“Bridging is a practice where members of different social groups are not only brought into contact, but build social connections and rapport.”-john powell

“It's not perfect. It's not hypothetical. It's not something you can do all the time. But I think in terms of the kind of world that we are trying to bring into existence, bridging, until we fully realize that we are connected, bridging is necessary.” –john powell

“Bridges are made to be walked on.” -bell hooks

In this episode, Ellen talks with Jen Ford Reedy, president of the Bush Foundation, about john powell's book, The Power of Bridging. They explore the concepts shared in the book and their application to working across rural, urban, and suburban communities.

The Bush Foundation is offering free copies of john's book to anyone in their grantmaking region—Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. Request your copy here.

Episode Highlights:
03:03 Bush Foundation's Book Club and Its Impact

14:44 Rural and Urban Dynamics

20:08 Bush Foundation's Approach to Bridging

30:29 Challenges and Skills in Bridging

37:46 Optimism and Cultural Change

43:02 The Necessity of Bridging for Change

More Information:

https://www.bushfoundation.org/people/jen-ford-reedy/
https://belonging.berkeley.edu/
https://obiu.org/course/bridging-bookclub
https://communityactionpartnership.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/john-powell.pdf

https://belonging.berkeley.edu/practice-bridging

https://standtogether.org/

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu. We share your feedback with funders and stakeholders about the value of this podcast and how you engage with the insights and information.

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Ellen talks with john a. powell about his book, The Power of Bridging, and the concept of bridging and the importance of recognizing our interconnectedness. john explains the harmful practices of breaking and othering and explores the bridging necessary for rural, urban, and suburban communities. john also shares ways individuals and leaders can foster a bridging mindset.

Please Note:
The Bush Foundation is offering free copies of john's book,The Power of Bridging to anyone in their grantmaking region—Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. Request your copy here.

More Information:
john a. powell Bio, https://belonging.berkeley.edu/john-powell
Othering and Belonging Institute, https://belonging.berkeley.edu/
Belonging Without Othering: How We Save Ourselves and the World, https://belonging.berkeley.edu/belonging-without-othering
Belonging Without Othering Podcast with john a. powell and Stephen Menendian, https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-belonging-without-othering

Episode Highlights:
04:20 The Reality of Interconnectedness

11:59 Defining Othering and Breaking

18:41 The Consequences of Othering

35:32 Bridging and Belonging: A Path Forward

44:40 Challenges and Misconceptions of Bridging
54:05 The Role of Leaders in Bridging

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu. We share your feedback with funders and stakeholders about the value of this podcast and how you engage with the insights and information.

Sign up for our newsletter here.

While Ellen takes a break for Labor Day, revisit this episode originally released on September 4, 2024 during Season 1.

In this episode, Ellen interviews Nick Jacobs, co-author of The Rural Voter, about the nuances of rural America and how they are often overlooked when we consider the complex relationship between rural and urban spaces. They discuss the methodology behind Nick’s research and the challenges of surveying rural populations. They also delve into "rural resentment" and the persistent misconceptions about rural and urban communities, despite examples of shared commonalities.

Episode Highlights:

04:50 Challenges in Surveying Rural America

09:56 The Gap Effect

19:07 Rural Resentment vs. Rural Rage

29:00 Economic Integration in Rural Communities

33:42 Shared Sense of Fate

More Information:
Nick Jacobs bio, https://web.colby.edu/nfjacobs/

The Rural Voter, https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-rural-voter/9780231211581

New Book on Rural America Started with a False Conclusion, Then Looked For Evidence-The Daily Yonder, https://dailyyonder.com/commentary-white-rural-rage-which-came-first-the-title-or-the-research/2024/03/06/

How ‘Rural Studies’ Is Thinking About the Heartland - The New York Times (nytimes.com), https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/29/business/rural-studies-american-politics.html

UMN Extension Rural-Urban Interdependence, https://extension.umn.edu/community-development/rural-urban-interdependence

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu. We share your feedback with funders and stakeholders about the value of this podcast and how you engage with the insights and information.

Want to stay in touch? Sign up for our newsletter here.