Louisiana Lefty

Louisiana Lefty is on summer break, but we’re still releasing mini-pods. This week, Westley Bayas returns to the podcast to speak with host Lynda Woolard about GOTV or Get Out The Vote: what it is and what it is not.

Find GOTV and other campaign trainings at the National Democratic Training Committee’s website: traindemocrats.org.

Connect with Westley Bayas III on Twitter.

Listen to Westley’s previous episode from Season 1:

Never Yield: Louisiana Forever with Westley Bayas

Find more Louisiana Lefty content on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at LouisianaLefty.Rocks.

Thanks to Ben Collinsworth for producing Louisiana Lefty, Jennifer Pack of Black Cat Studios for our Super-Lefty artwork, and Thousand Dollar Car for allowing us to use their swamp pop classic, Security Guard, as the Louisiana Lefty theme song.

Louisiana Lefty is on summer break for the next three episodes, but we’re still releasing mini-pods.

This week, Stephen “Professor" Handwerk returns to the podcast to speak with host Lynda Woolard about the difference between the civic engagement of voter registration and the electoral work of Get Out The Vote. 

Visit IWillVote.com to check that your own voter registration is active and to make any necessary updates before the midterm elections. Don’t forget to share that link across your social media accounts to recommend that your friends and followers do the same.

Connect with Stephen Handwerk on Twitter.

Previous Professor Handwerk episodes are available on the following topics:

Season 1: Demystifying Democratic Endorsements

Season 2: Demystifying Democratic Alphabet Soup

Find more Louisiana Lefty content on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at LouisianaLefty.Rocks.

Thanks to Ben Collinsworth for producing Louisiana Lefty, Jennifer Pack of Black Cat Studios for our Super-Lefty artwork, and Thousand Dollar Car for allowing us to use their swamp pop classic, Security Guard, as the Louisiana Lefty theme song.

On the final episode of season three, Liz Leger from Avoyelles Sleeves Up joins host Lynda Woolard to talk about organizing in rural parishes and small towns, whether for electoral politics or community engagement. Her team's organizing work in Central Louisiana is a great blueprint for how to put progress above partisan ends, how to build relationships in more conservative communities, and how to leverage the local media to accomplish big goals.

Connect with Avoyelles Sleeves Up on Facebook or through their website: avoyellessleevesup.org.

Find more Louisiana Lefty content on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at LouisianaLefty.Rocks.

Thanks to Ben Collinsworth for producing Louisiana Lefty, Jennifer Pack of Black Cat Studios for our Super-Lefty artwork, and Thousand Dollar Car for allowing us to use their swamp pop classic, Security Guard, as the Louisiana Lefty theme song.

Ben Zucker, co-founder and co-director of Step Up Louisiana, joins host Lynda Woolard for the second in a two-part series focusing on this relatively young statewide community group, and their mission of good jobs and good schools for Louisiana. Ben and his partner Maria Harmon, who was on our previous episode, are classic organizers. Ben is leading Step Up’s efforts on Economic Justice from New Orleans, while Maria leads their efforts on Education Justice from Baton Rouge. They’ve already racked up some impressive successes for a young organization founded by young leaders and powered by dedicated community members.

Connect with Step Up Louisiana on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or through their website: stepuplouisiana.org.

Click here to sign up for Step Up Louisiana’s mailing list.

Find more Louisiana Lefty content on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at LouisianaLefty.Rocks.

Nominate your favorite Louisiana organizer for our Organizer of the Month award.

Thanks to Ben Collinsworth for producing Louisiana Lefty, Jennifer Pack of Black Cat Studios for our Super-Lefty artwork, and Thousand Dollar Car for allowing us to use their swamp pop classic, Security Guard, as the Louisiana Lefty theme song.

Maria Harmon, co-founder and co-director of Step Up Louisiana, joins host Lynda Woolard for the first in a two-part series focusing on this relatively young statewide community group, and their mission of good jobs and good schools for Louisiana. Maria and her partner Ben Zucker, who will be on the next episode, are classic organizers. Maria is leading Step Up’s efforts on Education Justice from Baton Rouge, while Ben leads their efforts on Economic Justice from New Orleans. They’ve already racked up some impressive successes for a young organization founded by young leaders and powered by dedicated community members.

Connect with Step Up Louisiana on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or through their website: stepuplouisiana.org.

Click here to sign up for Step Up Louisiana’s mailing list.

Find more Louisiana Lefty content on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at LouisianaLefty.Rocks.

Thanks to Ben Collinsworth for producing Louisiana Lefty, Jennifer Pack of Black Cat Studios for our Super-Lefty artwork, and Thousand Dollar Car for allowing us to use their swamp pop classic, Security Guard, as the Louisiana Lefty theme song.

