The Democratic National Convention continues tonight. To discuss, we SPOTLIGHT Aimee Allison. A democratic innovator and visionary, Allison has led forums and initiatives on race and gender at the Democratic National Convention and Politicon, among others. She is the Founder of She the People, the national network elevating the political voice and power of women of color. By bringing together the most promising women of color candidates, strategists, and movement leaders, Ms. Allison is one of the primary architects for the electoral successes in 2018 that made it the “year of women of color in politics.” In September 2018, she convened the first summit to focus on women of color in politics to show that social justice can, in fact, become the law of the land. Media includes: The New York Times, The Hill, ESSENCE Magazine.
Sen. Kamala Harris is Joe Biden's vice presidential running mate. She is the first Black woman and first South-Asian American in U.S. history to be nominated on a major presidential ticket. To discuss, we FEATURE Avis Jones-DeWeever. Jones-DeWeeaver is an award-winning author, international speaker, political commentator, and race & gender empowerment expert. Avis is the author or co-author of numerous publications, including her award-winning book, How Exceptional Black Women Lead along with The State of Black Women in the U.S. 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019; Beyond Broke: Why Closing the Racial Wealth Gap is a Priority for National Economic Security; Massive Resistance: A Way Forward for Black America in the Wake of Trump and You Mad? Black Women, Work, and the Normalcy of Disrespect, among many others. Media includes: The Washington Post, the Atlantic, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine, CNN, Fox News, PBS.
Here are additional experts to discuss the nomination.
Today, August 18th, is the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. To discuss, we FEATURE Louise Bernikow. Bernikow writes and speaks about American women and social movements, especially women’s liberation, second wave feminism and the fight for women’s voting rights. She connects the past to the present, seeing historical roots in today’s conflicts. She is currently working on the connections of race, place and class in the woman suffrage movement—particularly important as we celebrate the passage of the 19th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. Media includes: The New York Times, Huffington Post, PBS.
President Trump has been accused of systematically trying to destroy the USPS in order to rig the election. In a year when more people will be using mail-in ballots to cast in their vote, there is concern that his actions are intended to suppress the vote. To discuss, we FEATURE Liz Kennedy. Kennedy is the Director of Democracy and Government Reform at the Center for American Progress. Previously, she served as counsel and campaign strategist at Demos, working on voting rights, money in politics, and corporate accountability. She worked to expand political participation by eliminating barriers to voting and empowering voters; to increase transparency and accountability for money in politics to fight corruption of democratic government; and to fulfill America’s promise of political equality. Media includes: The Boston Herald, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Los Angeles Daily News, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Hill.
Protests in Chicago and Portland have continued, with protesters clashing with police officers as they call for police reform and racial justice. To discuss, we FEATURE Celina Su. Su is Marilyn J. Gittell Chair in Urban Studies and an Associate Professor of Political Science at the City University of New York. Her research concerns civil society and social policy, especially health and education. Her work focuses on how everyday citizens engage in and shape policy-making and community development—via deliberative democracy, community organizations, and protest and social movements. Media includes: The Nation, The Progressive, PBS.
Some colleges are reopening in the fall despite rising COVID-19 numbers. To discuss, we FEATURE Michelle McAnaney. McAnaney is the founder of The College Spy, a full service independent educational consulting firm that assists students and families across the US and internationally with the college selection and application process. Prior to founding The College Spy, Michelle was a guidance counselor and educator for more than 15 years, including serving as the Director of Guidance at two high schools, an adjunct college professor and a GED tutor. Media includes: College Covered, HerCampus, PBS.
Following the results of the presidential election, thousands gathered in Minsk for the largest protest in Belarus' history. To discuss, we FEATURE Nina Jankowicz. Jankowicz is a Global Fellow at the Kennan Institute currently working on a book about the evolution of modern Russian influence campaigns in Eastern Europe. In 2018 she testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on responses to disinformation. Previously, she advised the Ukrainian government on strategic communications under the auspices of a Fulbright-Clinton Public Policy Fellowship. Prior to her Fulbright grant in Ukraine, Jankowicz managed democracy assistance programs to Russia and Belarus at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. Media includes: The New York Times, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, Foreign Policy, CNN.
Guards in an immigrant detention in El Paso, Texas are accused of sexually assaulting detainees. To discuss, we FEATURE Lourdes Guadalupe Martinez. Martinez is an immigrant originally from Mexico City, a home that she left at the age of 13 to move to Texas with her family. Today, she is the Political Director of Mujeres Unidas y Activas, or MUA, a grassroots organization of Latina immigrant women in the San Francisco Bay Area with a double mission of promoting personal transformation and building community power for social and economic justice. MUA’s focus issue areas are Immigrant Rights; Domestic Worker Rights; and Violence Against Women. Before joining MUA, Martinez was an immigration attorney, working as an immigration legal educator with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) in San Francisco; and, prior to that, representing immigrant women fleeing gender-based violence at the Tahirih Justice Center in the Washington D.C. area. Media includes: Univision, Telemundo, NBC.
Liz Theran
