People in Common: Recent Episodes
Jama Adams
The People in Common podcast identifies leaders, solutions, and effective ways to use our voices, our time, and our dollars to make change. Together we can face big and urgent collective action problems like the climate crisis and threats to democracy and freedom. The best place to start is with the values we share. With real stories about the 'why', we: 1. SHINE THE LIGHT on opportunities for meaningful action 2. MAKE IT EASY to learn / act / donate / volunteer / speak out 3. CHANNEL SUPPORT to frontline grassroots organizations making an impact now.
Soman Chainani wrapped up a three-week, 40-school national tour and sat down with Jama to talk about the Young World playbook. The New York Times bestselling author wrote a thriller about a teenager who accidentally becomes president. This conversation covers the four things every young person agrees on, what to do when you realize no one is coming to fix it for you, and how anyone, teenager or not, can answer the People in Common question: what do you want the world to look like, and how do you make that happen?
WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY
Soman's school presentations have a structure: doom first, then hope.
He opens with reality. Your phone is profiling your insecurities to sell you things. AI is designed to prevent you from thinking. The political class has traded on young people's futures for decades. "The tracks are gone." The contract that said do the right things and your future is secure? Broken. And no one in power is fixing it.
But there is hope. You have the numbers. You can throw out the people who should never have been there.
The Revolting Youth platform, from the book and from the tour, comes down to four things every young person agrees on:
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A livable planet
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An economic future not crushed by debt
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No more kids getting killed at school
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Not surrendering humanity to AI
"They want a planet, they want a roof over their heads, they don't want to be shot at,and they would prefer to stay human."
One proof of concept Soman carries: Zohran Mamdani. Soman was the personal assistant to Mamdani's mother when Mamdani was 12 years old, a kid with a beautiful smile who wanted to play soccer. That kid is now Mayor of New York City. Soman tells students there is probably one like him in every room of 300. And the other 299 matter just as much. You do not have to be the kid who knows who the Secretary of State is. You have to be willing to show up for the kid who does, vote for them, and back them across all lines.
Soman chose writing over running because of the numbers game. "I almost can have more impact this way." The goal on tour was simple: get kids to open the book. He believes the rest follows.
The question he ends with is for everyone: "Think about what you want the world to look like and then how do you make that happen? For me it was writing fiction. But you might have other ways of getting there."
The old question was what do you want to be in this world.
His new question: what world do you want?
TAKE ACTION
Run for Something. Visit revoltingyouth.org and sign up through Run for Something Civics to explore running for local office: school board, city council, library board, or any seat that has been held too long by the wrong person. Any of you could get rid of them "because you have more friends."
Register to vote. Confirm your registration or register for the first time at revoltingyouth.org via Rock the Vote.
Read Young World as a playbook, not a fantasy novel. Buy the book, use the free discussion guide (link in show notes), and read it with people you want to activate.
Find a Zohran and back them. Think of one young person in your community who should run for something local. Back them. Show up. Cross the clique line.
Ask yourself Soman's question: "What do you want the world to look like?" (Not "what do you want to be in this world?") What if you ran the world...
ABOUT SOMAN CHAINANI
Soman Chainani is the New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil series, which has sold over 4.5 million copies and was adapted into a Netflix film.
He has visited more than 800 schools telling students the same thing: you have more power than you have been told. His new novel, Young World (Penguin Random House, 2026), is a "primal scream" YA political thriller about a teenager who sparks a global youth revolt, built around a real partnership with Run for Something and Rock the Vote to turn readers into candidates and voters.
Overview
Brad Newsham is a travel writer and self-taught organizer who has spent 20 years staging human banner events on Ocean Beach, where thousands of people lie in the sand to spell out a political message, photographed from above, with music instead of speeches and dancing instead of marching. No staff. No permission required. Just people creating something beautiful together. This conversation is proof of concept for what People in Common is trying to do: inspire people to joyful collective action.
Action Opportunities
- Attend — RSVP at mobilize.us/indivisiblesf/event/953531
- Create your own banner — Templates, tips, and instructions at humanbanner-sf.com/backyard-banner
- Donate to Human Banner-SF — Venmo @Brad-Newsham (code 8294) or PO Box 31006, San Francisco, CA 94131
- Browse 20 years of banners — humanbanner-sf.com/our-history-of-banners. Then share it with someone who says protests don't work.
Key Takeaways
You Can Do This
Brad Newsham has no nonprofit status, no institutional backing, no paid staff. He is a travel writer who in 2006 was sitting at a kitchen table with his daughter, saw Google Earth for the first time, and was literally lifted out of his chair by a vision: big letters on Ocean Beach, the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, a thousand people lying in the sand. He spent 10 weeks working out the logistics, paid the first $3,500 out of his savings, and 20 years later has staged 37 banners with as many as 7,000 people each time. The lesson is that you could be Brad.
When a union board voted down a proposal he believed in, Brad vowed that if he ever cared that much about something again, he would design it so he didn't need anyone's permission. Now he inspires thousands, no permission required.
Joy Is the Strategy
Brad designed events he would personally want to attend, with art, music, costumes, and families welcome. The result: people don't want to leave. 20 years on, participants keep aerial postcards from early events on their walls.
"This is so much fun. People don't want to go home. The music is basically a demand from our participants now."
