Our Voices Matter Podcast

This is the story of a self-described Mitt Romney Republican who voted for Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, wrote in Paul Ryan, and voted for Donald Trump. Do I have your attention? More so than almost any other conversation I've brought you in the last seven and half years, this one embodies the core mission of Our Voices Matter . I ask that you give my guest permission to speak his truth, and that y...

Do you find yourself asking the question “How did we get here?” Here’s another question for you: “What does it take to understand the behaviors that got us into this mess?” Regular listeners of  Our Voices Matter  will likely conclude that the mess I’m referring to is the chaos, anxiety, and  division in our country . And I am. But that’s not necessarily what this week’s guest had in mind when she...

Most people know  Donald Graham  as the former publisher of the Washington Post. These days he is Chairman Emeritus of Graham Holdings, a conglomerate whose operations include online, print and local TV news, among many other sectors. He is also Co-founder of  TheDream. US , the nation’s largest college scholarship provider to undocumented students. When the state of Texas recently announced a  re...

Keeping up with the Trump administration 2.0 is like drinking from a firehose. From dropping bombs on Iran — without Congress weighing in — to mass deportations by masked ICE agents, to DOGE taking a chainsaw to federal institutions — it’s a lot. A looming, ever present question: is any of it constitutional? Our first attempt at answering this question took place at a Civil Dialogues town hall in...

Government institutions dismantled. Federal workers fired by the thousands. The threat of mass deportations now reality. And the laws of the land now challenged by the president empowered with upholding them. No surprise that Trump 2.0 has anxious Americans seeking clarity on the U.S. Constitution and its role in shaping our nation’s future. On Thursday evening, March 6th, a national  Civil Dialog...

Now that we know who will occupy the White House for the next four years, the interest in emigrating from the US has skyrocketed. According to  Reuters , Google searches for “move to Canada” surged 1,270% in the 24 hours after the polls closed on the East Coast Tuesday. Similar searches about moving to New Zealand climbed nearly 2,000% while those for Australia jumped 820%. And a former guest on ...

Civil Dialogues  was honored to host our first town hall on energy at the opening ceremonies of  Houston Energy and Climate Week  on September 9, 2024. “We need to fight the changing climate, not each other.  We respect democracy, civil dialogue, diverse ideas, productivity, and pragmatism. ” That part of HECW’s Unity Commitment, guiding the week’s events, is in perfect alignment with the mission...

In recent weeks, the topic of race surfaced in a particularly ugly manner when former President Donald Trump said Vice President Kamala Harris “happened to turn black.” First of all, that’s not a thing. That being said, it did get the nation talking once again about that dreaded topic at the core of so much that ails us, but we refuse to confront openly and honestly. What would happen if we did? H...

As a child, I counted the days until my next birthday. Most of us did, tired of hearing “you’re not old enough to do that.” Then we hit a certain age, and all we want to do is roll back the clock. Pursue youth at all costs. Why is that? Who decided that young is good and old is bad? Why have we internalized it to our own detriment? And how do we reclaim aging as a positive force in our lives? My g...

As American school children, we learned it by heart, and recited it every day. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America…” But how often did we then, and do we now, think about the meaning behind the words? “…one nation. Under God. Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Indivisible What does it mean to be indivisible? It’s a question Denise Hamilton explores with in...

What is driving the recent conflict on college campuses? One obvious factor is reaction to the Israel-Hamas War. But my guest this week isn’t sure it’s quite that simple. As CEO of the non-profit, BridgeUSA, 25 year-old Manu Meel is in constant contact with students on more than 70 campuses across the country. The organization helps facilitate conversations among college and high school students w...

It’s been inspiring to see our friends in the LGBTQ+ community celebrate and be celebrated during Pride Month. Though, I must say I long for the day when we don’t need a specific month to acknowledge the humanity of those who are marginalized. No matter who we love, what our race, how we pray or how we identify, we matter. We are human. We belong. But until that day, I am grateful for each month t...

The eyes of the world are trained on Israel and Gaza like no time in recent memory. The horror of October 7th ignited a firestorm that will reverberate for generations to come. Yet, in the midst of unfathomable pain borne by families on both sides of the Israel Hamas War, there is an ongoing search for pieces of peace. Jewish and Arab Israelis working together toward a shared society. Even now. Es...