On September 19, 2025 at Lincoln South Rotary Club, we heard from Suzanne Jouvenat. She works at Lincoln Counseling - Enrichment Center and shared about the program through Braver Angels which is seeking to create opportunities for civil conversation between people with differences.
Suzanne introduced herself and Braver Angels which is a national organization seeking to create opportunities for civil conversation between people with differences.
She showed a photo of Abraham Lincoln and shared one of his lesser known quote - "I don’t like that man. I must get to know him.” It embodies the vision and spirit of Braver Angels. Getting to know and understand each other helps reduce divisions among people.
She presented a little about the personal cost of political polarization and the view of Braver Angels and how the organization can help with that.
Rather than defining polarization, Suzanne chose to define affective polarization which relates to emotions and attitudes. It is not just about issues, but how we regard others that have different opinions from ours. They may be strangers, those that are alien to us. Or they may be people we view as unlikeable or untrustworthy.
Where Braver Angels comes in is to help us realize that we have more in common that we think.
Mission: Braver Angels brings Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.
She compared that to Rotary's Vision to bring people together to create lasting change.
Suzanne stated that the Braver Angels organization tries to have equal representation of red and blue leadership at all levels. They seek to reflect the American population on race, ethnicity, and social and economic classes. Ideally all political influences would be represented so that Braver Angels would be a "house united".
Braver Angels was originally founded as “Better Angels,” based on a line from Lincoln’s first inaugural speech, appealing to the “better angels of our nature.”
Suzanne explained that, as the mission and membership changed, so has the name. The emphasis is to be brave and show courage to address the country's divide.
Braver Angels offers skills training workshops, debates, 1:1 conversations, book/movie discussions, etc. The programs help individuals learn and think critically about those people who might be different than them. She stated that 70-80% of participants feel that they had a better understanding of those with differing view after being part of the workshops.
Suzanne stressed that the goal is not to change anyone's view. Instead the goal is to understand and accept that there are differing views and perhaps there is a collaborative solution.
BIO
Suzanne was born in Omaha, attended schools in Columbus and then left the state for the next 25 years as she pursued her studies and eventual career in music performance. She graduated as a Voice major from Kansas University, did Master classes in Washington DC before embarking on teaching Voice at University of Ghana outside Accra. This American next lived and studied in Zurich Switzerland, preparing for engagements in European opera houses. Suzanne visited Cape Town and a major aspect of her professional career began through playing lead roles in opera, operetta, musical comedy, oratorio, television and theater. After returning to the States with her two children, she felt the “call” to enroll in an El Ed program and upon graduation taught K-8 music, gave private voice lessons and presented concerts through the NE Arts Council. While in Grad School for Ed. Psych and school counseling, she embarked on training in family and additionally drug and alcohol counseling as specializations. Suzanne has worked at CEDARS during grad school, then as a dual disorders therapist at CenterPoint, St Monica’s and currently serving all populations and issues with the Lincoln Family Medical Group for 14 years. She has 4 grandchildren and is active in her church and various groups, loves the people and opportunities provided in Lincoln. The activity of the Rotary clubs has many similarities to Braver Angels; she had the joy of visiting and performing for some while in South Africa.
Suzanne observed differences in the tone of her homeland after returning, especially sensing a stark change beginning in the 2000’s, and felt the need to apply the skills of her work in marital counseling to our Nation! And then Braver Angels presented itself! Having become a moderator for live presentations, she is now hoping to translate the skills for human-to-human respectful communication and promote more understanding of one another through this program. Thank you!