The Wilderness Years Are Real
Brad received a death threat that kept him off the beach for six months. Two banners during the Biden years got zero media coverage. He went three and a half years without a single event and believed the chapter was over. Then his co-organizer Travis texted him one word: "Beachable?" 14 banners later, 9,000 are on his email list. Lesson: it is okay to pause.
The Model Is Replicable by Design
A San Diego organizer saw a photo of a 2017 RESIST! banner, cold-emailed Brad, and got grid instructions in return. 500 people showed up in San Diego. Santa Cruz organized their own after April 2026. Walnut Creek. Washington D.C. His ‘Backyard Banner’ concept brings the model down to 10 people in a backyard with a selfie stick. Brad actively helps people start their own wherever they are - this could be you!
- You need: 10 people, a flat surface, a way to photograph from above
- You do not need: a beach, 1,000 people, a permit, a budget, or anyone's permission
"Given this country we all love, who gets an excused absence?... I feel so much better being engaged than I did in the brief times that I've sat on the sidelines and just wished this would all go away."
What It Feels Like
Connectivity is the point. Standing in a letter with strangers, passing a message down the line, waiting for a drone, laughing while lying flat on cold sand. Brad walked hand in hand with a man dressed as Mr. Rogers through a crowd of 5,000 people. He describes standing on the seawall watching 40 or 50 volunteers running the event without him needing to direct any of it, and feeling something he didn't have words for. That is the thing collective action can do.
"I swear I heard this 50 times from other people before I let these words come out of my mouth: people have called us the face of the resistance."
Key Takeaways
The Isolation Trap
We're stuck. Millions of us share the same concerns. We even agree on most goals. But isolation prevents action.
Shaka Senghor understands isolation better than most. Nineteen years in prison. Seven and a half in solitary confinement.
During the pandemic, successful investors and professional athletes called him for help navigating their own isolation. His insight: we all carry hidden prisons. Grief. Anger. Shame. Trauma. Self-doubt. These invisible barriers hold us back more than any external circumstance. When we recognize this shared truth, it changes how we treat ourselves and each other.
This is what People in Common addresses: the isolation that keeps people stuck despite shared goals. Community creates possibility. Shaka's work shows what happens when we move from individual concern to collective action.
Freedom Is an Inside Job
"I was incarcerated before I ever was arrested and I was free long before they let me out of prison. Freedom really is an inside job."
This is the foundation of everything Shaka teaches - and why it matters right now when so many of us feel stuck. After his second parole denial following 18 years behind bars, he faced a choice: surrender to despair or transform from within. He chose hope.
Through daily practices of journaling, meditation, and creative expression, Shaka discovered that "the most important is the conversation I have with myself." Internal dialogue shapes everything.
Hidden Prisons We All Carry - And Practices That Free Us
The practices that sustained Shaka through solitary confinement work for everyone. When people say they're too busy for the work that would end suffering, Shaka pushes back: "Intention creates the time." He journals whether for 10 minutes or an hour. The practice matters more than the duration.
He says the unhealed part of us causes harm "until people are courageous enough to say, I'm going to break the cycle."
Respect and Curiosity Bridge Everything
Whether he's talking to Oprah Winfrey or Joe Rogan, Shaka approaches every conversation with respect and curiosity. Not because he agrees but because he'll have a conversation with anyone, as long as it's not "performative...I would rather us be completely disagreeable and authentic. That's an interesting conversation."
This practice of genuine curiosity bridges supposedly unbridgeable divides. His work on criminal justice reform with both parties proves it:
"When you start getting into how do we save kids dying from opioids and fentanyl, how do we allocate taxes well, how do we make sure people are being taken care of in our community? Those conversations without a doubt are always the same. We really want the same thing. We just don't know how to get there."
The Literary Lounge: Individual Liberation Made Real
On February 3rd, 2026, the Shaka Senghor Literary Lounge opened at Michigan Central Station in Detroit. His actual handwriting covers the walls - journals from prison, his first piece of fiction written on Michigan Department of Corrections paper.
Books helped set Shaka free. Now he's built infrastructure where 1,000+ young people annually discover that same freedom. Individual liberation leads to collective transformation.
Action Opportunities
- Read "How to Be Free" and subscribe to the "Hidden Prisons" newsletter at shakasenghor.com
- Watch "Why Your Worst Deeds Don't Define You" (TED Talk with 1.8M views)
- Visit and support the Shaka Senghor Literary Lounge
- Practice the work that frees you and others: journal, have "the most important conversation" with yourself, approach difference with respect and curiosity, recognize the hidden prisons others carry and let it change how you treat them
- Join People in Common's listener-matching system to connect with others ready to act locally (email podcast@jamaadams.com or reply "MATCH" to any episode post)
Action Opportunities
- Start something local this week: You don't need a budget, a board, a brand. Just one or two people who know good people, a room with good coffee, and the discipline to show up. Jama's playbook is available -- email her at innovators@jamaadams.com to request it.
- Try the problem-solving format: Gather five to ten people you trust across different industries. Give one person with a real problem 45 minutes of the group's focus. Watch what happens. The framework is simple, the trust, curiosity, and a little bit of structure is key.
- Share this episode with someone who's overwhelmed: Know someone who cares deeply but feels overwhelmed by the stakes or the scale? This episode is for them.
