Dear Friends of FAIR,
The opening days of 2026 have reminded us why the work of civil discourse matters more than ever.
The military operation in Venezuela that resulted in Nicolás Maduro’s capture has sparked fierce debate about executive authority, international law, and American power. In Minneapolis, the death of Renee Good — a US citizen shot by an ICE agent during immigration enforcement — has ignited questions about federal authority, due process, and community safety. Whatever your views on these events, they both share something crucial: they’re forcing Americans to grapple with fundamental questions about government power, individual rights, and where legitimate authority begins and ends.
These aren’t questions with simple answers. They require exactly the kind of thoughtful engagement our constitutional system was designed to enable, and exactly the kind FAIR exists to model.
FAIR’s work has always been grounded in the conviction that Americans can handle complexity — a belief that we’re capable of holding multiple truths simultaneously, of engaging ideas we don’t fully agree with, and of building understanding across our differences. Our constitutional principles aren’t about enforcing uniformity; they’re about creating conditions where diverse perspectives can coexist and where open inquiry leads to better outcomes.
In moments like these — when the news demands that we choose sides quickly and judge definitively — the most valuable thing we can offer is space for genuine dialogue. Not as a substitute for taking positions, but as the foundation for taking informed ones. That’s why FAIR is hosting conversations this month that focus on questions we too often avoid: the complexities of racial identity that resist categorization, and the constraints on inquiry that limit our understanding of health and wellness.
FAIR in Medicine: The Mind-Body Connection
On January 21st at 7 PM EST/4 PM PST, we’re hosting a webinar on “The Mind-Body Connection: How Medical Orthodoxy Resists Nutrition’s Role in Mental Wellness,” featuring Dr. Kendra Kautz. This will be the first in a two-part series examining why it’s become surprisingly difficult to discuss and address the nutritional aspects of mental health.
Emerging research suggests profound connections between diet, mood, and mental wellness. Yet medical orthodoxy has largely sidelined these conversations, even as rates of anxiety and depression, especially among young people, reach unprecedented levels. Why aren’t we having more robust discussions about whether nutrition might be part of the picture? What happens when legitimate scientific inquiry gets dismissed because it challenges established protocols?
This first webinar will focus on adults, with a second conversation for adolescents coming soon. These aren’t anti-medicine questions; they’re pro-inquiry questions.
The American Experience: Beyond Categories
On January 27th at 7 PM EST/4 PM PST, we’re hosting filmmaker Eli Steele and professor Greg Thomas for “Beyond Race: Addressing Multiracial Identity in Modern America.” This conversation will directly support FAIR’s American Experience curriculum, which embraces the experiences of multiracial Americans in our national dialogue about identity and belonging.
The fastest-growing demographic category in recent census data is Americans of “two or more races.” Yet our racial discourse, especially in DEI frameworks, often forces multiracial Americans into boxes that don’t reflect their reality. How do you navigate belonging when society demands you choose? How do multiracial families help their children develop strong identities in a culture that insists on singular categorization?
Steele and Thomas will explore how multiracial Americans aren’t just navigating existing categories; they’re actively shaping what it means to be American in the 21st century.
These webinars won’t offer simple answers. That’s deliberate. Yet as we enter another period of potential division, heated debate, and polarization, FAIR’s commitment to civil discourse matters more than ever.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, we have an opportunity to demonstrate what makes our constitutional experiment enduring: not agreement on every question, but a shared commitment to the principles that allow us to navigate disagreement. The American Experience isn’t about always reaching consensus; it’s about building the capacity to hold productive conversations across our differences, to pursue truth through open inquiry, and to strengthen our republic through engaged citizenship.
We hope you’ll join us for these conversations, whether live or through recordings. Your engagement matters. Every question asked, every perspective shared, every moment of genuine listening contributes to the American Experience we’re all building together.
Here’s to a year worthy of our 250th: better questions, deeper conversations, and renewed commitment to the principles that make genuine dialogue possible.
With gratitude,
Monica Harris
Executive Director
The Body-Mind Connection: How Physiology Is Often Overlooked in Mental Health Care
FAIR Educator Alliance 2025-2026
FAIR is launching the Educators Alliance for the 2025–2026 school year to equip PK–12 educators with the knowledge, strategies, and community support they need to foster schools that are more enriching and free from bias for students and educators.
Each monthly gathering will open with updates and presentations from FAIR staff, fellows, Chapter Leaders, and occasional guest speakers. Together, we’ll explore strategies for supporting educators, communities, and local chapters—and for advancing positive change at the local, regional, and national levels. Following presentations, participants will have space for open forum discussions to connect, seek advice, and coordinate on pressing issues in their schools. Breakout rooms will be divided into PK-6 and 7-12 grade levels with experienced teachers facilitating those conversations.
Meetings: First Thursday of each month at 7 PM ET via Zoom
Duration: 1 hour
FAIR News Podcast
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You state with regard to the importance of diet
“Yet medical orthodoxy has largely sidelined these conversations…”
I want to push back on that and assert that such a statement is not fact based in my very recent experience. Every doctor at Kaiser that I’ve spoken with with has emphasized diet.
So I really don’t understand what you’re talking about.