Collection

Aspen Ideas: Show Up Part 2

2 Articles 10 Speakers

Aspen Ideas: Show Up

A fresh musical take on the civics lesson. The power of drag to inspire participation. A young talent on the scene in San Jose. How active citizenship is the best igniter of change when deployed at the local level. Addressing structural barriers disproportionately hurting women amidst the pandemic. A special performance and much more.

Watch the FULL EPISODE ABOVE. (Explore segments of the program below.)

My Vote Don’t Count: A Young Rapper Takes Us Back to School

“How am I this engaged with my community and that disengaged with one of the key answers to change? rap artist YelloPain wondered, referring to the act of voting. Since learning about the power of voting to effect change, YelloPain released the single, “My Vote Don’t Count” in January 2020 — the song, which went viral, breaks down the impact of elections on Americans’ everyday lives. YelloPain talks with NowThis Producer Luria Freeman to explore the inspiration behind his political awakening, the power of language and music in motivating action, and how he plans to continue being civically engaged beyond the 2020 presidential election.

Yellopain
Luria Freeman

Drag out the Vote: Sashay to the Polls with a Pen and a Plan

Before Drag Out the Vote founder Jackie Huba learned that 100 million people didn’t vote in the 2016 election, she never imagined being an activist. Now, she’s using the power of drag to inspire people across the country to show up at the polls. She speaks with Brita Filter, a contestant on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 12 and Drag Out the Vote national co-chair, about how you can be prepared for, and before, November 3rd.

Brita Filter
Jackie Huba

Guardians of Liberty

During perhaps the most active American era of civic demonstration since the ’60s, what is the ACLU doing to advance civil rights? The organization’s legal director, David Cole, joins NowThis correspondent Versha Sharma in an interview that reminds us of our protections under the law, especially when it comes to the ballot box in November. What legacy did the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg build when she was a lawyer at the ACLU, and what’s at stake in the transition to fill her seat? And why, according to Cole, is active citizenship the best igniter of change when deployed at the local level?

David Cole
Versha Sharma

Catching Up with TIME'S UP

With a long career ignited by the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment and powered by community organizing, self-proclaimed feminist Tina Tchen is laser focused today on creating equitable workplaces for women. How has her organization, Time’s Up, which was born from a protest movement, taken shape as an institution? Using its platform, what is the group doing to address structural barriers disproportionately hurting women amidst the pandemic? From the capitol buildings to the board room, Tchen reminds us how much work is still ahead, and that showing up is a lifelong mission.

Tina Tchen
Zinhle Essamuah

Showing Up for Public Duty

As millennials and Gen Z continue to favor the private sector for work, government is in need of young talent more than ever. Recent college grad Pablo Haake, who works for the City of San José, California, reminds us of the impact you can have when you get involved in a community. As social issues and civic demonstrations take a front seat in 2020 for so many young Americans, Haake shares compelling notes from the field and affirmation that the pursuit of public duty can lead to a fulfilling life.