- Connect with Jama: Follow her work at jamaadams.com or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/jamaadams. If something in this episode sparks an idea for your own corner of the world, please share.
- Follow People in Common: New episodes drop every other Tuesday through November. Each one is a different answer to the same question: What can WE do? Follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
Key Takeaways
This episode is a little different. Jama's friend and Innovators community member Jon Bonanno turns the microphone around and interviews her -- and they end up going somewhere unexpected.
Two years ago, Jama co-founded a monthly gathering in her hometown: entrepreneurs, builders, and community leaders, once a month, helping each other work through real problems. No budget. No pitch. Just a tight structure, a room full of generous people, and one rule: bring something you haven't figured out yet.
One meeting became a community of 44. Twenty-two gatherings. Ten structured problem-solving sessions that changed real businesses, careers, and civic projects. A restaurant owner raised non-dilutive capital weeks before opening day using an idea the group generated in 45 minutes. A founder navigating a complex merger said a single session was "one of the most impactful things that shaped my trajectory as a leader." A group on the other side of the country adopted the model using Jama's documents, and held a successful first session without ever having seen it in person.
The conversation covers how the community started, the "Help Me Solve This" framework, and what 25 years of coalition-building at the highest levels (Giving Pledge, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, the launch of a national Responsible AI Framework) taught Jama about what actually moves people. The answer keeps coming back to the same thing: values, trust, and showing up for each other.
Near the end, Jama says something she keeps coming back to. When enormous stakes make any effort feel inadequate, the antidote is not doing more. It is doing something local. That is where it all begins. And it is replicable anywhere -- including your town, this week, with people you already know.
"We spend the same amount on maintaining our parking facilities as we do on running elections."
Elections are "the load-bearing beam of democracy and the civil rights issue of our time." Tiana Epps-Johnson, CEO of the Center for Tech and Civic Life, uses technology to prevent that beam from cracking under coordinated attacks targeting 8,000 election offices that represent the scaffolding of our democracy.
Action Opportunities
Support CTCL's work: Donate to the Center for Tech and Civic Life at techandciviclife.org to help protect election infrastructure and support officials under threat.
Volunteer as a poll worker: The single thing that most increases confidence in elections is a positive interaction with your local poll worker. Be that person. Get a front-row seat to democracy in action.
Share accurate information: Combat chaos by helping people in your networks understand how elections actually work.
Subscribe to CTCL's newsletter: Stay current with election administration stories, trainings, best practices, and updates from the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence at techandciviclife.org/our-work/election-officials/electricity
Connect with Tiana: Follow her work on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/tianaej
Key Takeaways
1. Elections are the scaffolding holding democracy together. The 8,000 election offices nationwide operate as an interconnected web, the load-bearing beam of how we make decisions as a country. But this infrastructure runs on massive resource gaps - from $2 per voter in some jurisdictions to $60 in others - and officials increasingly under attack for doing their jobs. When the foundation cracks, everything falls.
2. Chaos itself is the weapon. Tiana draws a parallel to tactics used in the tobacco industry: when you can't win on facts, you make things so confusing that people give up and look away. Make the system overwhelming enough that people disengage entirely. The pattern is clear: 2016 cyber attacks, 2018 disinformation, 2020 pandemic exploitation, 2022 vitriol driving officials out, 2024-2025 foreign interference. Each wave designed to overwhelm, confuse, and break trust in the systems holding us together.
3. Translation work is the antidote. Tiana takes overwhelming election systems and helps people understand and engage with them - the same work this podcast tries to do with activism. CTCL publishes civic information accessed over 200 million times. Making the invisible visible, the complex actionable. Meeting people where they are with what they actually need.
4. Building networks vs. building walls. In 2022, Tiana launched the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, an $80 million, five-year program bringing together election officials, technologists, and designers across all 50 states. Officials from red counties and blue counties work together because they share something more fundamental than politics: commitment to protecting democracy's infrastructure through peer support rather than top-down mandates.
5. Defending democracy comes at a personal cost. In 2020, CTCL distributed $350 million to help local election offices run safe elections during COVID. The attacks that followed were unprecedented. Staying focused on mission when protecting democracy makes you a target requires resilience most of us don't have. Tiana and thousands of election officials do this work every day, often without recognition, frequently under threat.
Carolina Lopez leads the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions (PLEJ), a national network supporting the officials who run elections for more than 123 million Americans. When election officials face threats, natural disasters threaten polling places, or misinformation spreads, Carolina and her network are the first responders. It's all about "agility, resilience, and network."
We talk about why elections matter to everything we hold dear, how PLEJ builds trust across deep political divides, and what it looks like when Republicans and Democrats work together to protect the foundation of our democracy. Carolina shares stories from her decade running elections in Miami-Dade County, explains how peer support works when officials come under attack, and offers concrete ways we can all show up for the people protecting democracy at the local level.
The conversation gets real about the challenges election officials face, from armed interference to misinformation campaigns. And it also highlights an incredible network of dedicated public servants who refuse to be divided, who show up for each other across partisan lines, and who are more prepared than ever to protect our collective ability to participate in democracy.
Action Opportunities
Be a Prepared Voter: Ensure your voter registration is accurate. Confirm your polling location. Check your local election office website.
