What Can I Do

Oct 23 2024 43 ep. 32 mins 18
What Can I Do Podcast artwork

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.

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“There will be a November 6th.” (w/ Sara Guillermo, CEO of IGNITE)

Oct 23 2024 33 mins  
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 env

“How does my message align with this person's cultural identity?” (w/ Kelsye Adams, Director of DC Vote)

Oct 16 2024 33 mins  
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 dis

“Government’s not the problem, it’s the prize.” (w/ DaMareo Cooper, co-Executive Director of Popular Democracy, formerly CPD)

Oct 09 2024 37 mins  
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 some

“Work doesn’t feel like work when it’s fun.” (WCID Jr. w/ Joan Galat, author of Make Your Mark, Make a Difference)

Sep 11 2024 25 mins  
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

"Find the joy in today." (w/ Dr. Deborah Vinall, psychologist, Author of Gaslighting and the Trauma Recovery Workbook for Teens)

Sep 04 2024 26 mins  
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 yourse

“In order to get there, you have to build out infrastructure.” (w/ Jane Kleeb, Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, author, and Climate Breakthrough Awardee)

Aug 21 2024 31 mins  
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 co

“I listen to the people that these elections are truly life and death for.” (w/ Maggie O’Keefe, Chicago 40th Ward Committeeperson, community organizer.)

Aug 14 2024 35 mins  
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? Maggi

“Words mean things” (w/ Anat Shenker-Osorio, Host of Words to Win By, Principal of ASO Communications)

Aug 07 2024 43 mins  
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 av

The FTA & Antiwar Protests in 1971 (Cross-Post from Unsung History)

Jul 24 2024 47 mins  
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-

“What can we do as community to protect each other?” (w/ Angela Ferrell-Zabala, ED of Mom’s Demand Action)

Dec 13 2023 30 mins  
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 viol