Editor’s note: In “Bridging the Divide,” CNN profiles people who are working to find common ground on America’s most divisive issues.
His brother was killed for his turban, but he says he’ll never stop wearing his
On September 15, 2001, Rana Singh Sodhi’s brother was killed at a convenience store in the first hate crime related to 9/11. Balbir Singh Sodhi was targeted because of his turban, and after his death Sodhi set out to educate other Americans about Sikhism. His goal is to “make this country hate-free.”
How two activists from opposite ends of the political spectrum came to agree on gun violence
Abigail Disney and Robert Schenck never thought they’d like each other. She is an ardent liberal and pro-choice activist. He is an evangelical minister. But when a documentary about gun control brought them together, they realized their political differences might actually help them find a solution to the issue. “People surprise you because they’re never as simple as you want them to be,” Schenck says.
One woman’s abortion set her on a mission to change how we think about the issue
Kassi Underwood was an alcoholic when she found out she was pregnant. She had an abortion and entered treatment to get sober. Then she found herself questioning whether she had made the right decision to end her pregnancy. Now she’s on a mission to challenge the political divide around abortion, and to better understand the women who have had them.
Being a Boy Scout helped him find his identity as an immigrant. Now he’s doing the same for other kids
PJ Parmar leads a Boy Scout troop for refugee children in his community. Nights spent roasting hot dogs and gazing at the stars with their classmates help them feel more comfortable at school – giving them the confidence they need to succeed in a new world.
This officer moved into a neighborhood where his friend was shot to improve police-community relations
Atlanta PD had a problem: More than 80% of its police force was living outside of city limits. So it started offering incentives for officers to move to inner city neighborhoods. Officer Mike Costello saw it as an opportunity to change how the community views cops. And living in the city has changed his perspective too.
Producers Jeremy Moorhead, Gabe Ramirez, Jeff Simon and Janelle Gonzalez contributed to this story.