If you watch the news or spend time on social media, you might think America is more divided today than it’s been since the Civil War. Everywhere we turn, we find reasons to separate ourselves: Are we liberal or conservative? Black or white? What pronoun do we use to identify ourselves? Do we listen to mainstream news, or do we buy into misinformation? Are we vaccinated or unvaccinated? Every day it seems a new label surfaces that reminds us how different we are from each other.

 

But what if we’re not as different as we think? What if what we’re seeing is just the illusion of division?

 

Activist, author, and lawyer Monica Harris takes readers on her personal journey across the racial and political divide where she made a surprising discovery: America isn’t nearly as divided as we’re led to believe. Political opportunism, exploitative media, and fringe voices have distorted our collective reality by amplifying our differences and polarizing us with hot-button issues. They’ve convinced us that our country is hopelessly fractured, when in fact we’re more alike in ways we often ignore. This manufactured division is dangerous because it keeps us from seeing the root causes of systemic problems that are overwhelming us.

 

The key to pulling our country out of crisis lies in appreciating our shared challenges and interests so we can unite to confront an existential threat to all Americans. When we understand that what we have in common is more important than what separates us, we can empower ourselves to solve the “big picture” problems that deserve our urgent attention. If we find the courage to see through the illusion of division, we can create the country -- and the future -- we all want and deserve.