StoryCorps One Small Step

Take on small step - Detroit, MI

Do you believe we have more in common than what divides us? Have a conversation, and see for yourself.

No matter their political leanings, a majority of Americans agree that divisiveness is a major problem impacting our ability to deal with the pandemic and serious challenges facing our country. There is hope: A majority of Americans also say they are optimistic that our country can overcome political divisiveness in the years ahead. At a moment like this, aren't we called to try to find a better way forward - together?

One Small Step from StoryCorps is an effort to reconnect Americans, one conversation at a time.

We invite you to meet someone new - a community member with different views than you, who you might never talk to otherwise - for a simple, personal, 50-minute conversation.

Tested and safe, One Small Step conversations are:

Hosted virtually by a trained facilitator

Seamless, powerful, and respectful

Never shared without your permission

What are one-small step conversations like?

More than 1,500 people across the country have already participated. Hear clips and testimonials from last year's participants.

Suggested questions include

Who has been the most influential person in your life? What did they teach you?

Is there someone you disagree with but still respect?

What are your fears or concerns about the future of our country?

Conversations are not to debate or convince. They're simply a chance to break the ice: to talk about who we are as people, what we care about, and our dreams for the future.

One Small Step helps us move beyond labels like "Democrat" and "Republican" and into the life experiences that shaped how each of us sees our world.

WDET is one of just six stations selected nationally to host One Small Step in 2022. We're teaming up with a variety of Michigan community organizations to spread the word. Together with StoryCorps, we'll be matching participants and recording conversations through the end of the year.

What is StoryCorps?

Since 2003, the non-profit public service organization StoryCorps has perfected a method for helping people feel more connected and less alone, for increasing hope and reminding us of the inherent worth of every life and every story. More than half a million Americans have participated in StoryCorps interviews to date, making it the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered. Interview recordings are preserved for history at the American Folklife Center at the U.S. Library of Congress.

Learn more and apply to be matched: WDET.org/OneSmallStep.

Download flyer (PDF)