John Brown Childs — a UC Santa Cruz distinguished professor emeritus of sociology and veteran of the civil rights movement — has spent a lifetime thinking about resolving conflict. Earlier this month, while sitting outside a cafe in Santa Cruz County, he was the victim of hate speech, making that work both more immediate and more personal. Nader Oweis, former UCSC chief of police and now chief of police at Sonoma State University, also worries about increasing intolerance and polarization. As our country has become more divided socially and politically and more affected by gun violence, the two advocate for more ways of bringing people of different constituencies “to the table” to solve racism, inequity and violence.
