Dave Isay of One Small Step talks about bridging the political divide in post-election America
COLUMBUS, Ga. ( WRBL ) — Dave Isay and the organization he founded, StoryCorps, has been working in Columbus with its newest project One Small Step. The goal? To get politically divided people to sit and talk with one another.
Wednesday, Isay visited a political communications class on Columbus State University's downtown campus. The class revolved around students discussing and sharing their thoughts and opinions surrounding President-Elect Donald Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, while Isay listened.
The atmosphere was emotional and intimate. Students shared deep and personal beliefs with one another throughout the class time. Isay says the conversations between political opposites are incredibly important right now.
"I would love to see people walk towards each other," Isay said. "You know, we've spent a lot of time calling each other names and in the history of humanity, calling someone a name has never changed their mind, has never had anything good come of it."
Columbus is one of three cities in the country – the other two are Richmond, Virginia and Wichita, Kansas – where One Small Step was launched. The idea behind the conversations is simple: it's hard to hate someone when you are face to face.
"So, Columbus plays a huge role. We had hundreds of cities to choose from across the country to pilot one small step to create a one small step city," Isay said. "And Columbus is one of three in the country. And, you know, it's partly because it's a big town that feels like a small town Everybody knows each other and people want to figure out how to get along. I mean, I think that Columbus has the potential to lay the tracks to show the country like this is how we can see each other as human beings across the political divide."
Now, one day after an election most would call contentious and consequential, Isay is emphasizing communication.
If you would like to sign up for the One Small Step conversations visit: storycorps.org/discover/onesmallstep/columbus .
