A guide to maintaining respectful relationships across political, cultural, and racial divides. Once pitted as adversarial counterparts as the opinion editors of right- and left-leaning newspapers, veteran journalists Nolan Finley and Stephen Henderson join forces in this groundbreaking work to champion a novel approach to political discourse. Finley, a resolute conservative, and Henderson, a committed progressive, defy expectations by demonstrating that civil conversation is not only possible but also richly rewarding, even across colossal ideological divides. In 2020, they launched the Civility Project with journalist and author Lynne Golodner, beginning their journey to teach Americans how to engage in respectful dialogue and maintain relationships despite political differences. The Civility Book is an extension of that mission, offering practical tools and strategies for fostering civility in everyday interactions. At the core of this work, the authors position their four pillars of civility to explain what civility is, why it matters, and how individuals can use it to overcome the antagonistic rhetoric that threatens our society today, one conversation at a time. This conversational, no-nonsense guide provides valuable lessons, a detailed curriculum, probing questions for consideration, and an extensive appendix of resources outlining ongoing efforts to curb unproductive contention and advance a more harmonious society.
Nolan Finley has held many positions at the Detroit News since the start of his career there as a copy boy, including city editor, business editor, politics editor, and deputy managing editor. In 2000, he was named editorial page editor, where he directs the expression of the newspaper's editorial position on various national and local issues and writes a column in the Sunday newspaper. He graduated from Schoolcraft College and Wayne State University, and in 2012, he was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. Finley is also cohost of One Detroit on Detroit Public Television. Stephen Henderson is an American journalist and winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary and the 2014 National Association of Black Journalists Journalist of the Year Award--both received while writing for the Detroit Free Press. A native of Detroit, Henderson is a graduate of the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and the University of Michigan. Since 2015, he has been the host of Detroit Today on WDET, and in 2020, he founded BridgeDetroit, where he serves as executive editor. Henderson is cohost of One Detroit and host of American Black Journal on Detroit Public Television. Lynne Golodner is a native of Detroit and an award-winning author, marketing entrepreneur, and writing coach. Her writing has appeared in 45th Parallel, the Chicago Tribune, Better Homes and Gardens, Midwest Living, and many more publications. She served as executive director of the Civility Project from 2020-24. Golodner teaches writing around the world, leads writers' retreats, and has taught writing at University of Detroit Mercy since 2010 and with WritingWorkshops.com since 2018. A former Fulbright Specialist, Golodner is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Goddard College and earned a certificate in entrepreneurship from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at Wayne State University.
A guide to maintaining respectful relationships across political, cultural, and racial divides.
