Civil Dialogues and the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy Talk Immigration

Kansas City Public Library Hosts Second of Three Town Halls to Tackle Tough Issues Facing Americans

On September 9th, several hundred engaged citizens gathered in person and online to have a civil dialogue about “Immigration and the American Future”. This is the second in a series of town halls the Kansas City Public Library is hosting with Civil Dialogues and the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy. The next town hall is November 5th. As political violence continues to dominate the headlines, as it did with Charlie Kirk’s assassination the day after our event, civil conversations with those who think differently than we do are increasingly important.

One of the panelists, Faramola Shonekan, is a University of Missouri graduate, a Ph.D. candidate in Government at the University of Texas at Austin, and the child of Nigerian immigrants. Her mother entered the U.S. as a Ph.D. student in Ethnomusicology. Shonekan spoke candidly about her parents’ experience navigating their immigrant status and coming to grips with what it means to be Black in America.

Late in the program, one of the audience members shared his perspective on immigration, first declaring that our borders should be shut down, then stating he does not believe there should be any form of legal immigration from “third world countries because those people can’t govern themselves.” Director of the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, Jay Sexton, helped the audience understand the history of immigration in the US, while attorney and former law enforcement officer, Michael Sharma-Crawford, offered nuanced perspectives borne of his experience representing immigrants and enforcing the nation’s immigration laws. The recording of the program can be found here.

Co-founded by Jean Becker, President George H.W. Bush’s post-presidency chief of staff, and award-winning broadcast journalist and entrepreneur, Linda Lorelle, Civil Dialogues has become a trusted forum where Americans can voice concerns without judgment and seek understanding across political divides. In partnership with the George & Barbara Bush Foundation, the Clinton Presidential Center, the LBJ Foundation, the Baker Institute for Public Policy and Research, and its newest partner, the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, Civil Dialogues seeks to create a safe space for community conversation on some of the most important and contentious topics of the day.

The third Civil Dialogues town hall in the Kansas City Public Library’s Signature Event series is November 5th. “Civil Dialogues: Bridging the Divide – Talking, Listening, and Finding Common Ground” will be live streamed for those who cannot attend in person.

Linda Lorelle
Linda Lorelle Media
+1 832-499-7875

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