What Can I Do
You voted (again), you protested (again), you posted on social media (again), yet you’re still reeling from all the terrible news. But…what else can you do? We’ll help you figure that out! Each week hosts Kelly Therese Pollock and Lila Nordstrom interview activists working on a range of issues, from national policy to local concerns, not about why but about how they took action: What got them started, who helped them along the way, and what they’d do differently if they had to do it all again. In the process, we’ll offer concrete advice on how to take the leap from freaking out on Twitter to making a difference, building community, and finding joy in getting involved.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 32 minutes
- Episodes
- 43
- Years Active
- 2022 - 2024
“There will be a November 6th.” (w/ Sara Guillermo, CEO of IGNITE)
Has anybody ever told you that you should run for office? What did you do or say in response?
This week we spoke to Sara Guillermo, the CEO of IGNITE, which trains and empowers young women to become a…
“How does my message align with this person's cultural identity?” (w/ Kelsye Adams, Director of DC Vote)
Do you remember the slogan of the American colonists "no taxation without representation" and want to ensure that American citizens today all have that representation?
This week we spoke to Kelsye Ada…
“Government’s not the problem, it’s the prize.” (w/ DaMareo Cooper, co-Executive Director of Popular Democracy, formerly CPD)
Are you interested in learning more about coalition-building and how to contribute to the creation of a more representative government?
This week we spoke to DaMareo Cooper, one of the co-Executive D…
“Work doesn’t feel like work when it’s fun.” (WCID Jr. w/ Joan Galat, author of Make Your Mark, Make a Difference)
It’s a special episode of What Can I Do Junior, hosted by Teddy and Arthur!
Are you a young person looking to make a difference? Do you have kids in your life who are eager to make their voices heard?…
"Find the joy in today." (w/ Dr. Deborah Vinall, psychologist, Author of Gaslighting and the Trauma Recovery Workbook for Teens)
Wondering how to protect your mental health during this election season?
This week we spoke to Dr. Deborah Vinall, a psychologist and author based in Southern California, about how to engage in the po…
“In order to get there, you have to build out infrastructure.” (w/ Jane Kleeb, Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, author, and Climate Breakthrough Awardee)
Wondering how to do effective Democratic organizing in rural red states?
This week we spoke to Jane Kleeb, the Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, about the innovative work she and the Nebraska De…
“I listen to the people that these elections are truly life and death for.” (w/ Maggie O’Keefe, Chicago 40th Ward Committeeperson, community organizer.)
Wondering what canvassing for a candidate and organizing in-person voter outreach actually involves?
This week we spoke to Maggie O’Keefe, a community activist who is part of a new generation of Democ…
“Words mean things” (w/ Anat Shenker-Osorio, Host of Words to Win By, Principal of ASO Communications)
This week we spoke to Anat Shenker-Osorio, Democratic campaign consultant, messaging researcher, founder of ASO Communications, and host of the excellent podcast Words to Win By. In this episode Anat…
The FTA & Antiwar Protests in 1971 (Cross-Post from Unsung History)
While we gear up to bring you Season 3 of What Can I Do, focused on how to take action in a presidential election year, please enjoy this episode of Unsung History focused on antiwar activism.
In 1971…
“What can we do as community to protect each other?” (w/ Angela Ferrell-Zabala, ED of Mom’s Demand Action)
“There's somebody in every town who is a busybody.” (w/ Carla Nordstrom, Retired Teacher and Community Activist)
"Can I actually bring something to this work to this fight? That is going to add value?" (w/ Hannah Fried, Executive Director of All Voting is Local)
“At the end of the day, when you're talking about activism, it's just a bigger word for care.” (w/ Sabrina Cartan of Fandom Forward and director Eliyannah Amirah Yisrael)
“Think of graphic design not as self-expression but as visual communication.” (w/ Innosanto Nagara, graphic designer and best-selling author and illustrator of children’s books about activism and organizing)
“One of the best things lawyers can do is have the courage to speak out.” (w/ Brett Edkins, Managing Director for Policy & Political Affairs at Stand Up America)
“If you treat me like a problem, maybe I should turn into one.” (w/ Maggie Carter, Staff Organizer at the Starbucks Workers United)
“My goal is to make this an American tradition.” (w/ Jayna Zweiman, founder of the Welcome Blanket Project, co-founder of the Pussyhat Project)
“My job is to see who’s ready to start speaking up and help them use their voice.” (w/ Jade Pacheco, Community Builder at ACT 4 SA)
"We have to always bear in mind who is not here with us, who is not in the room.” (w/ Kevin J. Elliott, author of Democracy for Busy People)
