Power Station

"What am I doing to enfranchise people or how am I participating in their disenfranchisement?" That question, posed by this week's guest, Dr. Marla Dean, to all of us, stopped me in my tracks mid-interview. It has guided her own life and career, first as an educator in troubled and under-resourced schools and then as CEO of Bright Beginnings, a celebrated nonprofit in Washington, DC, that provides childcare and early education services to children and families experiencing homelessness. When I first interviewed Marla in August of 2021, she was deep in the trenches of helping vulnerable families survive an unprecedented pandemic. She powered through but knew she needed to heal, regroup, and continue her commitment to economic mobility from another venue. Now, two years later, Marla introduces us to her new role, leading the Health Equity Fund, a demonstration project launched by the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the region's largest philanthropy. The Fund supports highly effective community-based organizations and invests in policy advocacy, systems change in ways that are innovative and disruptive. With GWCF President Tonia Wellons, Marla is pushing philanthropic boundaries to empower nonprofits and re-enfranchise communities. Marla was raised to be an advocate and it shows.

As Monte Pollard approached the end of a six year sentence in federal prison, he was so overwhelmed by the prospect of reentry, he considered committing a violation that would keep him locked up. His lack of confidence made sense. Over 6 years in multiple facilities, he did not have access to a single training or educational opportunity. When he lost his mother to domestic violence, counseling was not available. It was a visit from Charles B. Thornton, then head of the Mayor's Office on Returning Citizens Affairs, that gave him hope and the beginnings of a plan. He earned an internship at MORCA, went on to become a staffer and served in other public agencies. Now the executive director of Changing Perceptions, he is leading a transformation of the reentry process for returning citizens in Washington DC. In this episode of Power Station, Monte shares how his nonprofit, Changing Perceptions, is remaking government systems, from social services to criminal justice while strengthening the resilience of those he serves. And he is providing training in financial literacy, in partnership with CAAB, a prerequisite for building generational wealth. Monte's aspirations and capacities for changemaking are limitless.

In 2016, Andrew Lee received a call that changed his life and created a cultural sea-change in Washington DC. A conservatory-trained musician he juggled professional performances, running music festivals, and, as a community leader and volunteer, bringing classical music to under-resourced neighborhoods. He was invited to perform that night in a concert featuring brilliant musicians from across the globe. Andrew hopped on a train and headed to Carnegie Hall. The sheer artistry moved him to consider, "what am I doing to create this experience for others?" He launched DC Strings Workshop, a nonprofit organization that makes music education accessible to largely Black and Brown students in schools without arts funding. The logistics alone are impressive, from operating a summer camp, embedding music teachers in elementary and middle schools to performances by the Accord Symphony, an orchestra made up of semi-professional and professional musicians. As Andrew shares on this episode of Power Station, the work goes even deeper. It includes navigating difficult conversations about the impacts of economic instability and violence on students. And it engages young people in finding and using their voices to advocate for music in every school for every student.

When Allen Morris is asked what a policy director does he gets to the point and is not shy: "I tell the President and Congress what to do." As policy director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, Allen advocates for his community in Congress and in state houses where xenophobia, transphobia, and anti-Blackness dominate policy making. In states where the very humanity of LGBTQ people is under attack, the Task Force supports and partners with grassroots group and hosts kiki's (social gatherings, for the uninitiated) a safe space to share information, fears, and joy. In this episode of Power Station, Allen talks about the singular contributions that the Task Force has made, over the past 50 years, in advancing LGBTQ rights. Queering Democracy, just one pillar of the work, along with its companions, Queering Equity, Queering Faith, and Building Power, is a window on a powerful template for nonprofit policy advocacy. It's components, from Fed Watch, a collective deep dive into regulatory rulemaking to revving up participation in the Census and the vote, demonstrate the Task Force's intentionality and dedication to justice. Allen is everything. Listen and you will know.

To understand the long and twisted journey to the Supreme Court's chilling decision to dismantle affirmative action in higher education and its implications, you cannot do better than to ask civil rights champion and self-described optimist John Yang. As president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, John has navigated the drumbeat to defeat affirmative action for years and a devastating rise in anti-Asian hate crimes since the emergence of Covid-19. AAJC employs a range of strategies, from education to litigation and policy advocacy to advance the rights of Asian Americans and all communities of color. John points out that the case brought before SCOTUS by white nationalist Ed Blum relies on the model minority myth, a persistent trope, and a convenient strategy for pitting Asian Americans against other people of color. In fact, the data reveals a high level of support by Asian Americans for affirmative action. John is also buoyed by the emergence of new youth-led Asian American nonprofits and the cohort of civil rights partners, including the ACLU, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, National Urban League, Lawyers Committee and MALDEF that are moving this nation towards justice.

