On Sunday, a police office shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Blake, a Black man who was breaking up a domestic fight, was heading back to his car to check on his children. Since then, protesters have taken to the streets in Kenosha to demand justice for Blake and two protestors were killed. To discuss, we SPOTLIGHT Jennifer Epps-Addison. A leader with deep roots in Milwaukee, Epps-Addison is currently the Network President and Co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy. Formerly, she was the Chief Program Officer of the Liberty Hill Foundation, a social justice foundation in Los Angeles that funds grassroots community organizing campaigns for social change. She was also the Executive Director of Wisconsin Jobs Now, a nonprofit fighting for social and economic justice with collective, direct action as a fundamental organizing principle. Media includes: The Washington Post, The Guardian, International Business Times, Politico, MSNBC, NPR.
The Republican National Convention ends tonight. To discuss, we FEATURE Leah Wright Rigueur. Rigueur is an author, historian, speaker, and Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is the author of The Loneliness of the Black Republican: Pragmatic Politics and the Pursuit of Power (2015), a book that offers a much-needed critical examination of the tense relationship that exists between African Americans and the GOP. Providing a thorough reading of Black voting behavior and opinion over a 60-year period, Leah’s book also analyzes the ideas and actions of Black activists, politicians, officials, and intellectuals that worked with and within the Republican Party. Media includes: The New York Times, The Washington Post, CBS News, MSNBC, PBS, NPR.
Healthcare is playing a central role in this year's elections as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on the nation. To discuss, we FEATURE Laura Packard, who recently spoke with Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention. Packard serves as co-chair of Health Care Voter, a national campaign to hold elected officials accountable for their votes on health care, and support those who fight to protect our care. She also runs the pharma accountability campaign for Hero Action Fund, and is working to make sure any future coronavirus vaccines and COVID-19 treatments are available to all. Media includes: The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, US News & World Report, MSNBC.
Northern California has been ravaged with wildfires, which were started by lightning storms. Many people in the region have been forced to evacuate from their homes. To discuss, we FEATURE Sarinya Srisakul. Srisakul has been serving NYC as a firefighter since 2005. She is the first woman firefighter of Asian descent in the FDNY. Srisakul is the former President of the United Women Firefighters. She has been a dedicated member of the United Women Firefighters since the beginning of her career and has held the positions of Secretary, Borough Representative and Vice President before her current presidency. Media includes: Newsday, CBS.
Economists are concerned that, because of permanent job losses caused by the pandemic, we are entering another Great Recession. To discuss, we FEATURE Sarah Bonk. Bonk is the Founder and CEO of Business for America (BFA), a nonpartisan, nonprofit alliance of civic-minded businesses who are advancing solutions to boost civic engagement, reduce political polarization, and modernize government. A well-functioning representative democracy will help foster a more competitive, innovative business climate in America. In light of the coronavirus pandemic and upcoming elections, BFA is mobilizing businesses to advocate for the health of their employees and communities by expanding access to vote by mail and ensuring the safety of in-person voting. In addition, BFA is organizing businesses to provide human, technical, equipment, and other resources to support state and local governments. Extensive media experience.
A Florida judge has ruled that the statewide order to reopen schools was unconstitutional saying that the decision should be left up to individual school districts. To discuss, we FEATURE Representative Anna V. Eskamani. Eskamani is an Orlando native and daughter of immigrants who has worked relentlessly her entire life to protect all members of our community through effective advocacy, bold leadership, and strategic management. A community organizer with a proven track record in building consensus while fighting unapologetically for progressive values, for the last six years Anna served as the Senior Director of Public Affairs and Communications for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. Media includes: The Central Florida Future, Orlando Sentinel, The Huffington Post.
The Army Corps of Engineers has demanded that environmental mitigation measures be taken in Alaska to preserve the wetlands after it was announced the area would be open for gold and copper mining. To discuss, we FEATURE Victoria Herrmann. Herrmann is the President & Managing Director of The Arctic Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to Arctic security research, and is currently embedded as a Fellow at the Polar Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences. As a National Geographic Explorer, she was the principle investigator for America's Eroding Edges, a research and storytelling project on coastal climate change adaptation and cultural heritage in the US and US Territories. Media includes: The Washington Post, CNN, BBC, NPR.
The Department of Homeland Security is resuming renewals of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. To discuss, we FEATURE Yesenia Chavez. Chavez, a daughter of Mexican immigrants, serves as the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Policy Analyst within the National Political Advocacy Department. Prior to ACLU, she was the Immigrant Women's Health and Rights Policy Analyst at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, and led the organization's immigration policy efforts against the detention of pregnant individuals, family separation, ICE & CBP funding, and the organization's campaign on the "public charge" rule. Media includes: The Atlantic, Good Morning Washington.
Aaron Coleman, a 19-year old who won his state primary for Kansas House candidate, has decided to stay in the race after initially saying he would drop out following allegations of sending revenge porn. To discuss, we FEATURE Jaclyn Friedman. Friedman's work has redefined the concept of “healthy sexuality” and popularized the “yes means yes” standard of sexual consent that is quickly becoming law on many US campuses. She is the author of Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape and What You Really Really Want: The Smart Girl’s Shame-Free Guide to Sex & Safety. As an undergraduate, Jaclyn thought she was too smart to become a victim of sexual assault – until another student proved her wrong. Since then, she has become a tireless anti-rape activist, changing the conversation by insisting that authentic sexual liberation is a necessary condition to end the systemic sexualization and violation of women. Media incldues: The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Salon, BBC.
The Commitment March: Get Your Knees Off Our Necks is tomorrow in Washington, DC. The march is happening on the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, when Martin Luther King, Jr. giving his "I Have a Dream" speech. March organizers are calling for police accountability, criminal justice reform and voter participation. To discuss, we FEATURE Angela N. Hanks. Hanks is the Deputy Executive Director of the Groundwork Collaborative, working to advance a cross-cutting economic narrative for the progressive movement. Before joining Groundwork in 2019, Hanks served as director of the Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success at CLASP, director of workforce development policy at the Center for American Progress (CAP), and senior federal policy analyst at the National Skills Coalition. Media includes: The New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic.
A hundred years ago on August 26th, 1920, the 19th Amendment was added to the United States Constitution and guaranteed women the right to vote. To commemorate this anniversary, we FEATURE Amy Simon. Simon, Cultural Herstorian, is the founder and creator of SHE’S HISTORY! Inspired (and alarmed) by her ten year old daughter’s desire to do her women’s history report on Cher or Janet Jackson, Simon writes and blogs about women who make and made history. She performs in the classroom, on the radio, online, and onstage, bringing awareness of and life to our unheralded, unknown and forgotten heroines. Media includes: The Huffington Post, Blogher, SheWrites, MamaZina, MamaBlogger, LA Parent Magazine.















