an on-stage conversation<\/a> about politics, education, community and the impact of literature.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe two men have been friends for multiple years. It all started when Kinney began to watch Robinson\u2019s content on social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI found these videos of this very tense looking guy speaking directly to the camera,\u201d Kinney explained at the event. \u201cAnd he really is excited about participatory democracy. There was something about Brandt that just drew me in. So, I watched a lot of his videos and learned a lot about what was happening in that day\u2019s news put into a historical context.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This led the author to contact Robinson. A bond would form. Eventually, Robinson would even travel to Plainville, Massachusetts to visit Kinney\u2019s independent bookstore, An Unlikely Story. They realized that they share a passion for civic participation, particularly for young people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Creating a sense of community in a \u201cthird place\u201d was among the topics discussed at the Thursday gathering. These are areas outside of the workplace, school and church.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kinney is currently working on a Plainville downtown revitalization project. The area, where he has resided for years, has a population of approximately 10,000 people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJeff wants to create like a third place where there\u2019s hiking trails and he just finished a beer garden,\u201d Robinson explained. \u201cSo, he\u2019s imagining \u2018how do you bring people together?\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
An Unlikely Story was the first step in the effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once Kinney\u2019s bookstore opened in 2015, it grew in popularity. He realized that it could be a space for people to congregate and learn. Former First Lady Hillary Clinton was scheduled to appear, but had to cancel her book event due to the Covid-19 pandemic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat spurred the rest of the downtown development,\u201d Kinney said. \u201cBecause, we were thinking about how we can grow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Kinney previously came to visit Robinson in the Tampa Bay area, the political candidate introduced him to Dunedin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The small town left an impression. Particularly, John R. Lawrence Pioneer Park\u2019s arch structure. In fact, it inspired a design idea for Kinney\u2019s Plainville initiative.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need great spaces for people to come together as citizens to really engage,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cThat\u2019s a big step for participatory democracy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another key topic was how to engage young people in the civic process. Robinson argued that older Americans have a responsibility to bring children and teenagers together. This can help them learn more about democracy and government. More so, how they can get involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both men emphasized the importance of literature during their childhoods. Kinney\u2019s favorite book growing up was Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was like holding up a mirror to my own life,\u201d he explained. \u201cI could see myself in the pages. I saw myself as the protagonist and it wasn\u2019t a leap at all. I\u2019ve come to realize that so many kids don\u2019t get that opportunity. So many kids don\u2019t have their lives reflected back to them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As a bookstore owner, this has inspired Kinney to focus on voices that are not always heard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Robinson began to read autobiographies early in life. One book in particular was The Autobiography of Malcolm X. The civil rights leader was assassinated in 1965.\u00a0<\/p>\n
These nonfiction works had an impact on the congressional candidate and helped foster his passion for history. More so, they made him think about \u201cthe potential for change.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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