Episoder
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This episode features a conversation with Emily White of #iVoted Concerts. For all the technology in our world today, voter turnout tactics, like door knocking and phone banking, have seen remarkably little innovation in decades. But when, in 2016, Wisconsin native and music industry insider Emily White first heard about the narrow vote margin that helped Donald Trump win the White House in her home state, she thought, âWait a minute, thatâs the size of a concert venue!â. That was the lightbulb moment when Emily came up with the idea of organizing election night concerts with free tickets for people who show a selfie in front of their polling place. The result has been a beautiful marriage of music and data to engage more voters and strengthen democracy. Emily and Nancy talk about the fact that young people are twice as likely to attend a concert than vote; the MIT analysis showing the remarkable increase in voter turnout that resulted from #iVoted Concerts; and the highly targeted, data-driven events planned for this year around the country, particularly in swing states. If you want to learn more about #iVoted Concerts or to support their work, check out their website where you can donate and find links to their social media.
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This episode features a conversation with Claire Atkin of the ad tech watchdog Check My Ads. Our online world has become incredibly complex, bringing with it myriad opportunities for bad actors to manipulate opinions, ideas and ultimately our political system. You may not know what ad tech is or why we need a watchdog, but the bottom line is that Claire and her colleagues at Check My Ads have ventured deep into the weeds to defund online platforms that promote hate and disinformation by taking away their revenue sources: ads. Claire and Nancy talk about the âdonut of griftersâ on the internet who have monetized the politics of hate through digital advertising; the intentional opacity of the ad tech industry that keeps advertisers from knowing where their online ads are placed; and the great successes that this small but mighty team at Check My Ads have had thus far. If you want to learn more about Check My Ads, you can check out their website where you can make a donation or sign up for their newsletter with regular calls to action.
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Four years ago, Jordan Zaslow was busy with her life running an advertising and entertainment production company, but when things shut down during covid in 2020, she found herself with time on her hands and lots of worries about the upcoming election. So she and her team decided to channel that anxiety into making pro bono campaign ads for female Democrats running for office, and Her Bold Move was born. Her Bold Move is now in their fourth election cycle and dedicated to electing more âpro-womenâ women who will influence policy on issues that matter to women, like reproductive rights and affordable childcare. Jordan and Nancy speak about the unique challenges and pressures women face when running for office, why we canât leave behind women running in red state races, conquering imposter syndrome, and much more. If you want to learn more about Her Bold Move and help get more women into the rooms where it happens, check out their website, www.herboldmove.org, where you can also find links to their social media.
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On this episode, Nancy speaks with Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein, a Republican whose office is in charge of election operations and voter registration in the Pennsylvania city. Nancy and Seth talk about why, despite enduring threats and harassment in 2020 from members of his own party, Seth remains committed to his mission of ensuring free, secure and transparent elections for all voters. They also discuss the importance of bipartisanship, what it means to be a principled Republican today, and why Seth has recently become affiliated with the Forward Party. This conversation will leave you feeling reassured about the prospects for this yearâs elections and the people who run them in Pennsylvania, where the thinnest of margins can have the largest of impacts.
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On this episode, Nancy welcomes back Melissa Walker of the States Project (formerly known as Future Now). Melissa appeared on the very first episode of this podcast, when deep in Covid lockdown, she schooled us on why we should be focusing on winning state races versus focusing on big, expensive federal seats. On this episode, Melissa is back to talk about why state elections matter now more than ever, how tiny margins can create huge policy and power shifts, and why this yearâs elections in Virginia are of vital importance. Melissa doesnât sugarcoat the fight that lies ahead, but she will give you the inspiration and information you need to be a fierce and focused warrior. For more information about the States Project and how to join or start a giving circle, check out their website at statesproject.org.