Support Your Local Elections:
Become a poll worker (there's a critical shortage) at powerthepolls.org
Follow your local elections office; they're the subject-matter experts in your community
When your local office is strapped for resources, show up: write a proactive op-ed, volunteer, send a letter to the board, or speak at a budget hearing
Support the Work:
Donate to PLEJ at taketheplej.org
Follow @taketheplej on social media to stay informed
For Election Officials:
PLEJ-eligible election offices: Consider joining the network
All election offices: Access PLEJ's nonpartisan, publicly available resources and operational forecasting tools at taketheplej.org
Key Takeaways
In a world where the integrity and efficiency of elections are crucial, Carolina Lopez is a beacon of hope and innovation. As the founding executive director of PLEJ, she is leading a transformative movement that connects large election jurisdictions across the United States.
- The Birth of PLEJ: A Network for Election Officials
Carolina Lopez founded PLEJ to create the first national nonprofit network for large election offices. The goal: foster collaboration and share best practices on things like "How do we get [voters] in and out the door quicker?"
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The Village of Support: A Unique Approach Carolina describes a collaborative environment where election officials can share knowledge and resources. This collaborative approach not only enhances problem-solving but also builds a community among election officials, enabling them to navigate challenges more effectively.
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Addressing Challenges to Elections
Carolina highlights the importance of preparedness, especially in the face of threats, whether natural disasters, pandemics, or cybersecurity threats. She emphasizes the need for early detection of potential issues. "How do you communicate transparently?"
- Continuous Improvement: Learning from Each Election
"You're only as good as the last [election]." PLEJ serves as a platform for learning and sharing experiences, helping election officials adapt and grow with each election cycle. The focus on best practices ensures that every election is more efficient and voter-friendly than the last.
Carolina Lopez is all about the power of collaboration and continuous improvement in elections. By fostering a support network among large election jurisdictions, PLEJ makes elections more efficient and ensures that the voices of voters are heard and respected. In an increasingly complex electoral landscape, the principles of transparency, preparedness, and community support are essential.
Picking up where they left off dancing on stage, Baron tells Jama: "I think that's what dance has taught me is just like sports, be comfortable being uncomfortable."
Baron Davis is a two-time NBA All-Star who led the league in steals twice and now invests in 26+ companies. He founded Business Inside the Game (BIG), connecting athletes, creators, and entrepreneurs, and Sports, Lifestyle in Culture (SLIC), which empowers creators through original content and IP development.
Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
"I was just having fun. I was just kind of doing something that people wouldn't expect. I think it's overall just conquering the fear, like living outside your comfort zone." Baron's philosophy isn't just about movement. It's about taking action despite fear and learning faster by throwing yourself to the wolves.
Show Up Ready, No Matter Who Shows Up
"I was ready for 400 people but only four people showed up. If I'm ready like this every time, you never know when the 40 to the 400 are going to show up." You don't wait for perfect conditions. You show up prepared, stay consistent, and welcome whatever comes as a chance to learn rather than failure. Baron talks about the reality checks, the days that aren't the greatest. The question is: how do you overcome? How do you continue to push through? The answer is readiness. Present moment awareness. Always be learning.
The 5%
"The 5% in the corner having a good time become the gravitational pull for the other 95%." Change doesn't happen by convincing everyone. It happens when a core group is so aligned and energized that others naturally want to join.
Media That Honors People
Too much media focuses on "argumentative, debating, knocking people down" instead of honoring people's stories, their sacrifice, their full humanity. Baron's calling for media that celebrates the complete story. Where people come from, what they've sacrificed, who they are. "A lot of that makes up your story and your DNA." Quality and substance over noise.
Learn From Mistakes
"Here are the mistakes that I made...Here are the ways that I would definitely tell you to go the other way." The most valuable thing you can give someone isn't just your wins. It's the honest account of what didn't work, how you learned the hard way so they don't have to. Real roadmaps.
Baron's Leadership Lessons
"Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable"
"Champions are made when nobody's around, when you're putting in the work behind closed doors"
"Throw me to the wolves. I learn faster when I'm around wolves and sharks"
"There is no failure, only incremental stages on the way to success"
Action Opportunities
Learn more: Business Inside the Game at bigsummits.com and @BIGsummits, SLIC Studios at slicsports.com, @BaronDavis on Instagram
Be part of the 5%: Be comfortable being uncomfortable. Practice curiosity. Show up ready. Give someone the ball.
Support entrepreneurs: Invest in companies from underrepresented founders. Attend BIG Summit events. Amplify creators through SLIC. Support companies that serve everyone, not just shareholders.
Chapters
00:00 The Power of Dance and Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
02:54 Cultural Shifts and the 5% Influence
05:53 Leadership vs. Individual Talent
08:40 The Responsibility of Storytelling
11:32 The Impact of Information Overload
14:34 Legacy and the Future of Culture
19:53 The Value of Storytelling in Community
22:17 Building Beloved Communities
23:51 The Shift in Community Engagement
26:20 Reevaluating Personal Values and Community
29:16 The Entrepreneurial Journey and Community Support
32:02 Navigating Entrepreneurship and Investor Relationships
34:56 Meeting People Where They Are
36:56 "There is no failure, only incremental stages on the way to success"
Mel Allbright opened her Arizona home to Jama Adams for five weeks before the 2024 election, not because she's a professional organizer, but because she believes in showing up for people. A retired Kyrene School District professional and baseball coach, she and her husband Al, an Air Force veteran, embody grassroots democracy: meaningful welcome, homemade meals, looking out for each other at rallies, and maintaining relationships across political divides. We talk about respecting differences and meaningful dialogue, bridging divides, and the joy of 'finding our people.' Through Mel's story, we discover how small acts of care sustain movements, why respect means standing against bullies, and how eight years of community building in Serbia enabled people to stand together against Milosevic. Strong communities built on trust and care are how we get through tough times, together.
