Category Archives: Shadow Cabinet

‘Nothing is black and white: there’s a lot of gray’

How old were you when you became an adult? Were you 16? 15? How about 10? That’s the question the Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project poses at the start of one of videos. I’d say 25, I thought to myself, only half-joking. The idea went on to haunt me. The number 25, along with theContinue reading “‘Nothing is black and white: there’s a lot of gray’”

‘Don’t be the one clipping your own wings’

Read more Shadow Cabinet interviews here. Step one if you want to interview Mariana Santos? Figure out where in the world she is. And no, following her on Facebook won’t help much. As the driving force between a growing international network of journalists, she’s not only traveling constantly to trainings and events, but also sharingContinue reading “‘Don’t be the one clipping your own wings’”

Why despair in the age of Trump means we need to know more, not less

Here’s what surprised me the most during Donald Trump’s first month in office – a period I prefer to think of as my first month with the Shadow Cabinet. During each of the past four weeks, I’ve interviewed one remarkable woman: an immigration lawyer in New Mexico, a public-education advocate in Alaska, a business owner who promotes activismContinue reading “Why despair in the age of Trump means we need to know more, not less”

‘Making calls is the gateway drug to political involvement’

Every woman I’ve spoken to for this series is busy by definition. But in the case of Laura Moser, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that I can hear the time pressure in her voice over the phone – understandable for a woman who is surely experiencing one of the busiest times inContinue reading “‘Making calls is the gateway drug to political involvement’”

‘Can we bridge this gap?’

Follow my blog with Bloglovin I’ll admit it. When I picture an activist, I tend to envision picket lines and marches and petitions; if I associate it with a profession or field, it’s probably the law or politics. Activism is all of those things, but as I browsed with amazement through the website of PhiladelphiaContinue reading “‘Can we bridge this gap?’”

‘This is grassroots: just authentic’

Follow my blog with Bloglovin If there’s one word I do not associate with the frantic struggle against the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, it’s “fun.” But when I called a stranger more than 6500 miles away who’s in the thick of that fight, she reminded me that fun is a keyContinue reading “‘This is grassroots: just authentic’”

‘Before you say you want to help, say you want to learn’

Allegra Love doesn’t mince words. It’s obvious from the pace and passion of her speech that she doesn’t waste time, either. The immigration lawyer can’t afford to, not with her clients depending on her – plus the onslaught of “thousands of emails” and calls since the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, just oneContinue reading “‘Before you say you want to help, say you want to learn’”