The August Wilson Red Door Project strives to change Portland’s racial ecology through the arts. It started with a play called Hands Up: 7 Playwrights, 7 Testaments that showcases a powerful set of monologues commissioned by The New Black Fest in response to police shootings and institutional profiling. Then came Cop Out: Beyond Black, White & Blue. This series of monologues portray police of various rank and experience relating to the community, each other, their families and the institutions they represent. Up next for the Red Door Project is The Evolve Experience, a blend of Hands Up and Cop Out.

Kevin Jones and Lesli Mones co-founded the Red Door Project. They sat down with us for a compelling conversation about closing the gap between racial divides by taking center stage. During our talk, you’ll hear us reference findings from the Portland Police Bureau Strategic Insights Report, which is a summary of data collection and outreach efforts on behalf of the Bureau.

Show notes & links:

• About August Wilson
• Hands Up: 7 Playwrights, 7 Testaments
• Cop Out: Beyond Black, White & Blue
• The Evolve Experience
• Portland Police Bureau Strategic Insights Report

Research shows that developing empathy, connection and compassion is crucial to a sustainable and humane society. But, in order to do that we must first admit our own biases, overcome them and step outside of our bubbles – or comfort zones.  

So, how do we do that?  Claire Cain Miller is a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist who covers gender, work, family and the way technology changes our lives. She writes for The Upshot – a New York Times site about politics, economics and everyday life. In one of her recent articles, How to Be More Empathetic, she offers a guide on doing just that – bursting our bubbles to become better members of society with evidenced-based exercises anyone can do to increase empathy.

Show notes & links:

• How to Be More Empathetic
• The Upshot

Reading literary fiction is one of those evidenced-based exercisers. We’ve listed three books Claire recommends during the episode:

• The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
• An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
• How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

In addition, this The Ezra Klein Show episode also came up during our conversation with Claire: Jay Rosen is Pessimistic About the Media. So am I.

Original music by Podington Bear.