Action Opportunities
- Start with one small gesture this week: a welcome message, a meal, a conversation. Small gestures can be big to someone else
- Practice everyday hospitality: Who in your community is doing hard work and could use a meal, a welcome message, or just knowing someone cares?
- Invite neighbors over to talk about current events. Start with a dinner party or water cooler conversation to strengthen relationships in your community
- Find events where you can help create welcoming, joyful environments that keep people motivated
- Create "permission structures" in your own community for people to act on their values rather than tribal loyalty
- Explore hosting opportunities for volunteers through organizations like Movement Voter Project, which connects out-of-state organizers with local hosts
Key Topics
• How hospitality becomes organizing: The small generosities that sustained a movement
• Connecting across political divides through shared humanity
• Looking out for each other at rallies: Mel's gift for keeping energy up and making sure everyone feels cared for
• Standing against bullies: Why respect matters in leadership
• Quiet resistance: Republicans like Al who voted their conscience without public confrontation
• The Milosevic example: How eight years of community building created enough trust that people stood together when it mattered most
• Living the Maya Angelou principle: Using anger productively without becoming bitter
• The joy of finding our people in challenging times
Key Topics
The Maya Angelou Principle
Mel and Jama's shared philosophy:
"You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the object of its displeasure. So use that anger. You write it. You paint it. You dance it. You march it. You vote it. You do everything about it. You talk it. Never stop talking it." —Maya Angelou
Building Community Across Divides
While Mel created joyful, welcoming spaces at rallies, she also maintains something remarkable in her everyday life: genuine relationships with people across deep political divides. When someone attacked Mel on Facebook, her defenders came from both sides of the aisle: "Wait, have you even met her? Back off, she's a great person!" This is what community built on trust and care looks like: relationships strong enough to protect you even when you say brave things.
The Milosevic Example
In Serbia, when Milosevic tried to steal the election, it was eight years of community building that paid off. People had built enough trust that when the moment came to stand up together, they did. They challenged him as a united community even when things got intimidating. Mel's everyday practice of building relationships now, across divides, with care and trust, creates the foundation for communities to stand together when democracy needs defending.
Col. Pam Stevenson is Kentucky's House Minority Floor Leader and U.S. Senate candidate. She founded the Stevenson Law Center providing pro bono legal services, serves as an ordained minister, and is the first Black woman to lead a legislative caucus in Kentucky. Col. Pam brings 27 years of Air Force service as a Judge Advocate General who negotiated in 11 countries, and learned "there's more than one way to do everything" and "you've got to treat people with a lot of respect." Her approach starts with one simple question: "What can I do to serve you?"
Action Opportunities
Learn more about Col. Pam Stevenson:
stevensonforsenate.com
@ColPamStevenson
"Stand up. Find joy. Every day." Start with one—donate one dollar, do one thing that gives you joy
Create your own narrative (vs. respond to others' frameworks)
Ask "What can I do to serve you?" in your next difficult conversation
Find ways to work with "all people, not just your people" in your community.
Support veterans and seniors through pro bono services or advocacy
Carry forward Col. Pam’s grandmother’s legacy of sacrifice and generational investment: “Whose ‘Lucy’ will you be?” How are you going to show up in such a big way for somebody?
The "Lucy" Example: How to Approach Change
"Let me give you an example. There was a leader, Lucy. Lucy was born in the early 1800s. And Lucy dropped out of the sixth grade, got married at age 14, had 15 kids. And when Lucy had a grandchild, she decided that she was going to save 10 cents a month to pay for an insurance policy so her grandkid could go to college. She did extra stuff to earn that 10 cents a month…She dreamed a whole world for me that she knew she couldn't be for herself. She couldn't go downtown, she couldn't file a police report, she could do none of those things. But she did what she could do to make sure I could…And when I turned 18, the insurance company gave me the policy because Lucy was my grandmother.
"Whose Lucy are you? Who are you standing for? That's where we've got to start. You don't have to do everything. Just do one thing. One thing that gives you joy. One thing that fills your soul. One thing that's of use to another human. One thing!"
Democratic Leadership Principles
Col. Stevenson's core leadership lessons from 11 countries:
"There's more than one way to do everything"
"You've got to treat people with a lot of respect"
Start every conversation with "What can I do to serve you?"
"Living for something bigger than self"
Spiritual Foundations
Practice asking "What can I do to serve you?"
Respect is the foundation of all successful negotiations
Find joy daily to sustain over the long-term
"Whose Lucy will you be? How are you going to show up in such a big way for somebody?"
Chapters
00:00 Setting the Stage
00:58 The Power of Community and Support
04:01 Personal Background and Military Service
06:56 Vision for Kentucky and Leadership
09:48 Responsibility in Society
13:08 Overcoming Division and Promoting Unity
15:59 The Role of Love in Addressing Challenges
18:54 Creating Our Own Narrative
20:49 The Power of Community Engagement
23:44 Meeting People Where They Are
29:24 Lessons from Global Experiences
34:46 Living for Something Bigger Than Self
36:16 Faith and Service: The Foundation of Action
37:19 America's Ideals and Inconsistencies
38:47 Leading from Where You Are and Taking Action Now
42:38 The Power of One: Small Actions, Big Impact
44:37 Engaging the Disengaged: Building Community
46:17 Fighting for Future Generations
48:57 Duty, Honor, and Collective Power
'From Values to Action: The Craft of Democratic Organizing' with Marshall Ganz
Marshall diagnoses our democratic crisis through hard-won wisdom from decades of organizing—from the Civil Rights Movement to the Obama campaign. "We look for hope in the wrong place—out there in the great hero," he explains. "What we should be doing is connecting with each other to create the kind of hopeful imagination and willingness to take risks." His framework for change starts with three simple questions: Who are my people? What change do we need? How do we turn resources into power?
Action Opportunities:
• Marshall’s Latest Book: "People, Power, Change: Organizing for Democratic Renewal" - https://bookshop.org/p/books/people-power-and-change-organizing-for-democratic-renewal-marshall-ganz/20658319
• Website: https://marshallganz.scholars.harvard.edu/
• Leading Change Network: https://leadingchangenetwork.org/
Organizing Principles:
Marshall's core organizing questions:
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Who are my people?
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What is the change we need?
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How do we turn our resources into the power we need to achieve that change?
Spiritual Foundations:
Hillel the Elder's three questions that guide Marshall's work:
"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?"
For Organizers:
• Leading Change Network offers training, coaching, and resources for organizers worldwide
• Public Narrative workshops available through LCN
• Harvard Kennedy School executive education programs on leadership and organizing
Connect:
Learn more about Marshall's ongoing work in democratic organizing, public narrative training, and movement building through the Leading Change Network and his courses at Harvard Kennedy School.
Key Topics Discussed:
• The three interlocking problems facing democracy: structural inequality, lack of collective capacity, and fragmented identity
• Public Narrative framework: Story of Self (purpose), Story of Us (community), Story of Now (urgency)
• How organizing differs from mobilizing and why it matters for sustainable change
• How to diagnose power structures and turn resources into collective power
• The importance of civic infrastructure and local organizing capacity
Recommended Reading:
• "People, Power, Change: Organizing for Democratic Renewal" by Marshall Ganz https://bookshop.org/p/books/people-power-and-change-organizing-for-democratic-renewal-marshall-ganz/20658319
• "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson https://www.isabelwilkerson.com/
• "The Tyranny of Structurelessness" by Jo Freeman - https://www.jofreeman.com/joreen/tyranny.htm
About Marshall Ganz
Marshall Ganz is Senior Lecturer in Leadership, Organizing and Civil Society at Harvard Kennedy School, where he teaches, researches, and writes on leadership and strategy in social movements. Growing up in Bakersfield, California, where his father was a Rabbi and mother an educator, he entered Harvard College in 1960 but left before graduating to volunteer with the 1964 Mississippi Summer Project. He found his "calling" as an organizer with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, then joined Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers for 16 years, becoming Director of Organizing. After designing innovative voter mobilization strategies throughout the 1980s, he returned to Harvard, completing his undergraduate degree after a 28-year absence and earning his PhD in sociology in 2000. He was instrumental in designing the grassroots organizing model for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and founded the global Leading Change Network.
Welcome to People in Common, where we break down what's really happening – and what WE can do about it. Together, we're building a community where we turn insights and shared values into action for the common good.
Our Mission:
1. Be A Beacon - Highlight meaningful action opportunities
2. Simplify Action - Make it easy to speak out, show up, and stand together
3. Connect Resources - Support effective frontline organizations
Join host Jama Adams – a coalition builder with 25 years of experience solving problems in climate innovation, responsible AI, and public service – as we discover how to do hard things together, joyfully.
Join Our Community here and listen here: 🎧 Spotify 🎧 YouTube 🎧 Apple
Anat Shenker-Osorio examines why certain messages falter where others deliver. We talk about why fabulously fighting fascism - together - is the thing that matters most right now. We begin with Anat's motivations and her journey in political activism, starting in kindergarten. She emphasizes the importance of direct political action and the need to promote positive messaging rather than just reacting to opposition narratives. Anat discusses effective communication strategies, the flaws of conventional polling, and the power of social proof. She also highlights the 3.5% rule: "no government has withstood a challenge of 3.5% of their population mobilized against it" (credit to Erica Chenoweth of the Harvard Kennedy School) and the significance of local involvement and visible resistance in dismantling authoritarian regimes. She calls for living your beliefs openly. Anat is the author of "Don't Buy It: The Trouble with Talking Nonsense About the Economy" and host of the "Words to Win By" Podcast. She delivers her findings packed in snark in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Boston Globe, Salon, The Guardian and Grist. Check out her "Ways to Resist" and "Freedom Over Fascism Toolkit" for more.
