Welcome to the New Faces of Democracy podcast, hosted by Nancy Bynum.
This podcast features inspiring interviews with people who have transformed their lives ...
This episode features a conversation with Dana Castner, founder of Choice Tracker, a new and important tool in the fight for reproductive freedom. When the Supreme Court ruled in June 2022 that abortion laws must be decided by the states, that put a lot of power in the hands of our state legislators, many of whom we had never heard of, let alone knew their stances on abortion. That’s what Dana discovered and led her to start the all-volunteer group Choice Tracker just two weeks after the Dobbs decision. Nancy and Dana discuss the value in providing voters all the available information on their state representatives in one place; what actions people can take both in election cycles and off years; and why constitutional abortion protections are not enough to save us on their own. Listen to the end if you want to know how to bring Choice Tracker to your state and other ways you can help now, not just right before the next election.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here. If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send an email to [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!
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30:42
Jess Craven of Chop Wood Carry Water
This episode features a conversation with activist Jess Craven of Chop Wood Carry Water. With close to half a million followers on TikTok and 53,000 subscribers to her substack, Jess is a fierce and passionate warrior for democracy. On this episode, Jess shares with Nancy her view of what it means to be an activist at this time full of so many unknowns, how to find hope through action, some of her favorite organizations right now, and so much more. Tune in for a dose of sanity and humanity, and you will leave both calmed and energized for whatever it is that lies ahead.Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send us an email at [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!
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40:38
Season 5: How Not to be an Ostrich
This season is dedicated to helping you get your head out of the sand after a brutally disappointing election, finding strength through community and taking action that helps real people in palpable ways. If you’re looking for rage, this may not be the place for you, but if you seek inspiration, and maybe even hope, then tune into to Season 5 of the New Faces of Democracy podcast.
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3:46
Grace Cowan of Frogmore Stew: A Red State Democrat's View
This episode features a conversation with Grace Cowan of Frogmore Stew, a podcast focused on South Carolina politics. Nancy and Grace thought it would be interesting, on the cusp of this momentous election, to see how life looks like on the other side of our red state and blue state fences. They talk about how when it comes down to everyday issues there really is a lot more blurring of the partisan lines than the media and national party propaganda would have us believe. They also discuss how certain issues like climate change can transcend party, and that, in the end, there is much more that unites us than divides us. Sure, we have different opinions, but in a nation dominated by an us vs. them mentality, this conversation will make you feel better about the prospect of coming together as a country again. We just have to keep talking. Frogmore Stew is a podcast about South Carolina politics, political history and political culture. Grace and her guests talk through the intersection of national and state politics, she feature guests that give deep insight into a variety of topics, and she looks at how pop culture has become intertwined in our political vernacular. Frogmore Stew is a realistic and educated approach to the policy issues that affect South Carolinians everyday. Thank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here. If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send an email to [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!
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26:56
Mark Bergman: Wargaming Trump 2.0
What if Trump wins? On this episode, Nancy has a conversation with Mark Bergman about something none of us want to think about: what would happen to the rule of law and American democracy in a second Trump term. Last spring, Mark was an observer at a series of large scale simulated exercises (aka war games) stress testing democracy under an authoritarian ruler. Hosted by the Brennan Center, a nonpartisan think tank at NYU Law School, the exercises were conducted as part of theDemocracy Futures Project. Nancy and Mark discuss the outcome of the games, our lack of preparedness for an unfettered Trump, a few positive takeaways and important groups defending democracy that need our support. The number one most important lesson of these exercises? Elect Kamala Harris on November 5th.Mark S. Bergman is a former international corporate lawyer who, through 7Pillars Global Insights, LLC, comments, briefs and convenes on a range of political, geopolitical and democracy-related topics. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the International Crisis Group, a Director of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to reversing the rising tide of polarization, extremism, weaponization of hate and disinformation worldwide), a Director of Bellingcat US and a Director of TIM Cooperative (an NGO focused on information quality). Mark is also a member of the National Finance Committee of the Democratic National Committee.Pro-Democracy Organizations Recommended by MarkProtect DemocracyDemocracy ForwardPrinciples FirstState Democracy Defenders ActionACLUThe National Immigration Law CenterThank you for being a listener!Stay up to date on New Faces of Democracy by signing up for the newsletter here.If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the podcast, send an email to [email protected] you like this podcast, please subscribe/rate/review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It makes a huge difference!
Welcome to the New Faces of Democracy podcast, hosted by Nancy Bynum.
This podcast features inspiring interviews with people who have transformed their lives since 2016 and who are transforming our political landscape. These are not career politicians or former cabinet members, but ordinary citizens who are starting organizations, running for office for the first time, using their creative skills and otherwise stepping outside of their comfort zones to stand up for our democracy. Along the way, they are discovering new skills and talents and creating new communities.
Nancy felt her own personal call to action in the aftermath of the election of 2016, when it became painfully clear how important it is to use our voices to stand up for the America we believe in. As she became increasingly politically active, she witnessed the emergence of an awe-inspiring phenomenon: people changing their lives to defend our democracy. She decided that the best way for her to help would be to share the work of these change-makers, and New Faces of Democracy was born. Since then, she has dedicated herself to both spreading the word about this new wave of activism and chronicling the tremendous political and patriotic energy of this time.
This podcast elevates and celebrates these new faces, and in the process, will hopefully inspire you and maybe even galvanize you to take action on your own. These are unprecedented times, but there is a silver lining. As we become more engaged citizens, our democracy will become stronger and more resilient– in fact, it’s already happening. So if you’ve had enough depressing news and are ready to feel hopeful and maybe even optimistic about the future, head over to newfacesofdemocracy.org where you can subscribe to the podcast, watch the videos and follow New Faces of Democracy on social media.