Braver Angels
American nonprofit organization
Braver Angels (formerly Better Angels) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to political depolarization. The organization runs workshops, debates, and other events where "red" (conservative) and "blue" (liberal) participants attempt to better understand one another's positions and discover their shared values.
The organization says it is the "largest, grassroots, bipartisan organization in America dedicated to reviving the communal spirit of American democracy" and that its "method involves bringing politically diverse people together in small groups to listen empathetically to each others' perspectives."
Founding
Braver Angels was founded by David Blankenhorn, Bill Doherty, and David Lapp shortly after the 2016 United States presidential election. The organization's original Better Angels name was inspired by Abraham Lincoln's plea for national unity at the close of his first inaugural address:We must not be enemies. ... The mystic chords of memory ... will yet swell the chorus of the Union when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. The name was changed to Braver Angels in 2020 pursuant to a trademark infringement suit.
National conventions
Braver Angels says it seeks to build a national movement and has sponsored conventions for its members across the United States since 2018. For its first convention, in June 2018, Braver Angels selected 72 conservative and 72 liberal delegates.
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Chronology, provenance and viewpoint should be read together before a broad social or political interpretation is accepted. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q104844791. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2016, 2020 and 2018.
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