The Political Narratives that Define Us — And Divide Us

If you’ve been wondering why America feels so divided, this program takes a step back to look at the bigger picture. We’ll explore the stories and beliefs that have shaped our political culture—past and present—including ideas like the American Dream, and how they’re understood differently across the spectrum.

The roots of today’s polarization run deep. Gaining a clearer understanding of those differences isn’t just interesting—it’s essential to our well-being and the future of our democracy.

Come with an open mind, and consider inviting someone who sees things differently. The goal isn’t just to understand what divides us, but to start figuring out how we bridge those divides and move forward together.

To RSVP for the Zoom Webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qQy1WUvUSSW1QXZN5e6Ulw

To watch the event on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/NFRPP/live_videos/

This event is from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm EST on May 14, 2026

Speaker:

Leonard Steinhorn is a professor of Communication and an affiliate professor of History whose expertise includes American politics, the media, race relations, the 1960s and recent American history. He is author of The Greater Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy, co-author of By the Color of Our Skin: The Illusion of Integration and the Reality of Race, and is currently writing a book on America in the 1960s, The Decade That Divides Us: The 1960s in America, to be published in late 2026. He has published in books, journals, the Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Politico, The Hill, Political Wire, Chicago Sun Times, Huffington Post, Salon, History News Network, BillMoyers.com, The Fulcrum, among others. For more than a decade he served as the political analyst for CBS News Radio, and before that he served ten years as the political analyst for FOX-5 News in Washington, DC. Steinhorn has appeared as an on-air expert in a number of documentaries, including CNN’s The Sixties and 1968: The Year That Changed America, Superheroes Decoded on the History Channel, and The Kennedy Files on REELZ, and he also appeared in a DVD special feature on the baby boom generation for the final season of AMC’s Mad Men. He has given hundreds of talks at home and abroad, and has lectured on politics and history for One Day University, the Smithsonian, Curiosity University, and the 92nd Street Y. Steinhorn was twice named Faculty Member of the Year by the American University student body. Before joining the American University faculty, he spent 15 years as a political consultant and speechwriter.

Event Co-sponsors: