Reaching Across the Political Aisle
Katrina Gehman
Howdy folks! You may recognize me as the violinist who shows up occasionally from out of state. I have been reflecting a lot lately on our grave national disconnect across the political aisle. So, I took the events of this year and the isolation as an opportunity to develop a campaign, which I just launched this past month.
The #BothBelong appreciation campaign is designed to reduce the severe political polarization in the United States, which is likely to exacerbate during the 2020 U.S. election cycle. This civic action/social media campaign is based on the premise that we cannot work together to solve our greatest challenges if we cannot first even have a civil conversation.
I have the audacity to believe that conservative folks and liberal folks both have something valuable to contribute to our nation. Both belong.
This campaign is personal to me because I know what it feels like to not fully belong anywhere. My mom grew up in Haiti. I learned more things about Haitian political history at home as a kid than U.S. political history. Growing up, the way that I felt on the inside did not match the way that I looked, and that was always confusing for me. When I studied abroad in West Africa in college (after obtaining special permission from my college to finish my French degree in Senegal instead of France), it was such a relief to me to finally look as different on the outside as I felt on the inside. Because of this incongruence in my own life, the conversation about racial identity this year in America has been somewhat challenging for me.
I usually avoid using the term “privilege” because it is easy for people to make assumptions that may or may not be true, or to shame people for factors beyond their control. Yet, if I have access to something that someone else in society does not have, I believe that I have the responsibility to use that for good. And so, in light of the international legacy I inherited from my mom, I pursued graduate studies in conflict transformation and consulted professionally in the security sector, analyzing trends in global peace and stability.
It is the job of a conflict analyst to look beyond people’s stated positions for or against something, beyond what people say that they believe, and search for the heart of the matter. I believe that underneath the yelling from people on the far left and the far right, there is a deep-seated fear that the United States will not be a safe place for them to belong.
The words we use, and the structure of our phrases, can either construct barriers or extend bridges. Our words can affirm the dignity and worth of our fellow humans or can cancel out their right to exist.
So, I invite you this election season to connect with others by reaching across the political aisle. You might be 100% correct about whatever you believe on a certain issue. Regardless, meet up with someone with whom you disagree politically, and instead of looking for all the ways that they are wrong (which they might be), see if you can find ANYTHING that you genuinely appreciate about them. And then join me, the day before the U.S. election (Monday, November 2nd), to post what you appreciate, using the hashtag #BothBelong.
This campaign is not an attempt to minimize or water down the very serious challenges facing our nation. Rather, it is based on extensive research into trends in global conflicts. I am convinced, from the many case studies I have examined around the world, that we cannot solve our greatest challenges if we do not start from a place of dignity. Demonization is counterproductive and ineffective.
In this time where many people feel powerless against the forces of the pandemic and systemic racism and wildfires sweeping across our nation, I am here to remind you that you have power. You have the power of VOICE. You can use your voice to build something beautiful.
I decided to use mine. Do you have the courage to use yours?
Follow #BothBelong on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BothBelong
Join the Depolarization Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bothbelongdepolarizationgroup
Katrina Gehman is a violinist, poet, linguist, world traveler, and conflict analyst with a vision for Inspiring Peace. She grew up in Morton, returned to Central Illinois after obtaining her B.A. in philosophy with anthropology and French at Wheaton College (when she started attending Imago), and then moved out of state to complete her M.A. in conflict transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University. She also holds a Certificate in French-to-English Simultaneous Interpreting from New York University. Her adorable orange cat is named Buster. Tune into her YouTube channel this fall for more practical peacebuilding tips and musical improvisation!