The Purple Conversation

Across America today it is impossible to escape our current, often times very heated, discussion about the police.  

In some communities there are protests against and calls to defund the police.  

Other communities offer overwhelming support of their police and are pleased with their local police departments.

Often, we do not have the opportunity to have a real conversation with a police officer about their views and opinions.  

Even rarer, I would guess, would be the opportunity to discuss policing with a 33 year veteran of law enforcement who offers a unique prospective. 

Today we are having a conversation with, Major David Hughes the Professional Standards Bureau Chief for The Newport News VA Sheriff’s Office since 2014.

In today’s polarized world the welcome mat has turned into a worn out welcome for too many.  

Right now it seems it is very important to recalibrate and remind ourselves of our common humanity and bonds.  

To do so with humility and humor is an added benefit, and to translate our common humanity into music we can enjoy, relate to, and understand -  well that is an incredible talent. 

The warmth of welcoming is needed today more than ever, a conversation with country music artist Jenny Tolman – Welcome to the Purple Conversation!

Scientific studies have shown that music can provide a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, stress, anxiety and depression reduction, positive boost to energy & self-esteem, elevation of mood and improvement in quality of life.

We really do not need scientific studies to prove the power of music, do we?  

Today we talk with professional violinist Kimberly Hope and she surprises us with playing one of her original songs “Shine”.

Join us in having a Purple Conversation!

In this episode we explore a recent letter appeared on Harpers online website July 7, titled "A Letter on Justice and Open Debate."

Our nation is indeed in a moment of intense debate and dialogue expressing itself in a variety of ways, with a needed focus on racial justice, police reform and inclusion. This heated moment has sharpened the trend toward silencing, shaming and canceling. Join us in having a conversation about the free expression of ideas.

The Emancipation Memorial – should it stay, be taken down, or can history and Fredrick Douglass provide a path forward? A conversation with Dr. Jonathan White.

When considering statues, memorials, and history itself there are typically multiple layers of meaning or interpretation.  

As we continue our national conversation on statues, and even the core history and founders of our country, it is important to give consideration to the time and culture when those moments occurred. 

Today on The Purple Conversation we have a conversation with Dr. Jonathan White.

Dr. Jonathan White is associate professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University. He is the author or editor of 10 books, including Emancipation, the Union Army, and the Reelection of Abraham Lincoln. He serves as vice chair of The Lincoln Forum, and on the boards of the Abraham Lincoln Association & the Abraham Lincoln Institute. His most recent books include Midnight in America: Darkness, Sleep, and Dreams during the Civil War, and “Our Little Monitor": The Greatest Invention of the Civil War, which he co-authored with Anna Gibson Holloway.

–  Together let's have a Purple Conversation.

3.9 million stories and here is an inspiring one that tells the journey from being homeless to graduating from Howard University!

Our shared digital experience allows for the greatest amount of content imaginable. With so much to choose from, one may conclude we are more informed than ever before, however, are we?  

Citizens are starting to move out of cities and urban areas at an increasing rate and that will have an effect on the cities they leave behind. The shift was already happening with Millennials and Generation Z even before the pandemic.  Covid – 19 only accelerated what was an increasing exodus.

Covid – 19 accelerated the work from home trend and its success both for workers and employees may have a lasting effect.

Do not second guess yourself if you might be thinking, wait….Bipartisanship….Great American Outdoor Act…National Parks….I did not hear or see this in the news.

Keep in mind they key words Bipartisanship and National Parks are not good click bait or high viewership terms, so the quick glance and hard pass from news editors or TV producers is somewhat expected.  

But hey, at the purple conversation we are excited when we can convey bipartisanship especially when it is in an area most Americans would agree on.

On the surface a tweet about somebody liking a type of pizza would be trivial at best and not demand any of our attention. 

However, the twitter exchange we are about to discuss provides some daylight on the ridiculous state of our political discourse and an all-too-familiar tactic that’s becoming to commonplace.