As intense political debate continues to dominate the national conversation, Rob Shearer thought it was time to bridge the gap over lunch.
Late last week, Shearer put out a spontaneous Facebook invite asking anyone and everyone to join him for a picnic on the Ron Kirk Bridge Sunday afternoon.
By noon, at least a couple hundred people had scattered along the bridge on blankets to eat and meet.
Shearer, a longtime Oak Cliff resident, got the idea after taking his kids to see the protest over President Donald Trump’s immigration order at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport the weekend before.
"We interacted with a lot of people that, probably, we would not normally interact with," Shearer said. "[I thought] what can I do to contribute something to the conversation and hopefully make it productive?”
He extended his invitation to friends as well as local churches, mosques and other area organizations.
As the crowd filled in Sunday, many took seats next to strangers to share food they’d made from their culture and answer questions about their lives.
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"[I want to] show at the end of the day we're all here for the same purpose: to get along and to be better together," said Jimmy Contraras of Dallas.
Shearer encouraged others to put out similar invites in the future and make meetings like this more common.
"I think little opportunities like this around the country could have a profound impact," he said.
