Writer · Speaker · Founding President, The OmniAmerican Society
America isn’t just divided by opinions. It’s divided by identity. John Wood Jr. bridges both.
One of the most distinctive voices in American civic life, making the case that our traditions don’t have to destroy each other.
Published in
The Wall Street JournalUSA TodayNational AffairsThe DispatchQuillettePersuasionThe American InterestYale Divinity Reflections
The work
Named for a Southern statesman. A student of Dr. King. A son of both Americas.
John Randolph Wood Jr. is the son of a liberal Black Democrat from Los Angeles and a conservative white Republican from Tennessee.
Named after John Randolph of Roanoke (the “father of Southern conservatism”), Wood has forged a national reputation as a compelling exponent of the philosophical nonviolence of Martin Luther King Jr. and a leading voice in the Bridging Movement.
Wood is a former nominee for Congress and former National Ambassador for Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, bipartisan organization dedicated to the work of bridging the divide. He is now the founding president of The OmniAmerican Society — a startup media enterprise dedicated to restoring our shared American identity and popularizing the Movement to Bridge the Divide.
Where to begin
Three ways to work with John
For hosts and event planners
Speaking
Keynotes, featured addresses, panels, moderated conversations, and debates. Every talk is delivered extemporaneously and built around the room, from CPAC to UC Berkeley.
See signature talksFor readers and editors
Writing
Essays on Martin Luther King Jr., American conservatism, race, faith, and free speech, in National Affairs, The Dispatch, Quillette, USA Today, and more.
Browse the archive Watch and listenFor funders and partners
The OmniAmerican Society
A new media platform to renew a shared American identity and carry the bridging movement to a mainstream audience. Now building its founding circle.
Learn about the Society
On the stage
The charisma of a preacher, the erudition of a professor, and the poise of a statesman.
For more than twelve years John has spoken to universities, think tanks, foundations, corporations, faith communities, and associations of elected officials, including the Aspen Institute, the Manhattan Institute, AEI, CPAC, MIT, Duke, and Pepperdine.
Recent essay
Martin Luther King’s Transcendent Conservatism
In National Affairs, Wood reads King alongside Russell Kirk and the conservative tradition, and argues that King’s philosophy of nonviolence speaks to Americans on both sides of today’s divide.
Bring John to your next convening.
He works closely with hosts in advance to understand the room, the goals, and the occasion.