What Can I Do
You voted (again), you protested (again), you posted on social media (again), yet you’re still reeling from all the terrible news. But…what else can you do? We’ll help you figure that out! Each week hosts Kelly Therese Pollock and Lila Nordstrom interview activists working on a range of issues, from national policy to local concerns, not about why but about how they took action: What got them started, who helped them along the way, and what they’d do differently if they had to do it all again. In the process, we’ll offer concrete advice on how to take the leap from freaking out on Twitter to making a difference, building community, and finding joy in getting involved.
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 appr...
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 D...
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...
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 you...
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 ...
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 innovati...
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 entai...
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 ...
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 ...
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