Our Dream Deferred

For our season finale, we're joined by Layla Zaidane, President and CEO of the largest nonpartisan organization of young lawmakers in the US, the Millennial Action Project (MAP). As we bring season 2 to a close, Zaidane brings an abundance mindset to help us all see a pathway to a more equitable future. As a millennial and a "third culture" American with ties to American culture and her parents; home country of Morocco, Zaidane emphasizes the need to work toward solutions to social challenges from a perspective that values and finds ways to connect across differences. Her approach, and that of MAP, centers on leveraging creativity and innovation to bring people to the table, build bridges, and provide spaces and platforms for Millennial and Gen Z leaders to lend their perspectives and co-create legislative solutions, strengthening our democratic institutions while modeling and inviting fuller engagement from all Americans. You can learn more about her work at www.millennialaction.org. ____ Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at [email protected]. Our Dream Deferred is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Nat Kendall-Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at the FrameWorks Institute. A long-time collaborator with the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), he introduces the insightful world of narrative framing and its potential power in driving cultural change. Be sure to listen to part 1 if you haven't already done so! ____ Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at [email protected]. Our Dream Deferred is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.

In this episode, part one in a two-part episode, we welcome Nat Kendall-Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at the FrameWorks Institute. A long-time collaborator with the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), he introduces the insightful world of narrative framing and its potential power in driving cultural change. Nat is an expert in psychological anthropology and communication science and describes for us what framing is, the science behind it, and how integral cultural mindsets are to understanding how we—as a society and as individuals—view the central issues that confront us today. Nat helps us understand how three prevailing mindsets in the United States too often trigger unproductive ways of thinking, hampering discussion and solutions. This conversation points to ways that learning how to frame an issue that evokes more productive cultural mindsets can enable all of us to better advocate for changes that help people reach their full potential. ____ Resources: https://beyondconflictint.org Renewing American Democracy: Navigating a Changing Nation - https://bit.ly/44C8BNL "Are we really as divided as we think? How dark forces are attempting to alienate us from our neighbours" - https://bit.ly/3sEQ1Y5 ____ Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at [email protected]. Our Dream Deferred is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.

We're joined by Dr. Crystal Hoyt, Professor of Leadership Studies and Psychology at the Jepson School of Leadership at the University of Richmond. Her scholarship looks at the intersection of human belief systems and social justice, and in this episode, she offers us a look into research she and colleagues have conducted that uncovers unseen influences on both individual thinking and on shared societal perspectives that in turn affect wealth inequality and poverty. Dr. Hoyt shares insights on how mindsets shape our understanding of social issues, offering a fresh perspective on the state of American economic inequality and poverty. During our time together, she also explains how mindsets impact what we believe is possible, including whether eliminating poverty is achievable. By helping us understand the different kinds of mindsets, and why understanding their distinctions matters, we can better advance anti-poverty policy solutions. ____ Resources discussed: Mindsets of Addiction: Implications for Treatment Intentions - https://bit.ly/3OCYUsd Believing in the American Dream Sustains Negative Attitudes toward Those in Poverty – https://bit.ly/3sa3bfs Growth Mindset Messaging in Stigma-Relevant Contexts: Harnessing Benefits Without Costs - https://bit.ly/3QFhQcL The Implications of Mindsets of Poverty for Stigma Against Those in Poverty - https://bit.ly/44aFPn1 ____ Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at [email protected]. Our Dream Deferred is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.

In this episode, we're joined by Lilliana Mason, Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University's SNF Agora Institute, and author of Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity. Bringing together her unique blended expertise in political science and social psychology, Lilliana (Lily) digs into the details behind partisan animosity and the disturbing increase in extreme partisanship, especially changing attitudes toward the use of violence in politics. Importantly, Lily's work is helping us understand how the study of intergroup conflict applies in politics. Her work shows that Americans have becoming increasingly "socially sorted," resulting in lives where we live, work, and engage almost exclusively with people who share our identities—and the ways this sorting leads to distrust and otherizing, dramatically shifting attitudes and beliefs about others outside of one's own political identity. Sorting—and what it does to us—limits our ability to compromise and build common ground. Through her research, she is equipping all of us with the knowledge imperative to ensuring our political parties can continue to be collaborators in our democracy. ____ Resources: Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity by Lilliana Mason - https://amzn.to/3KpG9Ya Radical American Partisanship: Mapping Violent Hostility, Its Causes, and the Consequences for Democracy by Nathan P. Kalmoe and Lilliana Mason - https://amzn.to/456IIpW ____ Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at [email protected]. Our Dream Deferred is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.