Pearce Godwin
Founder & CEO of Listen First Project
"Pearce is the national voice for bridging divides." "If bridging divides has a heart, it's in Pearce."
In July 2013, I was on an overnight bus ride across Africa after spending six months there supporting development projects. After years in Washington, DC politics, Uganda had given me a new perspective on life, and on America. I was deeply troubled by news that the most materially prosperous nation on Earth was increasingly gripped by relational poverty, the opposite of Uganda. Unable to sleep, I wrote It's Time to Listen. That simple message was printed in dozens of major newspapers across the United States from the Miami Herald to the Oklahoman. Emboldened by its resonance, I launched Listen First Project. I'm deeply thankful for the 500 partner organizations who have joined the #ListenFirst Coalition as well as the thousands who have signed the Listen First Pledge. If enough of us choose to see dignity across differences, and seek to find a way forward together, America’s future will be bright.
Bio
Described as the beating heart of the movement to bridge divides in America, Pearce Godwin is founder of Listen First Project and the #ListenFirst Coalition of 500 organizations bringing Americans together across divides to build understanding, trust, relationships, and solutions — to turn down the heat and find a way forward together. As the backbone leader for the movement, Pearce drives strategies and initiatives among Coalition partners to create greater impact together toward social cohesion and collaboration. He amplifies the hope and opportunities of the bridging movement in interviews across national media including Fox News, MSNBC and the Wall Street Journal, in columns for USA TODAY and TIME Magazine, and in testimony before Congress. Pearce has visited all 50 states, loves America and his fellow Americans, and maintains faith that out of many people, one more perfect union can be built together.
Pearce graduated from Duke University and received an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill. He spent five years working in Washington, DC—in the U.S. Senate and as a national political consultant for presidential and statewide campaigns. Before moving home to North Carolina in 2013, he spent six months in Uganda, Africa where he wrote It’s Time to Listen. That message—printed in dozens of papers across the United States—launched Listen First Project and led thousands to sign the Listen First Pledge—“I will listen first to understand.” In 2017, as division turned to violence, Pearce left his marketing job to go all in on saving our country from tearing apart, launched the #ListenFirst Coalition, and co-created the first annual National Week of Conversation.
Pearce shares hope and opportunity for bridging divides on C-SPAN
Pearce discusses how to overcome political polarization on C-SPAN
Pearce elevates the bridging movement on PBS: Pursuing a More Perfect Union
Pearce at the Conference on Citizenship
Pearce discusses National Week of Conversation on Fox News
Pearce at the University of Delaware
Pearce at the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives Annual Conference
Pearce shares #ListenFirst for the first time in Central Park, NYC (2013)
Pearce discusses National Week of Conversation on MSNBC
Pearce profiled as an “Everyday Hero”
Pearce's keynote at Listen First in Charlottesville (2018)
Early supporters invite the nation and world to #ListenFirst (2014)
Americans Are Tired of Political Division. Here’s How to Bridge It (TIME Magazine)
Pearce and Dr. Peter Coleman explore ways to turn down the heat of toxic polarization in a three part series.
America, our warning lights are blinking red (USA Today)
Pearce reflects on his road trip across America and calls on all of us to show up for each other and for the country we love before it’s too late.
America Talks: Toxic polarization threatens our nation's future. Here's how we can save it. (USA Today)
Launching the groundbreaking America Talks event in partnership with USA TODAY, Pearce asks those who reject the idea of engaging across differences, what’s your endgame?
It feels like the American experiment is failing. Here's how we can still save it. (USA Today)
Amidst pandemic and protests, Pearce casts a vision of transforming the tide of rising rancor, deepening division and increasing isolation into a wave of respect, connection and belonging.
Let's fight for America by learning to listen first (USA Today)
Pearce and Dr. Graham Bodie encourage hope for 2020 even as the election season foments division and rips at our social fabric. Americans have a chance to subvert those forces and forge a different path.
Resolve to Listen First (The Hill)
In a column shared by thousands, Pearce encourages a fractured nation that each person who sets aside interpersonal conflict for conversation and pledges to listen first tips the scales toward a new direction.
Colleges, the First Amendment isn't protection from offensive speech (The Hill)
Pearce discusses experiencing intolerance of listening at a campus protest and the alternative view of the First Amendment now precluding listening first at schools.
Listen First Reflections on the Tragedy in Charlottesville
Pearce shared the Listen First perspective on the violent clash in Charlottesville in the days following the tragedy, with several posts on the Listen First Blog:
Charlottesville hatred and violence a disgrace to the United States of America
The limits of the Listen First ideal as it relates to violence & racism
Charlottesville: A story of terror or turnaround? Up to you.
Listen First Reflection on the Charlottesville Tragedy
Grappling with Charlottesville and Racist Extremism
Listen First after Charlottesville—How we can save America