As listeners know I record from Podville Media, a vibrant audio and video studio in Washington, DC. After 277 episodes, it's my turn to be the guest, admittedly a reluctant one. Robb Spewak, a 30 year broadcast professional and a podcast host in his own right who has produced almost every episode of Power Station is my co-host and interviewer. It was a great experience, evidence of my trust in Robb. And days later the experience still resonates. Turns out I am comfortable interviewing nonprofit leaders tackling the most daunting challenges of our times but revisiting some of the moments that shaped me is harder. Robb asked what compelled me to create Power Station and why I persist. A turning point was being illegally evicted, part of an aggressive campaign by developers to empty an entire block, setting me on a path to organizing and leadership in community based and national nonprofits. Most importantly I want to amplify the voices of those who are changing our fragile democracy for the better. And yes, I believe that foundations should support this and other podcasts that tell stories which should be headline news.

None of us, from the Supreme Court to our elected representatives to corporate CEOs, should underestimate this nation's young people. On the same day that the Supreme Court struck down President Biden's student debt cancellation plan, blocking relief for 40 million Americans, the 18 to 34 year old's that animate Young Invincibles, a nonprofit founded during the nation's tumultuous debate over the Affordable Care Act, absorbed the blow and set about putting a powerful Plan B into action. On this episode of Power Station, Young Invincibles' executive director Kristin McGuire shares her own experience with student debt to illustrate how young borrowers, particularly Black and Brown youth, are harmed, often generationally, by the high cost of student loans. And while she is frustrated by the SCOTUS decision, she draws on her conviction, gained from years of community organizing, that the movement to end the stranglehold of student debt will prevail. Young Invincibles invests in the capacity and commitment of young leaders to influence policymakers from state legislatures to Congress and the White House. They are doing the work to make bold and essential change possible.

Do you know the old idiom, the devil is in the details? In this episode, Natalie Davis, co-founder, and CEO of the nonprofit United States of Care, tells Power Station about the importance of treating every detail in the policy making process as an opportunity to produce the most impactful legislation possible. And she is admittedly obsessed with public policy implementation, creating a plan that delivers great outcomes in real time. It takes close collaboration with local policy makers, public agencies, and community based organizations that understand the needs of their regions and where the barriers might lie to producing a powerful implementation blueprint. Natalie and her team listen to what local communities want from their healthcare systems and United States of Care shapes its policy campaigns around those priorities. Right now, United States of Care is laser-focused on the legal decision from Braidwood vs. Becerra, which strips free health screenings and other preventive care from our doctor's visits. Most people simply want to keep themselves and their loved ones healthy, a system rooted in equity and caring. That is the mission at the heart of this essential organization.

A conversation with Families USA executive director Frederick Isasi is a masterclass in how to transform our expansive, inefficient, and poorly performing health care system. America spends more money per person on health care than any other nation yet our health outcomes, including some of the world's worst life expectancy and highest infant mortality rates are appalling. In this episode of Power Station, Frederick explains how we got here, starting with just a few decades ago when many families knew and had access to their healthcare providers. That was before the corporatization and consolidation of hospitals and medical practices, which have driven prices sky high and generated substandard outcomes. When hospital pricing is based not on actual costs but on exorbitant CEO salaries, we are all, as health care consumers, harmed. Many Americans opt out of care altogether, ration their medications and carry debilitating medical debt. From ending surprise medical billing to advancing fair drug pricing and hospital price transparency, to demanding access and equity, Families USA is leading a powerful and winning movement for change. Frederick wants all of us to be engaged, skeptical and activated consumers.

Do we stop to think, when enjoying a meal at a favorite restaurant, about what is happening in the back of the house? While servers and bartenders are working hard, their counterparts, dishwashers, food runners and bus boys, face far greater challenges. In Washington DC, less visible workers receive hourly pay as low as $3.89 and depend on tips distributed by "the house" to make minimum wage. But tips are not always shared, just one form of wage theft in the industry. These workers, primarily women, and often undocumented immigrants, are vulnerable to exploitation. Restaurant Opportunities Center DC is disrupting unjust practices by this powerful sector through organizing and advocacy. ROC teaches workers about their rights, trains them in the skills needed for higher-paid positions and advocates for policies that empower them. On this episode of Power Station, ROC organizers Miguel Castro Luna and Norma Vasquez share that for undocumented workers without access to federal funds, the pandemic is not over. Many are still struggling to pay back rent. ROC's Earned Sick Leave and Excluded Workers Campaigns have led to huge legislative wins. We can join them in demanding enforcement and justice.