SideBar: Optimism In Action - Conversations with Community Leaders Inspiring Positive Change
Season three of SideBar: Optimism in Action features nonprofit leaders, advocates, and community members who represent extraordinary work that is improving the humanitarian, public policy, and charitable needs of our local, national, and global communities. We are very excited to join the digital programming of KAZU 90.3. KAZU is the NPR affiliate for the Monterey, Salinas, and Santa Cruz region. We release new episodes on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month.
Episodes
November 2026 will direct the future of our American democracy. Did we see this coming in 2024? Revisit our November 2024 discussion with Madiba Dennie and Lawrence Goldstone. Thoughtful, insightful, and uncannily prescient.
There is no such thing as a typical day in a family medical practice in rural America. Dr. Leslie Hayes of El Centro Family Health in Española, NM believes that in order for patients to have the best possible outcomes, they need evidence-based, nonjudgmental care in a place that is accessible and familiar to them. She was named a White House Champion of Change in April of 2016 for her work with substance use disorder and pregnancy....
The Central Coast of California is one of the most spectacular regions in the world. But our sense of imagination for what is possible faces growing challenges. Today, too many families cannot cover the cost of housing. Many of our workforce must commute long distances because they cannot afford to live here. At the same time, the lack of a reliable water supply and strict environmental regulations add to both our housing...
As Americans wrestle with questions of election integrity and democracy's future, the book Stealing Elections, American Style reveals how today's challenges are deeply rooted in history. Drawing on decades of litigating election cases and arguing before the Supreme Court, author David Walbert combines gripping stories of stolen elections with a clear explanation of how elections are routinely rigged before a single vote is cast.
Urban Alchemy knows the skills and energy of people who were once incarcerated can transform people and places through love and respect. When individuals in a community are suffering, Urban Alchemy offers solutions. When a neighborhood, street, or intersection earns a reputation as a place to avoid, they turn it into a place of community. Urban Alchemy provides services and engagement that create a peaceful and supportive...
The Can't Win Victory Fund helps "cant-idates" run for office in gerrymandered, unwinnable districts. Why? Because the organization believes that we deserve competitive elections that hold our leaders accountable. The organization recruits, trains, and supports candidates who show up, tell the truth, and build trust in communities that feel like their voice no longer counts. In...
Teddy Bears with Heart has gifted over 350,000 stuffed animals to help first responders assist children in crisis. In addition, the organization provides nine hospitals and more than 150 agencies with stuffed animals to comfort those in need. They also sponsor the "Share a Bear Because You Care" program through which supporters can purchase small teddy bears from Teddy Bears With He...
Richard Walden is the founder, President, and CEO of Operation USA, a Los Angeles-based international disaster relief and development agency helping communities at home and abroad overcome the effects of disasters, disease, violence, and endemic poverty. Since 1979, Operation USA has worked in 101 countries—delivering over $450 million in aid for relief and development projects around the world.
Katherine Grainger, co-author of the NY gay marriage law, champion of groundbreaking work to enshrine gender protections in state constitutions across the country, and Managing Partner of Civitas Public Affairs Group, joins guest cohost Vanessa Priya Daniel and Mitch Winick. She ignites our imaginations about what true gender equality could look and feel like in our daily lives, and how we achieve it. With 25 years of policy, legal...
Sarabeth Berman, CEO of the nonprofit American Journalism Project, reminds us that local journalism keeps communities informed and holds the powerful accountable. Equally important, it is the key to an informed citizenry and provides the tools to safeguard a healthy democracy.
Vanessa Priya Daniel’s first book, Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone About Winning, centers the work of women of color in social justice movements.. She shares the three superpowers of successful WOC leaders that we can all adopt: a 360 vision, boldness, and generosity.
Kate Compton Barr is a trailblazing advocate for democracy who made waves as the 'Can't Win' candidate for the North Carolina State Senate in 2024. Her candidacy was never about winning. Instead, it was a platform to focus the community's conversation on the un-democratic effect of partisan gerrymandering. Kate's current campaign is equally unique. She is campaigning openly as a progressive running in the Republican primary for Nor...
As Director of Monterey County Homeless Services Program, Roxanne Wilson is a seasoned community leader with over a decade of dedicated service to housing justice and homelessness reduction. She leads the county's efforts to integrate policy, planning, and partnerships across governmental and nonprofit sectors by overseeing strategic initiatives and homeless response systems.
Kathleen deLaski is at the forefront of designing higher education for the 21st century. She founded Education Design Lab to help colleges begin the journey to reimagine higher education toward the future of work and she manages the deLaski Family Foundation, a 25-year grant maker in education reform. In her book, Who Needs College Anymore: Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter, Kathleen describes a multipl...
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