Executive Director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy Logan Atkinson Burke joins host Lynda Woolard for the second of a two part interview during Earth Month. If you missed our previous episode, Greater Powers than You Know No. 1 with Logan Burke, please give it a listen, and then come back to this episode, as we pick up where we left off, with a wide ranging conversation on how energy impacts every aspect of our daily lives, and how each piece of the power puzzle is part of an interconnected web that requires a thoughtful and holistic approach.

Connect with the Alliance for Affordable Energy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and sign up for their email newsletter on their website.

Catch the Alliance For Affordable Energy’s radio show, the People’s Power Hour, every Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. CST on 102.3 WHIV FM in New Orleans or at whivfm.org/listen from everywhere else.

Find more Louisiana Lefty content on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. Find all our episodes, transcripts, and more resources at LouisianaLefty.Rocks.

Thanks to Ben Collinsworth for producing Louisiana Lefty, Jennifer Pack of Black Cat Studios for our Super-Lefty artwork, and Thousand Dollar Car for allowing us to use their swamp pop classic, Security Guard, as the Louisiana Lefty theme song.

Executive Director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy Logan Atkinson Burke  joins host Lynda Woolard for the first of a two part interview during Earth Month. While the episode features some nerd outs over topics like the governor's Climate Initiative Task Force, the bipartisan infrastructure plan, Build Back Better, and the Green New Deal, the reality is, energy issues affect almost every aspect of our daily lives, so this is information to which everyone should have access. For those of us living in the Gulf South, the impact is next level on individuals, communities, cities, ecosystems, and frankly, the entire state of Louisiana.

Connect with the Alliance for Affordable Energy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and through their website.

Find more Louisiana Lefty content on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. Find all our episodes, transcripts, and more resources at LouisianaLefty.Rocks.

Thanks to Ben Collinsworth for producing Louisiana Lefty, Jennifer Pack of Black Cat Studios for our Super-Lefty artwork, and Thousand Dollar Car for allowing us to use their swamp pop classic, Security Guard, as the Louisiana Lefty theme song.

Norris Henderson, best known as founder and executive director of Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) and Voters Organized to Educate, joins host Lynda Woolard for the second of a two part interview to talk about his decades of organizing for Criminal Justice Reform, the patience and persistence required for progressive change, and the formula being used by his organizations to win big victories in Louisiana. If you missed Animated by Justice No. 1 please give it a listen, and then come back to this episode, as we pick up where we left off, with a deeper dive on the Unanimous Jury Coalition’s campaign to change the Louisiana constitution.

Connect with Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and through their website.

Connect with Voters Organized to Educate on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and through their website.

Read Lynda Woolard's article on the Bayou Brief, Ground Game, about the Louisiana groups that worked together in the 2019 election cycle, at: www.bayoubrief.com/2019/11/26/ground-game

Find more Louisiana Lefty content on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at LouisianaLefty.Rocks.

Thanks to Ben Collinsworth for producing Louisiana Lefty, Jennifer Pack of Black Cat Studios for our Super-Lefty artwork, and Thousand Dollar Car for allowing us to use their swamp pop classic, Security Guard, as the Louisiana Lefty theme song.

Norris Henderson, best known as founder and executive director of Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) and Voters Organized to Educate, joins host Lynda Woolard for the first of a two part interview to talk about his decades of organizing for Criminal Justice Reform, the patience and persistence required for progressive change, and the formula being used by his organizations to win big victories in Louisiana.

Connect with Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and through their website.

Connect with Voters Organized to Educate on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and through their website.

Find more Louisiana Lefty content on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at LouisianaLefty.Rocks.

Thanks to Ben Collinsworth for producing Louisiana Lefty, Jennifer Pack of Black Cat Studios for our Super-Lefty artwork, and Thousand Dollar Car for allowing us to use their swamp pop classic, Security Guard, as the Louisiana Lefty theme song.

Justin Hartley, President of the College Democrats of Louisiana, joins host Lynda Woolard to talk about CDLA’s bold stances on issues impacting the state, the importance for Democrats to coalition build with local community groups, and the need for the party to pass the torch to the next generation.

Connect with CDLA  on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or through their linktree.

Help with Justin’s other work by connecting with and donating to the New Orleans Abortion Fund and Lift Louisiana.

Also check out #MyLASexEd, a youth-driven campaign to encourage conversations around the lack of sex education in Louisiana and advocate for its expansion.

Find more Louisiana Lefty content on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at LouisianaLefty.Rocks.

Thanks to Ben Collinsworth for producing Louisiana Lefty, Jennifer Pack of Black Cat Studios for our Super-Lefty artwork, and Thousand Dollar Car for allowing us to use their swamp pop classic, Security Guard, as the Louisiana Lefty theme song.