A research-backed guide for building bridges across difference in any area of our lives, from esteemed civil rights scholar john a. powell, edited and developed with the Othering & Belonging Institute's Rachelle Galloway-Popotas.
We don't want to live in a society in turmoil. In the US, 93 percent of people want to reduce divisiveness, and 86 percent believe it's possible to disagree in a healthy way. Yet with increasing political and social fragmentation, many of us don't know how to move past our differences. Civil rights scholar john a. powell presents an actionable path through "bridging" that helps us communicate, coexist, and imagine a new story for our shared future where we all belong.
With inimitable warmth and vision, powell offers a framework for building cohesion and solidarity between disparate beliefs and groups. He defines key concepts such as "othering," which primes us to see people as a threat; "breaking," which excludes people or sees them as threatening our belonging; and finally "bridging," which fosters acceptance both of those we might have othered and even aspects of ourselves. He shares personal reflections as well as practices to help you begin bridging wherever you are--in your community, friendships, family, workplace, and even those with whom you might never have imagined you could find common ground. He calls upon us not just to engage with bridging but to become bridgers.
"Bridging is a salve for our fractured world," powell says. "We can overcome the illusion of separateness by honoring our differences, transcending the notion that difference divides us, and instead co-create a world where everyone belongs."
Here's what people are saying about The Power of Bridging:
“john powell’s vision for a world where we all belong is powerful and compelling in large part because it's rooted in decades of values-based work advocating for civil and human rights. His ideas have inspired shifts in policy that have transformed people's daily lives, and his approach to justice questions has influenced countless activists and policymakers alike."
— Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
“At a moment of great division and turmoil, john a. powell leads us toward each other, asking us to imagine a world many of us cannot: one where we all feel a deep sense of belonging and connection. This brilliant book is a must-read for all practitioners of social change, and everyone committed to preserving and expanding multiracial democracy,”
— Deepak Bhargava, President, The JPB Foundation.
“A revered scholar and beloved educator, john powell inspires us to believe in a world of belonging —and shows us how to labor for it. In his masterful new book, the Power of Bridging, powell teaches that separateness is an illusion: In the face of cruelty and injustice, we can choose to succumb to fear and despair—or find the courage to forge connections with others, the earth, and ourselves in order to transform the world, from the inside out. Wise and visionary, The Power of Bridging is your essential guide for building a world of belonging, right where you are.
— Valarie Kaur, bestselling author of See No Stranger and Sage Warrior
“We need john powell’s call to bridging and belonging now more than ever. At a time when it seems as if our social fabric is broken and coming undone, powell lays out an intimate vision that is as inspiring as it is practical. Through an engaging narrative, this book empowers us all to become bridgers so we can all belong.”
— Rabbi Jonah Pessner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
"The Power of Bridging gives us the understanding and tools we need to recover the innate bonds we as human beings have with each other, and invites us to actively build bridges across the generational, cultural, political and ideological divides that shape our world. Both timely and timeless, this is a unique guide to help us navigate the challenges we face as a society."
— Ai-Jen Poo, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance
"An insightful and moving exploration of belonging, bridging, and interconnectedness, this book challenges readers to embrace empathy and understanding in a world where everyone deserves to feel valued and accepted. A thought-provoking read by one of the most inspirational thinkers of our time who inspires us to have courageous conversations and encourages the critical shift towards a more inclusive and compassionate society."
— Kumi Naidoo, human rights activist and former Secretary General of Amnesty International
"The Power of Bridging is a page turner I would recommend to everyone. I was stunned how similar john's background was to my own, and though we took different paths in life we somehow wound up in the same place in many ways. For sure, there is a wide gulf between my world, john’s and many others - which is why bridging is so necessary. All people are all places, and this book teaches us new skills of engagement that anyone can apply in their daily lives."
— Pastor Bob Roberts, founder of GlocalNet, Multi-Faith Neighbors Network
"In The Power of Bridging, john powell shows us how to expand the tables we occupy by building bridges with those society has othered. By doing this we can save the world we have and leave a better one for future generations. powell has personally changed my own life and approach to being human. His invitation to bridge, and innovation around social change, is a game-changer that will be studied beyond our time."
— Ben McBride, spiritual leader and Bay Area activist for peace and justice
"With careful attention to the realities of fragmentation and the stories that reproduce it, john a. powell points us toward a better story—what he calls a “bridging story”—that can help us find a bigger “we.” This is the kind of scholarship we need to build toward a Third Reconstruction of America."
— William J. Barber II, author of White Poverty
Book events
Power of Bridging Book Launch in Detroit, Michigan on Dec. 3.
In the media
From the Berkeley News story: Bridging Divides: from anger and mistrust to belonging - and hope
“We talk about people who are cult followers of Donald Trump, but a lot of his supporters are probably in a softer position. What’s driving them? I think, by and large, it’s a fear of not being seen, and not belonging. People say they feel disrespected. Well, respect them. We should talk to people who are in that exhausted middle. We need to understand them — not what their position is on abortion, not what their position is on immigration, but their deep, heartfelt fears and aspirations for the country, for their family, for their community.
“In that understanding, the possibilities of bridging are much, much greater.”
— john a. powell
Read an excerpt from The Power of Bridging: chapter one, "Bridging to the Future."
And order your copy of the book here.
