks are saying that they’re option out of Thanksgiving with their families based on their political differences and fear of conflict around the dinner table. Could you offer some practical steps and wisdom about navigating these moments? 

The best advice I have is to do your best. There are plenty of folks out there cutting ties with friends and loved ones and plenty of how-to articles on the internet for winning the argument with your family if you do show up for Thanksgiving. That’s not helpful. I’m a progressive leaning college graduate from a small town in Appalachia. My family, my friends, my networks, are spread across today’s divides and I haven’t wanted to lose those relationships. That hasn’t been easy though. But it’s important. I encourage people to treat Thanksgiving like what it’s supposed to be, a day of giving thanks. That can be hard these days. But that’s why it’s all the more important.

I love civics. I love history. I’m a political nerd and a political junkie. But I do not like talking about politics at the Thanksgiving dinner table. My advice is to avoid it. Not to try to start and win a discussion about the election or the issue of the day. Talk about the family, find out about your cousins, your niece, your nephew. Argue about football. We spend too much time talking about politics in our society today and not enough time building real bonds of family and community. That’s where we need to do the work, however hard.

Most of the conversation around civility is focused on interpersonal relationships and communication. Who are the organizational leaders making a difference in this space that folks might connect with? 

That starts with our sponsors for the Civic Saturday. Citizen University is a great resource for ideas and materials for hosting civic gatherings. The Listen First Project is helping to spark dialogue and understanding. So is Braver Angels. And we are thankful to the Institute for Political Leadership and the Institute for Emerging Issues for supporting this work through Civic Saturday. Check out those organizations. Volunteer locally with Activate Good. Subscribe to The Assembly in North Carolina to stay informed. Find ways to be a civic leader yourself. Because that’s what civics are all about, our duties and obligations of being a citizen and living in a community.

Looking ahead a bit, is there a future for events like these in the Triangle?

Yes! We hope that Civic Saturday in the Triangle sparked new ideas and connections. And we will be building on them. YMCA & Government had a speaker and representation at Civic Saturday and that could be a good place to start. We want to keep the conversation going because we need to keep the conversation going.

If other folks are looking to plan an event like this in their community, how do they begin? 

Check out Civic Saturdays. Connect with Citizen University to host one. Check out the Braver Angels Alliance of Central North Carolina. They are always putting together good programming. Find some friends and some other civic minded folks and pick a date.

Any advice you’d like to give to these potential event organizers? 

Start early. Find a good host organization or two to recruit participants. Start simple. Make it engaging. We had tremendous programming but could have allowed more time at the end for the table conversations because it seemed like folks were really enjoying those. We had food catered but a pot-luck would have been cool too. We had ambitious ideas and goals and this Civic Saturday was a success. But the best way to do one is to start small, at a church or a library or a local civic organization. Build out from there. The connections made and the spirit and energy of the day are the most important elements.

We’d like to thank our sponsors and partners for making this event possible: America’s Future, Institute for Emerging Issues at NCSU, NC Institute of Political Leadership, American Conservation Coalition, Listen First Project, Braver Angels , The YMCA ,Citizen University, Activate Good.

Readers interested in hosting a similar event can find the full conference program here.