Exploring Trust, Dialogue, and Civic Engagement Through "Talking to Strangers"

This semester a group of 11 student leaders have been reading and discussing Talking to Strangers: Anxieties of Citizenship Since Brown v. Board of Education by Danielle Allen, Ph.D., professor of political philosophy, public policy, and ethics at Harvard University. These students were joined by Vanessa B. Beasley, Ph.D., president of Trinity University; Megan Mustain, Ph.D., provost and vice president for Academic Affairs; Brandi Jones, Ph.D., vice president for inclusive engagement; and Kyle Gillette ’01, Ph.D., special adviser to the provost for expression and civil discourse. In addition to studying the book with the students, these University leaders have opened their homes to host meetings of the reading group. 

The book Talking to Strangers delves into the lack of trust among citizens that poses a threat to our democracy and explores ways to build trust and learn to have open, honest dialogue with others. Allen considers how one can engage as a citizen when taught not to talk to strangers, while weaving together thoughtful consideration of racial and economic differences. The university represents a crucible for democracy: a place where students learn and practice civil discourse, civic responsibility, and the importance of listening and learning from others while also being able to articulate their own perspectives. Trinity’s reading group embodied and embraced these tasks, allowing the students and administrative leaders to gather and explore the topics Allen presents in her book. In particular, the group benefited from the unique opportunity to engage with differences and talk to strangers from many different areas of campus, including academic leadership.

“Each time we met in President Beasley’s or Provost Mustain’s living rooms, students considered the ways Talking to Strangers connected not only to their lives as citizens but also as Trinity students: their understanding of friendship, what it means to speak up in class and hold space for others, how to negotiate shared areas in the dorms or run student organizations,” Gillette says. “The students engaged these problems thoughtfully while exploring Allen’s readings of political ideas from Aristotle to Hobbes, Habermas and Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man. We’ve had such a meaningful time that we’re looking to expand on the reading group next semester.”

On Friday, April 12, Allen gave the 2024 Flora Cameron Lecture, exploring the intersections and nuances of democracy and the humanities. This event was part of the inaugural Trinity Interdisciplinary Conference in the Humanities titled “Humanities Unbound.” The students who are part of the reading group were able to meet Allen, ask her questions, and have dinner with her, a fitting culmination of their semester-long learning experience.

“This initiative wasn't just about reading any book; it was about selecting a piece that resonated deeply with our University life and American democracy,” says Lindsi Reyes ’26, a student member of the reading group. “The choice of book, along with the intimate setting of President Beasley's home, with her inviting pillows, created an environment where genuine connections could flourish.”