00:00 Introduction to People in Common
00:16 Meet Anat Shenker-Osorio
02:11 Anat's Early Activism Story
05:58 Philosophy and Inspiration
07:26 Challenges in Political Messaging
11:32 The Role of Public Opinion
20:00 The Fiction of Just Voting Our Way to Democracy
27:20 The Power of Joy and Proactive Campaigns
32:36 Challenging Norms and Living Your Beliefs
33:15 Strategies for Persuasion
37:14 Historical Context and Lessons
41:59 The Power of Social Proof
57:44 Local Action and Collective Effort
01:00:51 Final Thoughts and Call to Action
Reggie Hubbard is a political activist turned yogi turned activist yogi. We explore how our spiritual problems are at the root of our political problems. He shares his personal transformation journey, triggered by professional setbacks, leading him to adopt yoga and meditation as life-changing practices. Through a spiritual and holistic approach, Reggie emphasizes resilience training, the importance of dealing with hard truths, and the power of healing. He talks about how his stroke was a great teacher. Reggie's approach focuses on grounding, fostering creative brilliance, and addressing systemic societal issues with personal spiritual transformation. Reggie is the founder and chief serving officer of Active Peace Yoga. Check out his upcoming workshops, meditations, and wisdom at Active Peace Yoga (activepeaceyoga.com).
00:00 Introduction: Shifting from Politics to Spirituality
00:23 Meet Reggie Hubbard: Activist Turned Yogi
00:48 Guided Meditation with Reggie
03:44 Reggie's Journey: From Politics to Yoga
04:52 Facing Adversity: Reggie's Story
06:45 The Turning Point: Embracing Yoga
08:30 Building Active Peace Yoga
13:03 Resilience and Devotion: Reggie's Philosophy
22:35 Overcoming Challenges: Reggie's Stroke and Recovery
27:45 Cultural Inability to Deal with Hardships
28:09 Understanding Anger and Social Justice
29:08 Confronting Racial Discomfort
32:28 Spiritual Problems and Healing
33:52 Stroke as Teacher
34:29 Radical Acceptance and Recovery
40:08 Resistance and Resilience Training
49:27 Closing Reflections and Meditation
53:57 Creative Destruction and Rebuilding
The People in Common podcast identifies leaders, solutions, and effective ways to use our voices, our time, and our dollars to make change.
People in Common is a bridge between inspirational movement leaders and those of us who care but aren’t sure what to DO. With real stories about the 'why', we:
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SHINE THE LIGHT on opportunities for meaningful action
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MAKE IT EASY to learn / act / donate / volunteer / speak out
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CHANNEL SUPPORT to frontline grassroots organizations making an impact now
In the first three episodes, we share conversations with leaders we admire: Time 100's Desmond Meade, Homeboy Industries’ Father Greg Boyle, and NRDC's Kelly Ward Burton.
So glad you joined us.
Episodes'How to Win With Love' with Time 100's Desmond Meade - Executive Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, TIME 100 Most Influential People in the World
'We Belong to Each Other' with Homeboy Industries’ Father Greg Boyle - Founder of Homeboy Industries, which received $20M from MacKenzie Scott the week we spoke
'Do Democracy to Save Democracy' with NRDC's Kelly Ward Burton - Founding President of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee with President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder
Jama AdamsJama is a builder - translating vision and values into strategy to address the climate crisis and save democracy.
Most recently as Head of Investor Strategy for Commonwealth Fusion Systems, she raised $1.8 billion in Series B funding to unlock a climate solution at the scale of the problem: clean, limitless fusion energy.
Jama was the first hire on the Giving Pledge and took the pledge from zero to $1 trillion in three years, growing the ranks to nearly 100 billionaires (today it stands at $3 trillion from over 230 signers) to change norms around charitable giving.
As founder of strategy consulting groups, Jama successfully designed and executed growth strategies for executives at Fortune 50 companies like Google and GE (e.g., integrate social impact into GE corporate strategy), incubators like Elemental Excelerator and Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (e.g. built impact frameworks across portfolio), funders like Democracy Fund (e.g., strategy), and public-private partnerships like Accelerator for America (e.g., shaped the organization’s foundational strategy to support inclusive and sustainable prosperity).
In government, Jama ran Public Affairs for the City of New York Parks Department. On Capitol Hill, Jama served two Democratic Leaders of the United States Congress. She has have worked on various political campaigns and conventions in every election year.
Jama holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was awarded a full-tuition scholarship and was UCLA Senior of the Year.
As valedictorian of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Jama received a Master of Public Policy and a full-tuition scholarship as a Kennedy Fellow. She co-taught a graduate-level course on community and political organizing with Marshall Ganz and wrote a graduate thesis on civic engagement.
Learn more
'How to Win With Love' with Time 100's Desmond MeadeAction items to support Desmond's work
- Vote!
- Go to Florida Rights and Restoration Coalition website and Facebook
- Donate to Fines and Fees Modification fund
- Listen to Desmond’s “Our Voice" podcast
- Have deep and meaningful conversations with the people around you
Quotes and Takeaways:
Desmond Meade has constitutionalized grace. When Desmond and his team would knock on the door of a voter, they would open with this question: “Has anyone you love ever made a mistake?”
“Nothing speaks more to citizenship than voting...for our kids...it brings us together because we're talking about participating in a shared dream of democracy...at its core are 3 famous words: We. The. People."
“Going into communities and engaging people—not in a transactional manner but a relational manner — we can tap into deep desires among people to be part of democracy.”
Passing Florida’s Constitutional Amendment "was about forgiveness, restoration, and love."
