Best Kelly Therese Pollock and Lila Nordstrom Podcasts (2024)

1
“Words mean things” (w/ Anat Shenker-Osorio, Host of Words to Win By, Principal of ASO Communications) 43:05

6d ago43:05

43:05

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 campaig…

1
The FTA & Antiwar Protests in 1971 (Cross-Post from Unsung History) 47:31

20d ago47:31

47:31

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 ant…

1
“What can we do as community to protect each other?” (w/ Angela Ferrell-Zabala, ED of Mom’s Demand Action) 30:17

8M ago30:17

30:17

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…

1
“There's somebody in every town who is a busybody.” (w/ Carla Nordstrom, Retired Teacher and Community Activist) 47:23

10M ago47:23

47:23

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 …

1
"Can I actually bring something to this work to this fight? That is going to add value?" (w/ Hannah Fried, Executive Director of All Voting is Local) 31:46

11M ago31:46

31:46

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 foundin…

1
“At the end of the day, when you're talking about activism, it's just a bigger word for care.” (w/ Sabrina Cartan of Fandom Forward and director Eliyannah Amirah Yisrael) 41:50

11M ago41:50

41:50

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 …

1
“Think of graphic design not as self-expression but as visual communication.” (w/ Innosanto Nagara, graphic designer and best-selling author and illustrator of children’s books about activism and organizing ... 33:06

12M ago33:06

33:06

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 car…

1
“One of the best things lawyers can do is have the courage to speak out.” (w/ Brett Edkins, Managing Director for Policy & Political Affairs at Stand Up America) 37:28

12M ago37:28

37:28

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 su…

1
“If you treat me like a problem, maybe I should turn into one.” (w/ Maggie Carter, Staff Organizer at the Starbucks Workers United) 26:52

12M ago26:52

26:52

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 b…

1
“My goal is to make this an American tradition.” (w/ Jayna Zweiman, founder of the Welcome Blanket Project, co-founder of the Pussyhat Project) 34:37

1y ago34:37

34:37

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…

1
“My job is to see who’s ready to start speaking up and help them use their voice.” (w/ Jade Pacheco, Community Builder at ACT 4 SA) 30:26

1y ago30:26

30:26

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 …

1
"We have to always bear in mind who is not here with us, who is not in the room.” (w/ Kevin J. Elliott, author of Democracy for Busy People) 39:41

1y ago39:41

39:41

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 alon…

1
“I came here to do something new.” (Live from Netroots Nation with stories from Reps. Summer Lee, Maxwell Frost, Greg Casar, and Delia Ramirez, plus activists Kristin Foster, Karen Gamez Lopez, Carlyn ... 33:01

1y ago33:01

33:01

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 acti…

1
“Step one: Face the climate emergency.” (with Margaret Klein Salamon, Founding Principal of Climate Awakening, and author of Facing the Climate Emergency: How to Transform Yourself with Climate Truth ... 30:32

1y ago30:32

30:32

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 so…

1
“It doesn’t matter, just run.” (With Irene Shin, Delegate in the Virginia House of Delegates and ED of the Virginia Civic Engagement Table) 37:01

1y ago37:01

37:01

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 ca…

1
“Journalism is supposed to be about speaking truth to power” (With Fiona Lowenstein, journalist and editor of The Long COVID Survival Guide) 38:36

1y ago38:36

38:36

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, a…

1
“The community is critical” (With Mary Rickles, Director for Communications and Politics for Netroots Nation) 31:23

1y ago31:23

31:23

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 com…

1
“In the progressive community, we tend to dislike the idea of selling ideas.” (With David Fenton, author of The Activist’s Media Handbook) 29:58

1+ y ago29:58

29:58

So you’re hoping to propel a cause into the public eye in a way that’s thoughtful and effective? What do you do?For David Fenton, the longtime progressive PR guru who began his activist work in the late 1960s alongside figures like Abbie Hoffman and Yoko Ono, the answer has been to stick to some simple rules: straightforward and understandable mess…

1
“There’s one statistic I came across that suggested that 90% of people think they're more objective than average. And I wouldn't you know, I put myself in that category.” (With Jessica Nordell, author ... 29:38

1+ y ago29:38

29:38

So you’re thinking about your place in larger political systems and wondering how your own biases are showing up in your work. What do you do?For Jessica Nordell, a journalist who has extensively covered the fallout of our political and social biases, the answer was the dig into how they’re formed, how they impact our lives, and how we can change o…

1
“If we’re going to win, organizing is going to be key to getting us there” (With Elyssa Feder of Rising Organizers) 32:56

1+ y ago32:56

32:56

So, the election is over, political changes are afoot, and you’re looking to help people take action into their own hands. What do you do?For Elyssa Feder and her team at Rising Organizers, the answer was to teach emerging activists the tools they need to change their communities, policies, and the world. By focusing on issues instead of elections,…

1
ICYMI - Recap 2 (aka, What Can I Do After the Midterms) 34:10

1+ y ago34:10

34:10

In this special post-election edition of TL;DL, we’re looking back at the action items we discussed on the most recent seven episodes of “What Can I Do” featuring: Candice Kerestan of Democrats Abroad, Chloe Maxmin and Canyon Woodard of Dirt Road Revival, Rev. Angela Williams of SACReD, Amanda Litman of Run for Something, Don Hebbard of Compressor-…

1
“We talked to everybody, because in Kansas you cannot win with only Democrats” (With Ashley All of Kansans for Constitutional Freedom) 36:12

2y ago36:12

36:12

So, you’re campaigning for a timely but hot-button ballot initiative and need to reach voters without eliciting knee-jerk reactions. What do you do?For Ashley All and the many coalition partners working with Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, the answer was to empower local activists to reach out in their communities and work together to message t…

1
“A Justified Impatience” (With New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé) 23:43

2y ago23:43

23:43

So you’ve gotten involved in a major political protest movement but you want to do more. What else can you do?For Chi Ossé, an active organizer with the BLM movement working in nightlife, the drive to make change led into a successful city council bid, making Ossé the youngest member of the New York City Council and the youngest person ever to pass…

1
“How do you just sit back and tell your loved one that there's no help coming?” (With Rosie Torres and Susan Zeier of Burn Pits 360) 38:36

2y ago38:36

38:36

So your community of veterans is getting sick because of toxic exposures on the job, but nobody, including the federal government, wants to take responsibility for your care. What do you do?For Rosie Torres and Susan Zeier, the answer was the organize a major lobbying effort to ensure that burn pit victims like their family members were taken care …

1
“I look at political activism as an outgrowth of volunteerism.” (w/ Donald Hebbard of Compressor-Free Franklin) 30:10

2y ago30:10

30:10

So you’re concerned about a local issue in a small rural community and you need to start an advocacy effort from scratch. What do you do?Donald Hebbard was a retired farmer and longtime resident of a rural area in upstate New York when he learned of a plan to put a natural gas compressor station in his town. Concerned about the impact this would ha…

1
“The joy of focusing on local work is that we win a lot” (w/ Amanda Litman of Run For Something) 31:07

2y ago31:07

31:07

So you’re thinking about how to connect young people interested in running for office with the resources and community they need to win. What’s your first step?For Amanda Litman, a veteran of the Obama campaign, the first step was to put up a website looking for people interested in running for local office. What the response was greater than she c…

1
“Starting with the three feet around you” (w/ Rev. Angela Williams of SACReD) 27:25

2y ago27:25

27:25

So you’re looking to be a part of a faith community, but one that shares your values about things like reproductive rights LGBTQIA+ issues, and more? How do you find one? How do you create one?For Rev. Angela Willams, the co-director of Movement Building at SACRED, faith and political action are intertwined. She talks about being called to become a…

1
“It always circles back to politics” (w/ Chloe Maxmin and Canyon Woodward from Dirt Road Revival) 27:30

2y ago27:30

27:30

So you live in a rural community that’s been ignored by the Democratic establishment, but you want to get involved in the political system. So, what do you do? For Chloe Maxmin and Canyon Woodward, taking the lessons they’d learned while working in the climate movement and applying them to what they knew about Chloe’s rural home community taught th…

1
“Where can we be the margin of victory?” (w/ Candice Kerestan of Democrats Abroad) 30:00

2y ago30:00

30:00

You’re an American living abroad, but you want to have a voice in choosing who represents you, so what do you do? For Candice Kerestan, an American living in Germany, the question of how to work towards a more equitable and just American system was made more urgent by her experience living in the German system, where issues like education, healthca…

1
ICYMI - Recap 1 16:54

2y ago16:54

16:54

A recap of the actions and strategies we’ve discussed in our recent interviews. Find out more on our blog!Episode Links:“The trouble with viewing 9/11 and the pandemic through a wartime lens,” by Lila Nordstrom and Sarah Senk, The Washington Post, September 9, 2022.The Op-Ed ProjectWriting Effective Op-Eds, Duke University“15 Actionable Media Train…

1
“Instead of thinking, ‘we should,’ I just said, ‘I will.’” (w/ Shannon Downey of Badass Cross Stitch) 40:28

2y ago40:28

40:28

You’re skilled in the arts and you want to use those skills to make change, so what do you do? For Shannon Downey, a.k.a. Badass Cross Stitch, the answer was simple: Build a community of craft lovers and doers, and connect them with activists, issue-based craft challenges, fundraising opportunities, bystander training and advocacy workshops, and, o…

1
“Feel the fear and do it anyway” (w/ Rachel Dawn Davis of Waterspirit) 28:40

2y ago28:40

28:40

If you can see how big, seemingly-intractable national and international issues impact your local community, what do you do? For Rachel Dawn Davis, community activist and public policy and justice organizer with Waterspirit, the answer has been to search for intersections and connections between myriad local and national causes and do…whatever need…

1
“I became enamored with this thing called politics” (w/ A'shanti Gholar of Emerge) 32:19

2y ago32:19

32:19

If you don’t see any people in power who look like you or come from your background, what do you do? For A’shanti Gholar, President of Emerge America, the answer was to jump into the ring herself. From her high school showdown with a candidate for U.S. Senate to her work training women to run for office all over the nation, A’Shanti shares the stor…

1
“I'm always looking for people's superpower” (w/ Kristin Urquiza and Christine Keeves of Marked by COVID) 36:38

2y ago36:38

36:38

A new crisis explodes and you’re the frontlines. What do you do? Marked by COVID co-founder Kristin Urquiza’s father died from COVID after trusting Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s claims that “it was safe to resume normal activities.” While reeling from the loss, she and co-founder Christine Keeves made the decision to act, hoping to save others from…

1
"You don’t need a 12 point plan to get started" (w/ Lila Nordstrom of StuyHealth and Kelly Therese Pollock) 23:31

2y ago23:31

23:31

Feeling down about the state of the world? Looking for substantive ideas about how to take action? We’re here to help! In this first episode, Lila and Kelly discuss their own activist journeys, what it takes to move beyond voting and donating, what first steps can look like, and how to figure out where your skills can be of use. Episode Links: Orde…

1
What Can I Do: The Trailer 1:11

2y ago1:11

1:11

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 …

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Kelly Therese Pollock And Lila Nordstrom Podcasts

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