As the election in the United States approaches, I’m honored to bring back these words of wisdom from a diverse group of mothers working toward a brighter future in this special episode “Mom the Vote.”
Original Show Notes
At the time of this episode’s release, we are at a crossroads in the United States. This election of 2020 is one of the most important in our history. As activist Michael Skolnik says, the election is not 7 days away. The election is now.
What can we do in our last few days before the conclusion of the election of 2020?
Like so many of you, I am asking myself what matters most and what I can do that can have an impact in these 7 days. When I feel myself swirling, I remember I don’t have to figure this out alone. So, I reached out to you, fellow mothers and grandmothers, many of you activists, and asked for your words of wisdom.
Ahead, I have 7 pieces of advice, reflections or calls to action, that we can all connect to for guidance and inspiration each day ahead. This is an election minisode…because I wanted these to be bite-sized and easy to digest. Please join me in taking these words in, taking action, and paying the messages forward to other mothers in your network.
I hope this minisode has you, as it does me, ready to dig in, to connect to community, to engage in multiple ways, to vote for our children, to remember why this matters, to get the vote out with women of color and make sure their votes count, and to mother like an organizer. Together, we can do this!
#momthevote #votelikeamother #momsrising
Thank you to Jen Jenkins Dohner for the beautiful “VOTE” podcast art. Find her work, Postcards for Progress here.
Episode Highlights:
- The election is not 7 days away…the election is now and we can look to one another for how to use these days to the fullest.
- Why it matters to dig into propositions and ballot measures you might not understand.
- Our election is not just about us as individuals, it’s about us as a society.
- How we can use discernment and tap into our community to get us through. Register today for Nicole Lee’s Way Station, happening Friday to support you in that.
- 5 ways that you can get engaged through MomsRising.
- All the reasons why we should vote for our children.
- How elections can be a joyful time for families.
- The critical role that women of color voters play in this election and how we can make their vote count. Sign up here to text bank with She the People Wednesday.
- Wise advice from a life-long organizer, mother and grandmother working to galvanize voting from and for domestic workers through Hand in Hand and her Caring Majority Facebook Group.
Resources Recommended by Our Mother Contributors:
7 Pieces of Advice From Our Contributors:
Advice #1 – Nancy Cavillones – Dig into Ballot Measures Because They Matter to Someone
Nancy Cavillones is an indie author’s best friend and is on a mission to keep authors sane by handling the minutiae of their online presence and communications. She’s been online in some form or other since 1993, and still has the AOL dial-up tone stuck in her head. (Interested in the full history? Check out her LinkedIn.)
She enjoys taking the scenic route, forcing her kids to appreciate nature, and spending time in New York City by herself in a desperate attempt to recapture her college days. Originally from Upstate NY by way of Long Island, Nancy recently relocated to Northern California with her family from Redding, Connecticut. Nancy is the co-editor of Lose the Cape Mom’s Guide to Becoming Socially and Politically Engaged (And Rising Tiny Activists, Too!).
Where to reach Nancy:
Advice #2 – Nicole Lee – Reach Out Personally to Voters, Use Discernment and Connect to Community
Nicole Lee is a diversity, equity and inclusion expert, leadership coach, nationally recognized speaker and strategist who regularly consults with nonprofits, schools, businesses and political and social movements to improve their climate for themselves and all those that they serve. She is the founder of Inclusive Life™ and co-founder of the Lee Bayard Group LLC and Black Movement-Law Project (BMLP). For almost a decade she served as President of TransAfrica, working with leaders across the globe to advocate for a just U.S. foreign policy.
Nicole is a prolific speaker who has given testimony to the U.S. Congress, the United Nations and other international bodies. She has been a commentator on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and BBC. She has been recognized for her outstanding contributions in the private and public sectors through numerous awards, including Congressional Black Caucus, Running Starts “Women to Watch”, Black Women’s Roundtable TrailBlazer, Global Leadership and the National Newspapers Publishers Association’s Press Champion Award. She is both an attorney and an intuitive coach. Through this unique blend, she has contributed to movements in the U.S. and abroad through human rights documentation, coaching and holding space in difficult situations.
One of her proudest moments was working alongside civil rights icon Bill Lucy, the architect of the historic Memphis sanitation strike for a national commemoration of the life of his good friend Nelson Mandela. Nicole lives in Washington, DC with her husband, political scientist Marc Bayard, children and three pets.
Where to reach Nicole:
Advice #3 – Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner – Find Five Ways to Engage Through MomsRising
Kristin is the Executive Director/CEO and Co-Founder of MomsRising and Board President of the MomsRising Education Fund. She has been involved in public policy and grassroots engagement for more than two decades and has received numerous accolades for her work.
She is also an award-winning author of books and articles, frequent public speaker, media contributor, and host of the radio program “Breaking Through with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner (Powered by MomsRising).” Kristin is also a former political director, policy analyst, and political strategy consultant for non-profit organizations and foundations.
Where to reach Kristin:
Advice #4 – Kalima Salahuddin – Vote for Our Children and Have Them Join You in the Process
Kalimah Salahuddin currently serves as President for the Jefferson Union High School District Board of Education She is the immediate Past President of the San Mateo County School Boards Association (SMCSBA) were she served for two years and continues to serve as the Coordinator for the SMCSBA Equity Network. At the County level she serves on the COVID-19 Recovery Council and the Advisory Council for the Equity initiative. She was one of the founding members of the REACH Coalition to increase equity and community health for all. She also was recently appointed to the Board of the Housing Leadership Council and previously served as a Board Member for Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco where she has been a regular site volunteer. She is currently employed at Exelixis as a Coordinator on the Investor Relations / Public Affairs team and is mother to three wonderful adults.
Advice #5 – Jena Schwartz – Connect to All the Reasons That Voting Matters
Jena is an extroverted introvert, a lover of trees and fresh water swimming and babies and bulldogs, and a rabbi at heart. All of her works, from writing groups to retreats to individual coaching, editing, and mentoring, is devoted to creating safe and brave spaces where we get to write, share, and connect. She has been blogging as a practice since 2007. She works with people who struggle to value their writing if/when it’s not “productive” or clearly “going somewhere.”
Where to Reach Jena:
Advice #6 – Aimee Allison – Get Out the Vote and Make Sure Every Vote Counts From Critical Women of Color Voters
Aimee Allison is founder and president of She the People, a national network elevating the voice and power of women of color. She brings together voters, organizers, and elected leaders in a movement grounded in values of love, justice, belonging, and democracy. In 2018, Ms. Allison was one of the primary architects of the “year of women of color in politics.”
In April 2019, she convened the first presidential forum for women of color, reaching a quarter of the American population. A democratic innovator and visionary, Ms. Allison leads national efforts to build inclusive, multiracial coalitions led by women of color. She leverages media, research and analysis to increase voter engagement and advocate for racial, economic and gender justice.
Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Hill, Essence, Teen Vogue and Newsweek. In the early 1990’s, Ms. Allison earned a rare honorable discharge from the U.S. Army as a conscientious objector and works today to support courageous, moral leadership.
Aimee Allison holds a B.A. and M.A. from Stanford University. Author of Army of None, she has appeared in hundreds of outlets including MSNBC, CNN, the Washington Post, Associated Press and NPR. She is building a political home for a million women of color, nationally and in battleground states. She was featured in Politico’s 2019 Powerlist.
Where to Reach Aimee:
Advice #7 – Lian Hurst Mann – Remember Elections Are About Legacy…And Mother Like an Organizer
Lian is a longtime organizer and faculty of the National School for Strategic Organizing (www.thestrategycenter.org). She is currently working with Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network.
Where To Reach Lian:
