Do we have a shared identity?
Dear Reader, So, a Make America Great Again supporter and a Black Lives Matter advocate get into a constructive conversation about why they believe what they do, how they are different and where there might be common ground.
That’s not a fantasy, or the build-up to a punchline. It’s what happened on the first episode of “The Year 2042” podcast, hosted by MLive reporters Dana Afana and Bob Johnson.
“There are a lot of people who truly don't believe that every story deserves two sides,” Afana said. “But it is so important to have a civil conversation. You want to listen to the other person, hear their perspective to know why they think the way they do … and to come to an understanding of what people are feeling, what people are hurting about.”
The podcast takes its name from demographers’ prediction that in the year 2042, minorities will outnumber non-Hispanic whites in the United States. That’s not far away, and the forces and trends behind that population shift already are affecting society, politics and elections, the economy … the very fabric of our shared identity.
Do we have a shared identity? The podcast addresses the issues that have been tearing at America – race and diversity, justice and equity, immigration, representation in the political process. Turn on your TV or get into your social media feed, and you’ll see it in full bloom.
“We’ll get to 2042 and we'll look back and see that these things were unfolding for our eyes already,” Johnson said.
Johnson and Afana cover the gamut: In addition to the MAGA/BLM episode, they’ve had on two Michigan congresswomen – Rashida Tlaib, to discuss the Muslim ban, and Debbie Dingell to discuss the Biden presidency – MLive reporters to talk social protests and the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and a University of Michigan political science professor on the impact of the black vote on the 2020 elections.
The goal is more than to discuss topics of diversity; it’s also to get diverse voices into the conversation. That starts with the hosts: Afana is Arab-American, and Johnson is Black.
“I couldn't tell you how many times I've been called a terrorist growing up, because of 9/11, because of one lunatic,” Afana said. “When you are labeled, I think that encourages you to dig deeper and be like, ‘No, well this isn't actually how the whole community operates.’”
Johnson was born and raised in Saginaw, a majority-minority city, and he sees the value of bringing his experiences to not only the podcast, but his work as a journalist.
“Plenty of my professional friends, I can tell them my life story and they would just be like, ‘What – wow, that's crazy.’ But that's me,” he said.
“I'm able to have a better balcony view of what the world looks like. Some people are in a box and the way that they grew up, is how they see the world.”
New perspectives lead to new insights. However, it’s important to note that the MAGA/BLM podcast conversation was not all “kumbaya” moments: There was disagreement, there were competing ideas, and there was passion from each advocate.
But they were talking. And that’s a start.
To subscribe to “The Year 2042” or listen to past episodes, visit Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. To hear my entire conversation with Afana and Johnson on MLive’s “Behind the Headlines” podcast, click here.
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John Hiner Executive Editor Vice President of Content Mlive Media Group
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