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This episode features a conversation with Lindsey Drath, CEO of the Forward Party, a newly formed political party that intends to bring power back to the majority of Americans and take it away from the fringes. Imagine a world in which the will of the plurality rules, where the 70-80% of Americans who support things like gun laws and abortion and climate action have their say, instead of being governed by extremists. With the support of political luminaries from both major parties, like Andrew Yang, Evan McMullin, David Jolly, and Christine Todd Whitman, the Forward Party promises to return power back to the people with a bottom up approach where communities dictate policy, not the parties. How? Through the transformative power of electoral reforms like ranked choice voting, open primaries and independent redistricting committees that motivate candidates to appeal to the majority of voters. Listen to Lindsey and decide for yourself if this is a utopian pipedream or a realistic path out of our broken and polarized political system. For more information on the Forward Party, visit their website at www.forwardparty.com.
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This episode features a conversation with abortion rights activist Michelle Colon of SHERo (Sisters Helping Every Woman Rise and Organize), an organization dedicated to reproductive justice for black and brown women in Mississippi. While thereâs no sugarcoating the dire state of abortion rights in our country right now, this conversation will help you pick yourself up out of your puddle of tears and start to take action. Michelle and Nancy talk about how Mississippi, with its myriad abortion restrictions, is virtually already in a post-Roe universe and how it will only get harder; the fraught history of bodily autonomy for black and brown women; and why we need to support local abortion organizations that are able to help women with the daunting amount of resources they will need when Roe is gone for good. You can donate to support Michelle's work at SHERo here. And below is Michelleâs list of other worthy grassroots groups that help women with those resources.
ARC Southeast arc-southeast.org
Indigenous Women Rising https://www.iwrising.org/abortion-fund
Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund www.msreprofreedomfund.org
New Orleans Abortion Fund
www.neworleansabortionfund.org
Tampa Bay Abortion Fund tbafund.com
National Network of Abortion Funds
abortionfunds.org
Yellowhammer Fund
www.yellowhammerfund.org
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On the last episode with Stacy Kramer of Blueprint/Swing Left, we got a birdâs eye view of why we should support grassroots groups in swing states. This week, Nancy is following up with a âboots on the groundâ perspective from Diana Robinson, civic engagement director at Make the Road Pennsylvania. Diana discusses her groupâs support of working class Latinx communities year in and year out, and how that translates into votes for Democrats when elections roll around. Nancy and Diana also talk about what life is like in a deeply divided battleground state like Pennsylvania, how the groupâs advocacy is making a real impact, and why they need money now to knock on doors and educate voters before the elections.
To make a donation or learn more about Make the Road Pennsylvania (a 501(c)(3) organization), go to https://www.maketheroadpa.org/donate.
To make a donation or learn more about their electoral 501(c)(4) arm, Make the Road Action, go to www.maketheroadaction.org.
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This episode features Stacy Kramer who first came on the podcast two years ago as a newly activated Democratic fundraiser who was making fundraising more Democratic. But after the disappointing down ballot results for Democrats in 2020, she took a hard look at what had gone wrong and realized that giving large amounts of money directly to candidates and campaigns is not a winning strategy. Now she has changed activist gears and is a consultant at Blueprint, a division of the political action group Swing Left. At Blueprint, Stacy is dedicating her time to building up local grassroots civics groups in order to build Democratic infrastructure so that Democrats can win. Stacy and Nancy talk about the law of diminishing returns when it comes to campaign giving, how Republicans have been successfully cultivating the grassroots for decades, and the expertise that Blueprint provides, giving donors the assurance that their gifts will have maximum impact. To learn more about Blueprint, go to blueprint.swingleft.org or email Stacy at [email protected].
Stacy talks about the following resources on the podcast:
The Losing Democrats who Gobbled Up Money by Michael Sokolove in The New Republic
Kyle Spencerâs book Raising Them Right: The Untold Story of America's Ultraconservative Youth Movement--and Its Plot for Power will be published in the fall.
