Washington Indivisible Podcast

Today, our town hall with Attorney General Bob Ferguson. He has served as Washington’s AG since 2012, and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people. We cover a wide range of issues, from the fight for reproductive rights, to protecting our elections, to his many recent wins on behalf of the state of Washington (including the state's civil suit against LuLaRoe, the subject of the recent Amazon Prime documentary).

The race for King County council in the 3rd district between 20-year incumbent Kathy Lambert and challenger Sarah Perry has just taken a very ugly turn. Voters in the district began receiving mailers with photoshopped imagery of Perry and council member Girmay Zahilay, which a majority of fellow council members have now condemned as racist.

To talk about this, we’re joined by the Chair of the Washington State Democrats, Tina Podlodowski, and Chair of the King County Democrats, Shasti Conrad.

SHOW NOTES:

Open letter: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfNA9MEwR28Pi4g0tKHZoy_JC9c-GyPfBuZvBrkDiB3ksgmMA/viewform?fbzx=6896464691757739176

We all know the stakes of the 2022 midterm election. If you're looking to start learning more about volunteer opportunities, both here in WA and across the US, we've got you covered.

The Washington State Podcast is teaming up with Indivisible Vashon and its leader, Kevin Jones, for ongoing coverage, featuring updates about the state of the races, interviews with candidates and national organizers, and much more.

Learn all about it with this week's introductory episode!

SHOW NOTES:

Indivisible Vashon - GOTV

http://www.indivisiblevashon.org/gotv/

Familiarize yourself with the Take Action Network here: https://soundcloud.com/wsip/activism-made-easier-with-the-take-action-network

How to sign up with Take Action Network: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M9TGgjBkWacPXv5VhQtqvTt03x6Tv7HSOdc-6Xzpei4/edit?usp=sharing)

Organizations who provide guidance on where to donate to best support progressive candidates: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1grR_55KXYv71DFSp-vkGSUxxfXBeDFsVTHfo4r80cuI/edit?usp=sharing.

Building the Blue Wave

https://www.buildthewave.org/

This week, we hand over the mic to Dr. Shukri Olow, who has assembled a panel of young candidates in this year’s county and municipal elections to talk about the many challenges—as well as opportunities—for young people who are running for office.

Dr. Olow herself is running for King County Council in District 6. She’s joined by Carmen Rivera, who’s running for Renton City Council; Cliff Cawthon, who’s up for city council in Kent; and Newcastle city council candidate Paul Charbonneau.

Less than three weeks after the US pulled its final troops out of Afghanistan, the situation there remains fraught for those left behind. The United States has evacuated some 120,000 people out of the country, nearly 1700 of whom are refugees who will be resettled in Washington State. But the effort to evacuate those who are still under threat from the Taliban government continues, and we have two of our dear friends here to talk about the work they’ve been doing, and about how you can help.

Aneelah Afzali is the Executive Director of the American Muslim Empowerment Network at the Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS-AMEN).

And Chris Franco is an Afghanistan combat veteran and is also Director of Military and Veterans Affairs with the Truman National Security Project.

Show Notes:

Google form: www.tinyurl.com/WAHelpAfghans

Comprehensive email with ways to help, including action alerts and upcoming events: www.tinyurl.com/WAHelpAfghansSep14

Joint Emergency Fund campaign: www.launchgood.com/WAafghanFund

Toshiko Grace Hasegawa joins us today to talk about her campaign for Seattle Port Commission in position 4.

She is the Executive Director of the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, appointed by Governor Jay Insee. Previously, she served as the Communications Manager at King County’s Office of Law Enforcement Oversight.


Show Notes:

https://www.hasegawaforport.com

This month's Washington news quiz is a battle of the Indivisibles!

Playing for Indivisible Eastside is Rhiannon Probert-Baker

Rory Summerson represents Olympia Indivisible

Jen Carter is playing for Indivisible Washington's 8th District

Join us for one of the funniest nights we've ever recorded!

Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland was elected in 2020 to represent the 10th CD, a district that includes Olympia, much of Tacoma, and Joint Base Lewis McChord. She joins us for this special town hall to discuss:

- The two infrastructure packages and what's in them for WA, and progressive ways to pay for them

- Climate action

- Voting rights

- Defense spending

- And so much more!

Previous to Congress, Rep. Strickland served as the 38th mayor of Tacoma from 2010 to 2018. She is the first member of the United States Congress of both Korean and African American heritage, and the first African-American member elected from Washington. Strickland is also one of the first three Korean-American women elected to Congress.

She currently sits on both the House Armed Services Committee, as well as the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and is Vice Chair of the Sub-committee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. She is also a member of the New Democrat Coalition.

This week, activist burnout. We all seem to be feeling some degree of it right now, and for very understandable reasons. We’re facing so many urgent challenges and crises across simultaneous fronts, from the climate crisis to the pandemic, the fight for voting rights, for racial equity, not to mention reproductive rights are under a frightening new assault.

We know that we want to reenergize and reengage, but we may not be sure how. So for this town hall, we’ve assembled a panel of experts to offer perspective and guidance on how to understand your burnout, and how to find your way back.

Jennifer Farris Young is a leader with Indivisible Action Tampa Bay, and is a clinical therapist specializing in trauma. She is a frequent guest of the Washington State Indivisible Podcast, helping activists cope with overwhelm, grief, anger, and burnout.

Paul Gorski is the founder of the Equity Literacy Institute and EdChange. He has more than 20 years of experience helping educators, nonprofit workers, and others strengthen their equity efforts, and has published more than 70 articles and has written, co-written, or co-edited twelve books on equity, and is the co-author of “Measuring” Social Justice and Human Rights Activist Burnout." He holds a PhD in Educational Evaluation from the University of Virginia.

Jayna Tavarez is a higher education/student affairs professional at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she works closely with college students within Residence Education. In addition to her full-time role, Jayna is also a graduate student in the Social Justice Education program and a Research Apprentice for the Center for Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research. Her research primarily explores how issues of burnout cut across race, and sexual orientation with a particular focus on activist burnout among college student activists.

Marceline DuBose holds an Ed.M. in Teaching and Curriculum from Harvard University as a Rockefeller Brothers Teaching Fellow. Also a certified yoga instructor, Marceline incorporates historical and policy perspectives, systems change theory, adult learning theory, critical reflection, and key approaches from yoga philosophy as she works toward individual, organizational and societal change. She is also the co-author of the book, “No Stone Unturned,” a guide to reducing burnout and increasing creativity and invigoration as core goals.

You may know Cindi Bright as the host of Heartbeat Radio, a weekly show on Rainier Ave. Radio. Or you may know her from her TEDx talk, or as a speaker and corporate consultant. She was also a candidate for state representative in the 48th legislative district.

But in addition to all that, Cindi is also a veteran of corporate America, and she has written a book about her time there and the systemic racism she faced, which women of color continue to face.

She calls on all of us--especially white people--to do the work to change this. Her book is called “The Color of Courage: Crushing Racism in Corporate America.”

SHOW NOTES:

Buy Cindi Bright's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Color-Courage-Crushing-Corporate-America/dp/1636181082/ref=asc_df_1636181082/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=508977995883&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16924662983790139275&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1014226&hvtargid=pla-1379928300462&psc=1

Hear her on Heartbeat Radio: https://www.rainieravenueradio.world/hosts