Daryl Davis dummy - The Village Square

Upcoming Village Square Events

Let's Do Democracy. Booyah.

started by alex workman | ready for you

100 Coffees

We were so inspired by Alex Workman’s #100Coffees project that we wanted to imagine how it could become a part of life in our community forever—without Alex having to give up sleep. Good news: #100Coffees is ready and waiting for you. Let’s have coffee.
2022-23 Dinner at the Square Season

2022 Dinner Season:
Let Friendship Redeem the Republic

What if our lost closeness is epically misunderstood and tragically unnecessary? What if the differences between us are more noise and less signal? And what if it’s even more tragic than that—what if our differences are more an illusion than they are a reality?
February 9, 2023 @ 7pm ET | UNUM digital series

Daryl Davis | Democracy Reignited

Musician Daryl Davis befriended over 200 KKK members, starting with a grand wizard. (Don’t try this at home, kids.) We’ll learn how his improbable, impossible, openhearted journey can light our way.
February 24, 2023 @ noon | God Squad | First Baptist Church of Tallahassee

God Squad – Love Thy Neighbor. No Exceptions?

Love Thy Neighbor. No Exceptions? Does the admonition to love one’s neighbor really come without exceptions? Is everyone my neighbor? And what does love really mean?
March 24, 2023 @ noon | God Squad | First Baptist Church of Tallahassee

God Squad – Political Football, Inc.

Are you “us” or are you “them”? These days every religious, nonprofit and for-profit has to state their opinion on every single political disagreement du jour. We’ll talk about just how advisable this situation is and if there might be a better way.
Wednesday, March 29 @ 7pm ET | UNUM digital series

Chris Stirewalt | Democracy Reignited

Chris Stirewalt gives us an inside view of the rage-driven political environment we’ve found ourselves plunged into. From Amazon on his book “Broken News:” “Rage revenue-addicted news companies are plagued by shoddy reporting, sensationalism, groupthink, and brain-dead partisan tribalism. Yep.
April 18, 2023 @ 6:00 pm | St. John's Episcopal Church

Todd Rose: Collective Illusions

Our current divisions—one American from another—are deep and wide. But what if we are profoundly, completely and tragically wrong about each other? What if it’s our own mistaken assumptions about the true beliefs of people on our “side” that is driving the escalating tensions? We’d best figure that out. Fast.
Thursday, May 11 @ 7pm ET | UNUM digital series

Braver Angels | Democracy Reignited

We’ve got some friends we want you to meet: David Blankenhorn. Bill Doherty. Ciaran O’Connor. Donna Murphy. John Wood. Alone, they’re devoted citizens, together they’re Braver Angels.
past event | september 2022

Dr. Robb Willer | Democracy Reignited

Join Dr. Robb Willer, professor of psychology and sociology at Stanford University and director of their Polarization and Social Change Lab, for a highly-relatable hero-arc journey to save democracy (and possibly ditch a few zombies along the way).
past event | sept 2022 | God Squad

God Squad — Wanted: A few civic heroes.

In celebration of The Village Square’s determination this year to celebrate what’s working and worth emulating (in a world in which much seems broken) God Squad will kick off their 13th season thinking about our fellow humans who have behaved heroically during these challenging times.
September 27, 2022 @ 6:00 PM | Dinner at the Square | St. John's Episcopal Church

Respect, Rebel, Repeat: Subversive Friendships for Divided Times

In divided times like ours and through history, brave and unlikely friendships have endured, inspired and redeemed. You’ll meet people who live their lives around people who disagree with them.
past event | October 2022

Mónica Guzmán | Democracy Reignited

According to our special guest Mónica Guzmán, seeing where people are coming from isn’t just possible—it’s how we ought to be living our lives. “The barriers between us are lower than we think.” Find the answers you need by talking with people—rather than about them—and asking the questions you want across the divides you want, curiously.
Past event | January 2023 | God Squad

Let Friendship Redeem the Republic: God Squad Edition

Let Friendship Redeem the Republic: God Squad Edition. In our year-long celebration of the superpower of healthy friendships across differences, you’ll meet God Squad’s friends who they don’t quite agree with (and we’ll encourage the audience to bring their own).
Past event | January 28, 2022 @ NOON | God Squad | VIA ZOOM

Spiritual lessons of a pandemic: Can this trauma possibly make us better humans?