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This episode features Indian-American activist and racial justice leader Nisha Anand of Dream Corps. Once a radical grassroots activist arrested in Burma for passing out pro-democracy leaflets, Nishaâs expansive organizing experience and work with mentors like Van Jones, solidified her belief in the power of working with unlikely partners to find real solutions. As Dream Corpsâ CEO, Nisha leads a diverse group of people who are learning, like her, the value of unconventional relationships. Nisha and Nancy speak about how we can and must work with people across the divide to come up with lasting solutions to our biggest problems; how these solutions are enriched, not compromised, when we find common ground; and an optimistic take on our ability to tackle the climate crisis. If youâre interested in learning more about Nishaâs journey from punk-rock protester to common ground champion, check out her TED talk, The Radical Act of Choosing Common Ground.
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On this episode, Nancy speaks with Claire Ullman and Sandy Radoff of the voter outreach group Students for Justice. In 2020, Claire was a professor who was trying to help her students whose summer jobs had gone up in smoke during the covid lockdown. Sandy was an active volunteer with the Center for Common Ground. The two of them saw an untapped resource to help get out the vote of people of color in voter suppression states, and Students for Justice was born. Sandy, Claire and Nancy discuss repurposing skills from earlier careers to do good; the importance of giving students leadership and political organizing experience; building intergenerational bonds; and the very real impact that postcards, phonebanking, textbanking and social media outreach have on elections. If you liked my earlier conversation with Andrea Miller, founder of the Center of Common Ground, youâll love learning about the ripple effects of her work here. And itâs easy for you to get involved by hosting a virtual house party to introduce your friends to Students for Justice. Just go to the âHouse Partiesâ link on their website. To learn more about Students for Justice, go to studentsforjusticevote.org.
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And now for something completely different with this episode on plant based eating. This is the second in a two part environmental series on thinking globally and acting locally. In the last episode, Nancy spoke with Daniel Katz of the Rainforest Alliance about the global effect of rainforest destruction on climate change and that the main cause for this destruction is cattle raising. But itâs not just cattle in rainforests that are the problem. Worldwide, animal agriculture accounts for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. Thatâs more than the entire transportation sector combined, which clocks in at 13%. This all means that eating a plant based diet has more of an impact on climate than driving an electric car. So this episode focuses on acting locally, and I mean hyper-locally because the most powerful personal action we can take to fight climate change is changing our diet.
Our guides for this exploration of plant based eating are friends and veteran vegans, artist Gayle Kabaker and Suzette Moyer, design director at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Gayle, Suzette and Nancy are all at different stages of their plant-based journeys â Gayle has been a vegan for 8 years, Suzette for two and Nancy is the newcomer since a recent diagnosis of high cholesterol. In this preach-free zone, Gayle, Suzette and Nancy talk about tips, tricks, hacks and recipes, the vegan glow and demystifying weird-sounding ingredients. And if Gayleâs name sounds familiar, itâs because she appeared on earlier episode of the podcast, speaking about her work at Vital Voices to raise up women leaders around the world.
So if you want to lose weight, if you want to improve your overall health, if youâre just curious or if you want to change your diet to save the planet, then this episode is for you. And be sure to check out the website at newfacesofdemocracy.org for additional recipes and resources.
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This episode with Daniel Katz of the Rainforest Alliance, is the first in a two part environmental series on thinking globally and acting locally. While you probably know that rainforests around the world are in danger, you may not know that rainforest destruction wreaks havoc on the climate and puts us all in danger. You also may not know that, here in the United States, we as consumers are culpable in aiding and abetting global rainforest destruction. Daniel and Nancy talk about the connection between rainforests and climate, why deforestation is taking place, and ways our personal choices can help save the rainforests to save the world. And if this episode gets you thinking, be sure to check out Part 2 of the series coming soon which will be a deep dive into plant based eating.
To learn more about the Rainforest Alliance, go to www.rainforest-alliance.org.
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This episode features a conversation with Andrea Miller, founding board member of the Center for Common Ground. The Center for Common Ground is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to turning out the vote of people of color in voter suppression states in the South. Nancy and Andrea talk about the most devious and extreme voter suppression tactics today; the tools and techniques to fight them; and the importance of teaching people how their government works. Andreaâs tireless work may ultimately make all the difference between red and blue in the coming elections, and you will learn how you can play a part in that too. For more information on the Center for Common Ground, visit their website.
