Join us as we speak with Dwight Thomas, the Network Director of School Culture at Brooklyn Prospect Charter Schools, a diverse-by-design charter school network based in New York. What was it like to advocate for students and families during an unprecedented year in history? Reflect with Avery, Clara, and Dwight as we start this new academic year. 

Daniel Coley joins us for a special episode hosted by middle school students Remone, Siobhán, and Kaia. Daniel's experience serving under the minority leader in the state senate during the 2020 session of the Georgia General Assembly leads to further discussions around voter engagement, the recent run-off, and youth involvement in the political process. 

This week, Social Work Votes speaks with Austin Evers, the Executive Director of American Oversight. Acting as a non-partisan, nonprofit ethics watchdog, American Oversight utilizes public records to speak truth to power, advance accountability, and broaden access. Head to americanoversight.org for more information, and we highly recommend subscribing to the organization’s email list. 

About 21 million eligible voters in the United States do not have a photo ID. Having an ID is one just more marker separating the haves from the have-notes. Apart from the many states that have imposed voter ID laws, this lack of identification can also prevent people from signing a lease, obtaining health care and living life. As our guest Kat Calvin says, 99% of the 1% vote -- and 77% of the people she works for have never voted before. Kat is the Founder and Executive Director of Spread the Vote and the Co-Founder and CEO of the Project ID Action Fund. She works in communities to advocate for accessible laws and policies to help residents obtain their IDs. Hear about her work in the January Georgia run-off elections and how social work students can get involved. Note: This episode was recorded before the run-off elections in Georgia.

You can find a transcript of the episode here: https://www.socialworkvotes.org/podcast

Social Work Votes has the privilege to sit down with Yunhe Bai, co-leader of the Disability Awareness Caucus at Columbia School of Social Work, and DT Bruno, an alum of CSSW. We discuss the mission of the caucus at the school, important legislation for disability rights in the context of voting, and the shortcomings of civil rights for the disabled community. With the approach of new leadership in the White House, as well as many other positions within Congress, Yunhe and DT highlight the need for continual reflection and evaluation of how to ensure access for all voters. 

During our podcast, you will hear from two interpreters for Yunhe and DT. 

Runoff elections in Georgia are approaching, as well as the end of the semester! Social Work Votes speaks with the CEO of a large organization, GALEO, Jerry Gonzalez as we talk about the importance of Latinx voters in Georgia as well as how things are looking in Georgia. Learn concrete ways to get involved in GA as well as what GALEO is up to now and in the future.

GALEO
Social Work Votes

This week, Social Work Votes spoke with Andy Forrest, the Executive Director of Feel Good Voting, and initiative that combines behavioral science with social media entertainment to advance social justice and environmental sustainability. Check out this interesting podcast for more details on social-learning theory and the power of micro-influencers - for this election and for all elections to come.

Don't forget -- Georgians will be voting for two runoff Senate races on January 5th!

Per our show notes, Andy mentioned, "The 100 Million Project" and Avery mentioned the documentary, "Kiss the Ground." 

The 2020 elections are almost over. We are so thrilled to have you listen to our podcast during this unprecedented time. We all are thinking about our listeners this week... thank you for your support!

Our final podcast in advance of the 2020 election, and we're speaking with Paola Sanchez Valdez and Savannah Castaneda, two co-chairs of the CSSW Latinx Caucus. Join us as we delve into the personal and the political, and don't forget to VOTE.

Join Social Work Votes as we speak with co-leaders of Columbia School of Social Work's Aging Caucus, Chris Bowman and Caitlin Kay. Gearing up for the election, it is important to consider the impact of COVID-19 on the aging population, and how that may shift the tenor of typical election cycles.

Email the Aging Caucus to connect with Caitlin, Chris, and their community at CSSW at [email protected]. 

Social Work Votes podcast has a fantastic conversation coming up today with Dr. Darlyne Bailey, Shauntia White, and Qádriyyah Major, members of the Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work,  and we will also hear from Lorraine Major, Qádriyyah's grandmother. We’ll speak on voter suppression through the unique generational lens of these four Black women and hear from each woman about her perspective on this important issue, especially as we all are now 8 days away from one of the, if not the most, important elections of all of our generations. 

Note: This episode was recorded on 10/23/20.

Resources mentioned in the Podcast:
- Youth Advocate Programs
- Y Social Work
- Voting is Social Work
- Social Work Votes Go Fund Me