Shaka Mitchell: Civil Discourse Through Music, School Choice & the Rise of AI in Learning

Today on Floating Questions, we sat down with Shaka Mitchell - Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow, Senior Fellow at the American Federation for Children, constitutional law lecturer, long-distance runner, creator of the Come Together Music Project, and father of three. Shaka has spent decades building bipartisan coalitions in education and civil discourse, guided by humility, principled thinking, and a deep commitment to humanizing others. In this conversation, we explore:Music as a bridge: why “every memory has a soundtrack” and how sharing a song helps people humanize each other before hard political conversations Values, faith & principled living: “to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift,” and why humility matters when advocating for what you believe School choice & civic engagement: how diverse motivations still build coalitions, and the tension between plural school options and the demands placed on parentsAI in the classroom: how AI can support learning and where it can’t replace teachers, plus emerging policy questions as AI enters educationShaka shares stories from his coalition-building work, his family, and his faith - offering a grounded look at how people with very different backgrounds and beliefs can still learn from one another.You can also follow his work and thoughts here https://shakamitchell.substack.com/