The increase in political polarization over the last several years threatens democracy. Some people have given up on trying to create bridges with people who do not think like them or see the world the same way. Speaker David Plazas talks about why embracing good citizenship and connecting with neighbors are essential to American society and offers some ideas for how to create successful conversations in a messy time. David Plazas is the Opinion and Engagement Director for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and The Tennessean. He has worked as a journalist for two decades and most of his career has focused on opinion journalism, community conversations, and building solutions to local and state challenges. He leads The Tennesseans Civility Tennessee campaign, which started in 2018 to model, promote, and encourage better civil discourse. In 2020, he started the Tennessee Voices podcast, a show focused on conversations with diverse leaders, thinkers and innovators on what they are doing and how they are managing during the COVID-19 pandemic. He holds a B.A. in political science and Spanish, and a masters in journalism, both from Northwestern University, and earned an M.B.A. at Florida Gulf Coast University. He and his family live in Nashville, Tennessee. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx