Reimagining Democracy for a Good Life

Back in 1995, Outkast’s Andre 3000 declared, “The South got something to say.” That statement rings even truer today. So what is Atlanta telling us?  As we close a season full of diverse voices,  stories and hard truths about Atlanta and the region, two things become clear. Atlanta isn’t perfect. Yet it may provide the inspiration we need to get through the times...

There’s a very real tension between the Atlanta metro area, home to more than half the population of Georgia, and lawmakers and officials in the State Capitol. How can activists and communities achieve their policy goals and aspirations for democracy at the state level, where so many decisions are made? And what strategies – old and new – can the rest of the country learn from pe...

So many of Atlanta’s achievements have been made possible by the alignment of race, place, and power to advance a more inclusive democracy. But that progress may be under threat. In this chapter, we explore what the changing composition of the city and the metro area means for power across the region and the state. Featured Guests: Founder and Chief Equity Officer for Partnership for Souther...

Moral conviction was the core of the Civil Rights Movement and still drives many Atlanta activists and leaders. In this chapter, we explore the values, fortitude, and open-hearted faith that helped Atlanta emerge from the brutality of Jim Crow to build a thriving,  inclusive city and continue striving for justice, and what the whole country can learn about creating a moral democracy that is t...

Is Atlanta’s reputation as a Black Mecca real or simply good marketing? Or both? In this chapter: how the long legacy of Black leadership transformed Atlanta into a world-class city, and how hip-hop has been a voice for those left behind. Featured Guests: Historian and professor Dr. Maurice Hobson , Atlanta Influences Everything co-founder Bem Joiner , Activist and community organizer Ns&eac...

Atlanta, known as “the Cradle of the Civil Rights Movement,” is a vibrant city with a long history of activism and civic participation. Under an unbroken line of Black mayors since the 1970s, it has become a center for business, TV, film, and hip-hop. And, like every place in this country, Atlanta has its struggles. In this chapter, we begin to explore this duality and what the city ca...

This season, we head south for insights and hope. We’re asking, "What can Atlanta teach us about democracy? What insights does it offer in terms of building a more perfect union? And what lessons from Atlanta’s past can help us through this present moment and lay a path for a vibrant democratic future?" Reimagining Democracy for a Good Life is a podcast from PolicyLink hosted by Angela...

Democracy flourishes when communities inspire and learn from one another. In this special episode, recorded live at the 2024 PolicyLink Equity Summit, Georgia nonprofit leader and Senior Director of Civic Engagement at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Hillary Holley, joins returning guests Kent Wong and Alberto Retana. Together, they explore the evolution and power of local action in the so...

We don’t know what the future holds for the growth of a radically inclusive multiracial democracy but the questions we raise in this series are more than just thought experiments. 2024 is an important election year for many countries all over the world and we ask you, dear listener, how are you participating in democracy in your own life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

As community organizers and activists move from the grassroots to positions of power in city and state politics, how do they use their backgrounds to make democracy a tool for the people? Chapter 5 includes conversations with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, President and CEO John Kim of Catalyst California, California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo, and President-CEO Alberto Retana of Community Co...

There has been a surge in union organizing across the nation, including Los Angeles. In this chapter, we look at the role of labor in modern LA. Angela speaks with WGA strike captain, Helen Shang, Roxana Tynan, Executive Director of LAANE, USC Professor of Sociology and Ethnic studies, Manuel Pastor, California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo, and Kent Wong Project Director of Labor and Community...

Multiracial organizing doesn’t mean that we always get along. Organizers and activists in Los Angeles know this. What it can mean is when intentions are right, multiracial coalitions can work together towards policies that benefit all. In this chapter, we hear from economist Manuel Pastor, environmental justice activist Denise Fairchild, and organizer Anthony Thigpenn. Learn more about your ad cho...

Leadership is not a solo endeavor. Community organizers from multiple neighborhoods in Los Angeles learned this after two incendiary rebellions in the city’s history: Watts in 1965 and the 1992 uprising. Activists, neighbors, and organizers across the city came together to take stock of the needs of the people. They’d go on to influence community and civic leaders, setting the basis for transforma...

Join Angela Glover Blackwell, as she seeks to find the essential elements of a strong, inclusive multiracial democracy in, perhaps, one of the most unlikely places: Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Los Angeles might be a city ripe for a multiracial democracy to thrive.  Reimagining Democracy for a Good Life is a podcast from PolicyLink and hosted by Angela Glover Blackwell, which aims to infuse some hope into a foundational U.S. idea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.