TryUnified Mission Statement

At TryUnified, we believe that there is an inherent and intrinsic value in diversity.  Differences make the human race as a whole beautiful, exotic, mysterious, creative, productive and mesmerizing.  Because our brains are hardwired to identify threats and look for patterns, it is biologically easy for people to vilify or simply fear those with distinctive differences from ourselves and those people to whom we have bonded.  Once these aversions have been formed, either through systemic prejudice or personal negative experience, it is exceptionally difficult to deactivate our neurological security systems, creating space for new, meaningful personal connections.  For that reason, it is not enough to simply hope that diverse groups will reconcile, or that truth will prevail in the face of discrimination and bias.

Directly challenging biases and prejudices often leads people to defend their position as a matter of principle.  Rather than embracing the higher truths of equality, they instead become entrenched in their antipathetic feelings.  It is far more effective to create dialog that humanizes the people that have been maligned by prejudice.  While there are some instances where this dialog can directly center around the victim of discrimination (such as restorative justice practices), in many cases this setup risks retraumatizing the victim and/or incurring additional microaggressions.  Removing the conversation from the participants' personal experiences to center it around those of a character in a story book can ease tensions and allow more open-minded exploration of the topic.

That leads us to the purpose of this organization.  We seek to provide a database of high-quality children's stories that celebrate diversity and showcase challenges individuals can face because of their divergent attributes.  Coupled with research-based curriculum, both professional and informal teachers can use these books to bridge divides and challenge assumptions of inferiority for those who are different.  New friendships can be forged, diverse groups can coalesce, and ultimately we can unify our fractured society.

Shaun Brunson

Founder of TryUnified