By Michael V. Rodriguez. Reprinted from Huffington Post. At 6 am as coffee attempts to dominate sleepiness I find a fitting state of mind to recall last night’s Living Room Conversation about

By Serena Witherspoon. Reprinted from Huffington Post. I ride my bike to school. When you enter Sproul Plaza (the entrance point at the South Side of the UC Berkeley campus) there

By Rev. Linda Taylor. Reprinted from Huffington Post. I just discovered that the thing I love best about Living Room Conversations is purely selfish. Living Room Conversations ring a lot of my bells. I

By John Kesler. Reprinted from Huffington Post. Maturity is one important lens for assessing progress in developing a healthier American democracy both in terms of competent citizenship and effective leadership. This

By Joan Blades. Reprinted from Huffington Post. I don’t know anyone that is pro Nazi or pro White Supremacist.  I also don’t know anyone that is against freedom of speech. There

By Joan Blades. Reprinted from Huffington Post. I don’t know anyone that is pro Nazi or pro White Supremacist.  I also don’t know anyone that is against freedom of speech. There

By Jacob Hess. Reprinted from Huffington Post. The floods in Houston last week were described by the Washington post as “rainfall of Biblical proportions.” If not Biblical, they were certainly momentous, as the “most extreme

By Rodney Ferguson. Reprinted from Huffington Post. I’m going to let you guys in on a secret: Oakland, Ca, despite its reputation, has many nice neighborhoods and beautiful homes. My last Living

By Rev. Erik Swanson. Reprinted from Huffington Post. One of the intriguing conversations that underlies some of the political unrest over the last several weeks and months is the question of

By Billy Binion. Reprinted from Huffington Post.  It’s rare that people across the political aisle find common ground on much of anything these days. Health care, tax law, abortion, gun rights, and

By Susan Abahazy. Reprinted from Huffington Post. I held my first Community Energy Conversation after a brainstorming meeting about how to  contact diverse groups of people and invite their participation.  I decided that my neighbors

By the Rev. Marian Edmonds-Allen and Derek Monson. Reprinted from Huffington Post. What do advocates for LGBT rights and religious freedom have in common? According to science, both have a tendency toward prejudice and

By Mary Gaylord. Reprinted from Huffington Post. Last week I had the pleasure of experiencing a Living Room Conversation via video technology on the topic of Faith and Religion in Society. I have

By Serena Witherspoon. Reprinted from Huffington Post. Spring semester 2017 at UC Berkeley followed the precedent of tension that was set after Trump’s inauguration in the Fall. The presence of the ‘Trump’

By Pearce Godwin. Reprinted from Huffington Post. While celebrating Independence Day, I reflected on the current condition of America. There’s not much we can all agree on these days, but on

By Randy L. Langford. Reprinted from Huffington Post. My study of, and experience in, our society’s “justice” system has led me to believe it’s functioning as intended. I don’t believe we

By Kent Lenci. Reprinted from Huffington Post. About two years ago, I found myself wandering the streets of Birmingham, Alabama. The city was eerily deserted on a Sunday evening, and I

By Billy Binion. Reprinted from Huffington Post. If you’ve tuned into the news at all within the last year, you’re aware of at least one thing – the political climate has

By Mary Gaylord. Reprinted from Huffington Post My father is a conservative, mid-western man of great principle. He is a practicing Catholic, a devoted husband, and he’s the first person I

By Beth Raps. Reprinted from Huffington Post. Exactly one week ago, I hopped on a video call without much expectation except to learn more about Living Room Conversations. As our new

By Debilyn Molineaux. Reprinted from Huffington Post. Like many people, I grew up in a dysfunctional family with an alcoholic adult. I was in a constant power struggle with my step-parent

By Sharon V. Kristjanson. Reprinted from Huffington Post. I hosted a Living Room Conversation for the first time and was delighted with the outcome. We were six people from different walks of life,

By Sabrina Moyle. Reprinted from Huffington Post. A month ago, a friend invited to meet Ken Starr. I am politically progressive on most issues and live in San Francisco. I said

By Brandy Mello. Reprinted from Huffington Post.  With the shift in the American political climate, a slew of controversial speakers are gaining widespread attention. They’ve always had the platform, but the

By Debilyn Molineaux. Reprinted from Huffington Post. Have you felt it? That societal agitation resulting in more stress, conflict and stubbornness? I have. All inside myself. I find myself avoiding news, certain

By Mary Gaylord. Reprinted from Huffington Post. “If America is to be saved, it won’t be because we are us. It won’t be because some columnist wrote soothing words. It will

By Debilyn Molineaux. Reprinted from Huffington Post. Sitting here on a rare sunny day in the Pacific Northwest, I stop to reflect on life…and death. It’s been a long winter followed by