Dear Friends of FAIR,
Books are powerful. They invite us to slow down and sit with difficult ideas. They provide a common language for important discussions. Last year FAIR in Conversation gave our community a dedicated forum to explore sensitive issues, engage across differences, and practice respectful civil discourse. And we’re proud of the community we built.
Today, the need for engaged conversation is greater than ever.
From our courts and classrooms to our cultural institutions, the rate of that change has outrun the publication schedule. Legislative battles, viral controversies, and landmark research are reshaping the landscape of civil rights, free expression, and fairness, and our members are hungry to discuss these developments in real time.
That’s why, on April 29th, FAIR in Conversation is relaunching with a new monthly format built for this moment.
We’re leaning away from books and into the issues themselves: the debates, decisions, and developments that are defining what fairness, free speech, and equal dignity mean in America, and beyond, right now. Each session will center on a pressing topic of the day, drawing on a curated mix of articles, book summaries, short essays, podcasts, films, and other multimedia resources to ground the conversation before opening the floor for discussion.
The goal isn’t to reach consensus. The goal is to model the kind of open, honest, good-faith dialogue that is increasingly rare, and to do so across the full range of perspectives that make FAIR’s community so valuable.
What might we discuss? The Supreme Court’s recent wave of First Amendment decisions and their impact on everyday Americans – teachers, students, and doctors. Ethnic studies mandates and the debate over how race and ethnicity are taught in schools. The constitutional rights of parents to direct the upbringing, care, and control of their children. The science of gender medicine and the institutions caught in the middle. Artificial intelligence and what it means for equality, creativity, and human dignity.
There is no shortage of topics that affect all of us, no shortage of FAIR members who want to engage them seriously.
Sessions will be virtual, open to all FAIR members, and designed to be as accessible as they are substantive. You don’t need to have read anything in advance. Just bring your curiosity, your willingness to listen, and your commitment to engage in good faith.
These are exactly the conversations America needs now, and we are committed to modeling them. Sessions will run monthly from April 29th to September 23rd. We hope you’ll join us! Sign up here to join FAIR in Conversation this season.
With gratitude,
The FAIR Team
FAIR in Conversation (FiC) meets virtually from April to September. Registration is free for all FAIR members. Not a member yet? Sign up for FiC and become one here:
Culture in Psychotherapy — Without the Corrosion of Identity Politics
Join FAIR in partnership with Dr. Douglas Novotny for this Continuing Education course. Amid today’s culture wars, Identity Politics has corroded the teaching and practice of psychotherapy. Many people on both sides feel distrustful, alienated, and/or demoralized. This course gives a structural model for clinical work that re-enlivens moral depth — without moralism. The goal of this course is to clarify concepts and conflicts that impact both daily life and clinical settings.
Research indicates that ideological diversity — seeing topics from different points of view — improves psychology. This course builds on FAIR Advisor Jon Haidt‘s Moral Foundations Theory, a cultural lens to grasp differences across cultures, within cultures, and the experiences of clients and students encountered by therapists. Specific clinical applications will be explored, and critiques and competing moral models will be considered. This structural model helps to explain interpersonal divisions (and intra-psychic ones) and offers ways to bridge them through deep cultural understanding and relational attunement.
This course is available now: March 18th - April 18th (self-paced Home Study) and TODAY (Wednesday, April 8th). Course fee: $69 (+ $20 if requesting Continuing Ed. Certificate)
Heterodox Libraries Spring 2026 Symposium: HUMAN AUTHORSHIP
Join FAIR Board Member Heather Blakeslee in conversation with Bret Weinstein at the Heterodox Libraries (HxLibraries) Spring Symposium: HUMAN AUTHORSHIP. This Friday, April 10th, 2026 from 11am - 3pm U.S. CT (convert time zone) via Zoom. Join us for this FREE virtual event to celebrate creativity and the human experience.
Read the full event description and register here.
The Lost Art of Listening: Building Empathy Across Differences
Join FAIR Advisors John Wood, Jr. and Ilana Redstone for this upcoming webinar, moderated by FAIR Executive Director Monica Harris. We will discuss the need to develop emotional intelligence and perspective-enhancing skills and how deep listening strengthens democratic participation and community bonds. This theme also supports FAIR's commitment to respectful civil discourse, which is a foundational element of our Many Stories, One Nation curriculum.
FAIR Educator Alliance 2025-2026
FAIR has launched 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 to support educators, communities, and local chapters—and to advance positive change at the local, regional, and national levels. Following the 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
Note to readers: We have paused the FAIR News podcast. If you prefer listening, rather than reading these newsletters, an audio version is available directly on the Substack app. Thank you for tuning in!