Episode
Overcoming Geographic Divides: Kirk Tatnall, Starla Brown, Cade Smith
- Podcast
- How Do We Fix It?
- Published
- Jul 18, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1448
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/how-do-we-fix-it-667/episodes/overcoming-geographic-divides-kirk-tatnall-starla-brown-cade-smith/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-do-we-fix-it-667/overcoming-geographic-divides-kirk-tatnall-starla-brown-cade-smith.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
Americans are divided by geography. Most of us live in overwhelmingly red or blue Congressional Districts. We are less likely than ever to know someone from the other side of the political spectrum. We are often misinformed about what members of the other tribe actually believe. In this episode we speak with Kirk Tatnall, Starla Brown, and Cade Smith about a Braver Angels exchange program. Participants from New York City and Jackson, Mississippi visited each other over two weekends. They held workshops and meetings, engaging in discussions across differences. “I just have a fundamental underlying belief that you cannot understand someone else unless you know them,” Kirk Tatnall told us. “You cannot really get to the motivations and the passions and the drive of other people until you see how they live.” The exchange began with the idea that only by coming together physically - in each other's backyards - can we begin to understand the other side. “We got to know each other, and we were allowed to be vulnerable in a very safe, wonderful environment,” said Starla Brown. “Being able to be vulnerable with people who don’t agree with you is empowering.” Exchange participants learned about two very different parts of the country, and engaged with people not like them. “It’s not just speaking. It’s being open to seeing someone in a completely new light, and if you do you can never see them the old way,” Cade Smith told “How Do We Fix It?” This podcast is our latest to report on the people, projects, and ideas of Braver Angels, who aim to restore the American spirit of working together. Our guests: Starla Brown is the current State Director for Americans for Prosperity's Mississippi Chapter. Starla is a 5th generation Mississip…