Casey Kennedy Moore presents her undergraduate research, “Education in Motion, Preventing a Lost Generation in the Midst of Migrant Journeys” at the World Scholars Spring Symposium in May 2019.

Bridging the Divide

Article by Nikki Laws Photos by courtesy of Casey Kennedy Moore December 10, 2020

UD alumna Casey Kennedy Moore gives advice for productive political conversations

Like all things in 2020, this holiday season will be unconventional — but some traditions will remain the same.

For many, talking politics with family will be strictly off-limits. But according to University of Delaware alumna and World Scholar Casey Kennedy Moore, there are ways to turn down the heat on potentially polarizing political conversations.

After graduating in 2019, Moore co-founded Project Divided with fellow Blue Hen and public policy major Marley Duchovnay. The organization brings people together from across the aisle to have conversations about politics and find collaborative solutions to shared problems. “We decided to begin Project Divided because we wanted to be on-the-ground talking to voters about the issues most important to them,” Moore said. “In a period of hyper-polarization in America, we wanted to understand how we got to this point, and work towards solving these problems from the ground-up.”

Casey Kennedy Moore (left) and fellow UD alumna Marley Duchovnay founded Project Divided after graduating in 2019.

Moore and Duchovnay began Project Divided in the small but growing town of Smithville, Texas, where they hosted community dialogue events and developed a 10-part web series featuring bipartisan conversations on everything from climate change to healthcare and immigration.

Later, they completed a research project with the University of Texas at Austin. Based on more than 60 interviews from individuals across the United States, Moore and Duchovnay sought to identify strategies for successful political conversations.

Here is some of Moore’s advice based on their findings so far:

Acknowledge that politics are personal: “In this age, our identity is so tightly tied to our politics. When someone argues about your political viewpoints, know that it can feel like a personal attack.”

Focus on values: “Understand your values, and make an effort to understand those of others too. It doesn’t mean you will ultimately agree, but it may give you a glimpse into where they are coming from and remind you of your common humanity.”

Ditch the debate mindset: “Focus on the people, not necessarily the politics. We have the tendency to go into these conversations with a debate mindset. But sometimes we need to take a step back, actually listen and try to understand where the other person is coming from.”

Pick your battles: “If you're taking on the role of an advocate, know what the most important issues are to you. Approach them through the other person's values.”

Know when to leave: “There is a difference between having productive conversations and accepting horrible things like racism or hate. If you feel that you are compromising your values, you have every right to leave a conversation.”

During her time at UD, Moore interned in Washington, D.C., through a semester-long program with the Biden School and Institute for Global Studies.

According to Moore, the U.S. presidential election is an important opportunity to shape the future of our communities, but it isn’t the only one. “I think that many of the policies that affect us are implemented at the local level, and we can really initiate so much change from our city and state governments too,” she said.

Outside of her work with Project Divided, Moore also serves as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with the city of Philadelphia. She works on Rebuild, an initiative that is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into neighborhood parks, recreation centers and libraries in the city. “My job is to help expand who works on these construction projects to include populations who have been historically excluded, namely women and minority workers,” she said.

Moore said that her time at the University of Delaware has uniquely prepared her for the roles she’s taken on after graduation. “I have utilized many of the skills I gained as a public policy major. My professors really wanted me to succeed,” she said, adding that her learning went far beyond the classroom. “As a UD World Scholar, I learned to be adaptable and to connect with people from all different backgrounds and perspectives. And that is exactly the type of experience that I needed.”

For fellow Blue Hens who plan to pursue a career in public service, Moore advised them to “take risks.”

“College is such a great time,” she said. “Try different things, explore new ideas and trust in your ability to do the work that you are passionate about.”

To learn more about Project Divided, visit the organization’s website and follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.