It’s really easy to be in touch right now with the dark side of human nature that’s been so thoroughly highlighted through the pandemic, but is there something else to see? Maybe transcendence, empathy and heroic self-sacrifice?
past event | february 2022 | God Squad

Empathy in the Age of Schadenfreude

As the political landscape has devolved into a Mad Max hellscape of blame and retribution (and sometimes even worse), can we find a way to wrestle up a little empathy for our fellow human, even the ones who we don’t agree with?
past event | march 2022 | dinner at the square

And the Pursuit of Happiness

Say what you rightfully will about what’s wrong with America, there isn’t a country on earth nervy enough to hold as a central ideal the pursuit of happiness. Yet we spend precious little time contemplating this founding charge to American citizens. Are we succeeding at it?
Past Event | March 2022 | God Squad | First Baptist Church of Tallahassee

Lonely and Extreme

Given the dangerous rise of political extremism in America, it’s well past time we stopped wagging our fingers and do a bit of soul searching of our own about why our society is producing so many citizens unmoored from the connections that support moderation.
past event | thursday, march 31 @ 7 pm ET | Via zoom

When the Stars Begin to Fall

Dr. Theodore R. Johnson sees both a Promise “big enough for all of us,” and an existential threat if we cannot somehow find each other to live into it. And at a time when it’s easy to be overwhelmed and confused, he lights a path forward that we might travel together—with a wisdom and clarity that draws us in.
Past events | April 2022 | WFSU Public Media, 1600 Red Barber Plaza, OR via Zoom

Our Town Series: Tallahassee Town Hall

Our annual town hall pairs commissioners from the City of Tallahassee and Leon County to have a constructive (and neighborly) cross-governmental discussion about where we are, where we’re going and what the challenges ahead might be.
past event april 2022 | via Zoom

Healing our Democracy in a Digital World

In partnership with St. Mary’s College of California. Keynote remarks by the progressive Joan Blades and the conservative John Gable. Co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters Diablo Valley, Braver Angels, the National Institute for Civil Discourse and The Village Square.

started by alex workman | ready for you

100 Coffees

2022-23 Dinner at the Square Season

2022 Dinner Season: Let Friendship Redeem the Republic

February 9, 2023 @ 7pm ET | UNUM digital series

Daryl Davis | Democracy Reignited

February 24, 2023 @ noon | God Squad | First Baptist Church of Tallahassee

God Squad – Love Thy Neighbor. No Exceptions?

March 24, 2023 @ noon | God Squad | First Baptist Church of Tallahassee

God Squad – Political Football, Inc.

Wednesday, March 29 @ 7pm ET | UNUM digital series

Chris Stirewalt | Democracy Reignited

April 18, 2023 @ 6:00 pm | St. John's Episcopal Church

Todd Rose: Collective Illusions

Thursday, May 11 @ 7pm ET | UNUM digital series

Braver Angels | Democracy Reignited

past event | september 2022

Dr. Robb Willer | Democracy Reignited

past event | sept 2022 | God Squad

God Squad — Wanted: A few civic heroes.

September 27, 2022 @ 6:00 PM | Dinner at the Square | St. John's Episcopal Church

Respect, Rebel, Repeat: Subversive Friendships for Divided Times

past event | October 2022

Mónica Guzmán | Democracy Reignited

Past event | January 2023 | God Squad

Let Friendship Redeem the Republic: God Squad Edition

Past event | January 28, 2022 @ NOON | God Squad | VIA ZOOM

Spiritual lessons of a pandemic: Can this trauma possibly make us better humans?

past event | february 2022 | God Squad

Empathy in the Age of Schadenfreude

past event | march 2022 | dinner at the square

And the Pursuit of Happiness

Past Event | March 2022 | God Squad | First Baptist Church of Tallahassee

Lonely and Extreme

past event | thursday, march 31 @ 7 pm ET | Via zoom

When the Stars Begin to Fall

Past events | April 2022 | WFSU Public Media, 1600 Red Barber Plaza, OR via Zoom

Our Town Series: Tallahassee Town Hall

past event april 2022 | via Zoom

Healing our Democracy in a Digital World

2022 Dinner Season:
Let Friendship Redeem the Republic