Voting is an act of humanity, not politics. "Voting says I AM."
"We got people to vote...not based on fear but based on love...along the lines of humanity."
“We can move the masses, in spite of the efforts to suppress their votes...There are operatives against us - but there are more of us!”
"If I’m only fighting for you because I need you to vote for my party, I’m not fighting for you. And I’m certainly not fighting for us......regardless of whether you agree, I need you to participate in the process."
"It takes someone who has lost the right to vote...we don't scare easy so we're fighting back…engage in conversations.”
Desmond MeadeDesmond Meade is a formerly homeless returning citizen who overcame many obstacles to eventually become the President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), Chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, and a graduate of Florida International University College of Law.
As President and Executive Director of FRRC, which is recognized for its work on voting and criminal justice reform issues, Desmond led the FRRC to a historic victory in 2018 with the successful passage of Amendment 4, a grassroots citizen initiative which restored voting rights to over 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. Amendment 4 represented the single largest expansion of voting rights in the United States in half a century and brought an end to 150 years of a Jim Crow-era law in Florida.
Recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2019, Desmond presently leads efforts to empower and civically re-engage local communities across the state, and to reshape local, state, and national criminal justice policies. His work has resulted in being named Floridian and Central Floridian of the Year 2019.
Learn more
Photo Credit: Florida Rights Restoration Coalition
'We Belong to Each Other' with Homeboy Industries’ Father Greg BoyleAction items to support Father Greg's work* Donate to Homeboy Industries * Get a copy of Father Greg's new book * Reach out to Homeboy Industries and Father Greg: * Homeboy Industries website - homeboyindustries.org * Facebook - @homeboyindustries * Twitter - @homeboyind * Instagram - @homeboyindustries * LinkedIn - homeboy-industries * YouTube - Jobs Not Jails * Facebook - @fathergregoryboyle * Twitter - @FrGregBoyle
Quotes and Takeaways:Father Greg is the person who taught me how to stand WITH people.
Three main principles:
- Everyone is unshakably good. No exceptions.
- We belong to each other.
- Stop demonizing people who are struggling.
Healing and tenderness are the key.
Go to the margins. Stand with the people there. Be humble.
Homeboy received a $20M from MacKenzie Scott the week we spoke.
“Especially in the times in which we live where we're so tribal and divided, here's a way for us to speak a different language that's fluent in tenderness and compassionate understanding.”
Father Greg BoyleFr. Gregory Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. While serving as pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights, Father Boyle witnessed the devastating impact of gang violence on his community. In the face of law enforcement tactics and criminal justice policies of suppression and mass incarceration as the means to end gang violence, he and parish and community members adopted what was a radical approach at the time: treat gang members as human beings. In 1988 they started what would eventually become Homeboy Industries, which employs and trains former gang members in a range of social enterprises, as well as provides critical services to thousands of people who walk through its doors every year seeking a better life. Father Boyle is the author of the New York Times-bestseller Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion and two others: Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship and The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness. He has received the California Peace Prize and been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. In 2014, President Obama named Father Boyle a Champion of Change. He received the University of Notre Dame’s 2017 Laetare Medal, the oldest honor given to American Catholics. Currently, he serves as a committee member of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Economic and Job Recovery Task Force as a response to COVID-19.
Learn more
Photo Credit: Homeboy Industries
'Do Democracy to Save Democracy' with NRDC's Kelly Ward BurtonAction items to support Kelly's work* Go to the National Democratic Redistricting Committee website to join the movement * Sign up for National Democratic Redistricting Committee emails to stay updated * Learn more about the redistricting process in your area by getting involved with All On The Line * Register to vote, and vote in November! * Talk with 10 friends about their plans to vote in November! * Help the candidates who are running as Democracy Defenders in your area * Help protect the integrity of America's elections by becoming a poll worker * Reach out to Kelly on Twitter - @KellyCWard
Quotes and Takeaways:
We have to DO democracy to save democracy
The power lies with the people- that’s at the heart of democracy
Redistricting is all about structural change and creating fairness - and we CAN create real change in this way
Get to the heart of the matter
“...challenge to find language...why democracy is at stake...everything in a democratic society needs you to get involved”
“Go to our website - we are a vehicle to get involved...DO democracy to save democracy...going to hearings, public comment, calling your elected officials...redistricting process”
“We believe power in a democracy should be with the people - we call the bill the "For the People Act" - but they see their path to holding on to power is not through that anymore. What is different...one party trying to erode in order to predetermine the outcomes.”
“I've always had a bent toward eradicating injustice...just like we teach our kids to be problem solvers, we ask what will solve the problem. Cut out the clutter, get to the heart of the matter, how do you solve this problem?”
Kelly Ward BurtonKelly Ward Burton is the founding President of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) and its affiliates, the National Redistricting Foundation and All On The Line. Under the leadership of NDRC's Chairman Eric Holder, Kelly has led NDRC and affiliates to become the first-ever centralized hub for a comprehensive redistricting strategy, resulting in the fairest maps this country has seen in decades. Prior to leading NDRC, she was the Executive Director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and managed several campaigns for U.S. Senate and House. Kelly has a long history as a political entrepreneur, helping to launch several advocacy organizations to expand the number of women running for office and help nonprofit leaders leverage their power for impact.
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Photo Credit: Miriam Brummel