(CNN) Editor's note: In "Bridging the Divide," CNN profiles people who are working to find common ground on America's most divisive issues.
On September 15, 2001, Rana Singh Sodhi's brother was killed at a convenience store in the first hate crime related to 9/11. Balbir Singh Sodhi was targeted because of his turban, and after his death Sodhi set out to educate other Americans about Sikhism. His goal is to "make this country hate-free."
Abigail Disney and Robert Schenck never thought they'd like each other. She is an ardent liberal and pro-choice activist. He is an evangelical minister. But when a documentary about gun control brought them together, they realized their political differences might actually help them find a solution to the issue. "People surprise you because they're never as simple as you want them to be," Schenck says.
Kassi Underwood was an alcoholic when she found out she was pregnant. She had an abortion and entered treatment to get sober. Then she found herself questioning whether she had made the right decision to end her pregnancy. Now she's on a mission to challenge the political divide around abortion, and to better understand the women who have had them.
PJ Parmar leads a Boy Scout troop for refugee children in his community. Nights spent roasting hot dogs and gazing at the stars with their classmates help them feel more comfortable at school -- giving them the confidence they need to succeed in a new world.
Atlanta PD had a problem: More than 80% of its police force was living outside of city limits. So it started offering incentives for officers to move to inner city neighborhoods. Officer Mike Costello saw it as an opportunity to change how the community views cops. And living in the city has changed his perspective too.