Episodes

Has anybody ever told you that you should run for office? What did you do or say in response? This week we spoke to Sara Guillermo, the CEO of IGNITE, which trains and empowers young women to become advocates and political leaders. We spoke to Sara about her own journey to supporting women’s political power, some of the challenges women face in both elected office and advocacy environments, and how IGNITE approaches training, support, and building community for young leaders. In the process we d...

Do you remember the slogan of the American colonists "no taxation without representation" and want to ensure that American citizens today all have that representation? This week we spoke to Kelsye Adams, Director of DC Vote, about her work as an artistic activist, advocating for the fundamental rights of DC residents to equal representation in Congress via statehood. She discussed where the fight for DC statehood is, what it will take to get it over the finish line, and how she incorporates art ...

Are you interested in learning more about coalition-building and how to contribute to the creation of a more representative government? This week we spoke to DaMareo Cooper, one of the co-Executive Directors of Popular Democracy (formerly the Center for Popular Democracy or CPD), about how different layers of individual involvement and action can help transform government into something that works for us all. He talks about his background as an organizer, how Popular Democracy works with their l...

It’s a special episode of What Can I Do Junior , hosted by Teddy and Arthur! Are you a young person looking to make a difference? Do you have kids in your life who are eager to make their voices heard? This week we spoke to Joan Galat, author of Make Your Mark, Make a Difference—A Kid’s Guide to Standing Up For People, Animals, and the Planet, about all of the ways young people can get engaged and get active! Joan spoke about the many kinds of political action available to children, how young pe...

Wondering how to protect your mental health during this election season? This week we spoke to Dr. Deborah Vinall, a psychologist and author based in Southern California, about how to engage in the political process in a way that’s both productive and protective of your mental health. She shared tips for how to check in with yourself as you do political work, how to protect yourself from the stress of a major electoral cycle, how to keep perspective despite the constant torrent of frustrating an...

Wondering how to do effective Democratic organizing in rural red states? This week we spoke to Jane Kleeb, the Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, about the innovative work she and the Nebraska Dems are doing to bring Democratic victories to supposedly deep red, rural states. We talked about how Democrats can reach out to rural voters, the similarities between urban and rural communities, and the really exciting and innovative projects the Nebraska Democratic Party is undertaking to empower ...

Wondering what canvassing for a candidate and organizing in-person voter outreach actually involves? This week we spoke to Maggie O’Keefe, a community activist who is part of a new generation of Democratic Committee members organizing the vote in Chicago. Have you been thinking of volunteering for a candidate but are nervous about the idea of knocking on a stranger’s door? Maggie gives insight into what canvassing actually entails, how new canvassers are trained, and what is rewarding about this...

This week we spoke to Anat Shenker-Osorio, Democratic campaign consultant, messaging researcher, founder of ASO Communications, and host of the excellent podcast Words to Win By . In this episode Anat shares crucial wisdom on how to have meaningful conversations about our political future in real life and on social media. She examines common campaign messaging pitfalls and how to avoid them, provides lessons from her past work, and shares research about what kinds of communication actually chang...

While we gear up to bring you Season 3 of What Can I Do, focused on how to take action in a presidential election year, please enjoy this episode of Unsung History focused on antiwar activism. In 1971, a group of performers calling themselves the Free Theatre Associates (FTA), including Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland, began putting on popular antiwar shows for audiences of active-duty GIs. Over 10 months they performed near military bases all over the United States and in the Pacific Rim. The ...

Are you looking for some hope and next steps when it comes to combatting gun violence in your community and nationally? This week we spoke to Angela Ferrell-Zabala from Mom’s Demand Action to dig into the seemingly intractable issue of gun violence and learn about how Mom’s Demand Action, their affiliated organization Students Demand Action, and the larger ecosystem of gun violence prevention organizations are working together, advocating for better policy, and, most importantly, supporting volu...

Are you retired and looking for a way to get involved? A few weeks ago we heard from a listener looking for information about how to approach activism as a retired person. She was sick of postcarding and other activities that don’t feel effective, so we decided to chat with the busiest retired activist we know…Lila’s mother, Carla Nordstrom! In our wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the many skills retired people bring to the table, how they’re uniquely situated for effective community org...

Are you interested in aiding in the fight to make the vote more accessible in your state or community? Hannah Fried is a lawyer by trade who worked for the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama before founding All Voting is Local, a non-profit that works in eight states to protect the vote at the local level. She talks us through the founding of All Voting is Local, including how she funded the organization and assembled her team in the early days, as well as what their work entails and ...