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On this episode, Nancy speaks with Alex Kramer of Knock for Democracy. Alex is an actor/writer who discovered he had a talent for political organizing after the 2016 election. What started in a living room with a few dozen friends had grown by 2020 to more than 5,000 volunteers who had knocked on countless doors and dialed literally millions of numbers all in the name of, yes, democracy. Alex and I talk about how making the volunteer experience fun keeps people coming back for more; the power of community experience that feels joyous, connected and personal; and bringing back the lost art of civic and civil conversation with our fellow citizens. To learn more or donate, visit knockfordemocracy.org.
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Welcome to Season 3 of the New Faces of Democracy podcast, hosted by Nancy Bynum. Are you pooped from too much politics and a polarizing pandemic? Season 3 of the podcast is here to help. Because to be an engaged citizen and to save our democracy, you donât have to act like you're on cable news. Activism doesnât have to be angry, depleting and exhausting. Activism can be uplifting and energizing. It can connect you with communities of like minded people who care about the things you care about. And if all you have is an hour or two a week, thatâs all you need. Season 3 of the New Faces of Democracy podcast will introduce you to people engaged in vitally important work making our country and planet a better place. And it will also give you ideas of ways for you to get involved. These conversations will help you find a path to sustainable, restorative activism that, like a great yoga class, takes a little work but feels really good. Please join Nancy for Season 3, coming soon at newfacesofdemocracy.org or wherever you stream your podcasts.
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This episode features Professors Melody Barnes and Laurent Dubois, co-directors of the Democracy Initiative at the University of Virginia. This interdisciplinary initiative brings together a diverse range of scholars, government leaders, practitioners and students to study the urgent challenges facing democracy today and advancing its prospects for the future. Nancy, Melody and Laurent discuss the threats to democracy from both Melodyâs public policy and government background and Laurentâs historical perspective; the inherent conflict within democracies between disempowered groups voting for change and entrenched interests that seek to restrict access to the ballot; and while we have a lot of work to do, reasons to be optimistic.
https://democracyinitiative.virginia.edu
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This episode features a conversation with Manny Yekutiel, founder of San Francisco phenomenon, Mannyâs, a civic gathering space that brings people together for coffee, bagels and discourse. In this comfortable and friendly space, people gather for debates, to hear candidates like Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, and for something increasingly rare in our country today: dialogue. Nancy and Manny talk about how people are craving in-person experiences in an increasingly digital world; how to heal our political discord; and how to make politics fun, accessible and exciting.
https://www.welcometomannys.com
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This episode features a conversation with Eliza Nemser, an earth scientist who is worried about the earth. So worried, in fact, that she pivoted from science to politics to found Climate Changemakers, a group of concerned citizens who take meaningful action to elect climate candidates and advance climate policies. Eliza and Nancy talk about how we canât science our way out of climate change, itâs a political issue; why her group is defiantly non-partisan; and what we can achieve when we carve out just one hour a week for productive, collective climate action.
To learn more, visit www.climatechangemakers.org.
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This episode features Alyse Nelson, President and CEO of Vital Voices, and renowned artist Gayle Kabaker, talking about their artistic collaboration in the name of womenâs empowerment around the world. Self-described as "two crazy women with bold ideas," this dynamic duo came together to create a book and exhibition entitled âVital Voices: 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower.â The project includes portraits of 100 global women leaders redefining power and celebrates Vital Voicesâ mission to support womenâs leadership to solve the worldâs greatest challenges. Alyse, Gayle and Nancy talk about how women lead differently and how that leadership style is sorely needed right now; the power of art to transform the way we think about things and shift culture; and the gratification in creating art that makes an impact and inspires others. To purchase the book and learn more about Vital Voices and Gayle Kabaker, see the links below.
https://www.vitalvoices.org
http://gkabaker.com
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