In this first episode of Coffee & Tea, host Amber shares who she is, what she believes, and why she started this podcast.

Amber lives in Texas, in a rural community where politics can feel especially polarizing. Like many people, she’s exhausted by the shouting matches, the stereotypes, and the way we stop seeing each other as humans the moment we disagree.

She knows a lot of progressives who have disconnected from conservatives entirely. And she understands why—sometimes that’s the only way to stay safe and sane. But for Amber, that’s not logistically possible. Her neighbors, coworkers, and community are mostly conservative. She can’t avoid them, and honestly, she doesn’t want to. She wants to try something different.

This episode sets the table for what comes next: real conversations about why people believe what they do, without debating, shaming, or trying to “win.” It’s about understanding, not endorsing. It’s about holding space for honesty and accountability at the same time.

Amber is clear that this isn’t work she expects marginalized communities to do. If you are white, liberal, and otherwise not marginalized, she believes this is our homework. The systems we live in were built to benefit people who look like us, and if we want that to change, we can’t keep outsourcing the work of bridge-building to those most harmed by those systems.

She is not endorsing the beliefs other guests will share. She is not pretending that ignorance doesn’t cause harm or that good intentions erase real consequences. But she also believes that if we don’t stay in the room long enough to meet people in their ignorance—and walk them through their hate to the point of understanding why those ideologies are so harmful to everyone, including themselves—nothing ever changes.

Her hope isn’t necessarily to change people’s minds, although that would be wonderful. Her goal is simpler, and maybe harder: to hear someone’s perspective without assuming the worst about them as a person. To model what it looks like to share honestly, to sit with discomfort, and to remember that most of us were shaped by things we didn’t choose.

If you’re curious, skeptical, hopeful, or some combination of all three, Amber is glad you’re here. This is just the beginning, and she believes there’s room at the table for all of us—even when it feels impossible.

Thank you for listening.

Learn more or get involved: littlebluetexans.com/podcast