Are you a part of a fan community and wondering how to use your passion and interest to make the world a better place? Sabrina Cartan and Eliyannah Amirah Yisrael are organizers, creatives, fans, and believe communities organized around pop culture are inherently political and ripe for organizing. Sabrina talks about the power of fan movements and how they are harnessed through her work with Fandom Forward, an organization that connects causes to fan communities. Eliyannah talks to us about how ...

Thinking about how to effectively use graphic design in your organizing work? Innosanto Nagara is a designer who has long used his visual communication skills in his organizing, but found a unique way to help the next generation join the fight by writing and illustrating the best-selling board book A is For Activist . So began a successful second career as a children’s book author. Inno’s books cover the topics he wanted to teach his own child about, things like taking action, being part of a co...

Terrified about the state of SCOTUS and the courts and wondering how you can take action to support court reform? We started this podcast in the days after Dobbs, so we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Brett Edkins from Stand Up America to chat about his journey from law school to advocacy, how lawyers can use their skills to advocate for and support court reform, and the role regular people can play in standing up to corruption in the American courts. He’s got advice on everything from simp...

Watching Hot Labor Summer unfold and interested in learning more about how to unionize your workplace or support the labor movement? Maggie Carter, a single mom and college student, had worked as a Starbucks partner for years (including through the entire pandemic) when she saw union drives working in far-away stores and wondered if she could help bring that kind of change to her own door. She’s now a staff organizer with the Starbucks Workers United and talks about how the union vote came toget...

Looking for a way to build community and make political change using your artistic skills or an interest in crafting? Jayna Zweiman was an architect recovering from a life-changing head and neck injury when she found the knitting and crocheting community. It became a critical part of her recovery, and, ultimately, activism. Since then she’s founded multiple projects focused on giving crafters a political community that helps educate people through art and provides real, tangible resources to peo...

What does it take to overcome your anxieties and concerns about canvassing, public speaking, and more? Jade Pacheco gives us an unfiltered look at how she went from being a shy, passive citizen to a builder of communities through her work with ACT 4 SA, the first grassroots organization in San Antonio to focus on policing the police. In the process she talks about developing the confidence to canvas for candidates and causes, the training and support that allowed her to take the leap, the medica...

Does it seem like being an engaged citizen is starting to feel like a full-time job? Are you looking for ways to cut down on the costs, both in terms of time and resources, that it takes to make your voice heard? Kevin Elliott, lecturer in ethics, politics and economics at Yale University and author of Democracy for Busy People knows you’re not alone. We talk to him about how to create space for busy people to participate in our democracy, the seemingly positive democratic innovations can actual...

So you’re thinking of getting involved, but you’re not sure how to find your place as an activist? Have no fear! The attendees and speakers of this year’s Netroots Nation are here to help. In this episode we compile the stories of everybody from members of Congress to local candidates to state-level Democratic activists to hyper-local community activists and learn how they got involved and what their work has taught them. Episode Links: Rep. Summer Lee (PA-12): Website | Twitter Rep. Maxwell Fro...

So you want to fight climate change but you’re feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem? Margaret Klein Salamon is a clinical psychologist turned climate activist eager to help people overcome inertia and fear so they can get involved in the climate movement. We talk about how to activate “emergency mode” instead of “panic mode” to face some of the biggest challenges of our time, and what’s at stake if we don’t. Episode Links: Learn more about Margaret / Climate Awakening: Website | Tw...

So you’re interested in running for state assembly? In 2021, Irene Shin took on an incumbent Delegate in Virgina’s 86th district and won! Now embarking on her second campaign for the VA House of Delegates, we talk about how she got involved in state-level politics, how she decided to run for office, the first steps she took to declare and build a campaign staff, and what life looks like in a part-time state assembly. In the process we talk about the challenges of being a historic “first,” why it...

So you’re a journalist interested in using your skills to amplify new narratives and voices and promote a more just, more equitable world? This wide-ranging, incredibly thoughtful conversation with journalist and Long COVID activist Fiona Lowenstein is all about the power of storytelling, using journalism for good, the importance of accessibility, and how to use privilege and access constructively in one’s activist work. Fiona talks about how their skills as a communicator have helped them not j...

So you’re hoping to meet other activists, learn about their work, and figure out how you can join forces or support each other’s work? Netroots Nation 2023, the largest annual conference for progressives in America, is almost here! We spoke to longtime program communications director Mary Rickles Conley about the value of building a progressive community, how she got involved with Netroots, how their speakers and panelists are selected, and what attendees can gain from attending, both in person ...