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Subscribe to our NewsletterThe Democracy Group is growing! We're excited to welcome the newest addition to The Democracy Group: New Faces of Democracy — a series of conversations with modern-day heroes and regular citizens from all walks of life who are using their talents and skills to transform the political landscape.
We caught up with host Nancy Bynum about New Faces of Democracy, what inspired her to start the podcast and some reflections from the latest season.
What inspired you to start New Faces of Democracy?
Nancy: When I first started a Facebook political action group where everyone takes daily action, I noticed there were so many organizations and recently activated people who were doing really interesting things to stand up for democracy. So I thought it would be cool to talk to those people, learn their stories and help other people stay inspired, galvanized and engaged. That’s what got me here.
I’m hoping people get even more involved than just talking. I hope they support these organizations that I profile, whether with their time or their treasure. I hope that maybe they start thinking about a group of their own. Anybody can do it.
What makes season 5 of New Faces of Democracy different from previous seasons?
Nancy: Every season reflected the zeitgeist and the zeitgeist right now is pretty dark — people are suffering. The theme for this season is how not to be an ostrich, so ways to engage that feel personally meaningful, and most of all doing it through community, despite fighting every instinct you have to just stick your head in the sand and not deal.
It’s been so important to me and my political journey and helping people discover communities that are going to work for them. There’s a ripple effect to every small thing we do and we may feel impotent about what’s going on in the White House but we can do one small thing for a group in our community.
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.
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Subscribe to our NewsletterJessie Nguyen is a Marketing Communication Specialist for The Democracy Group and a Digital News Producer at ABC 8News in Richmond, Va. She produces the network’s bi-weekly newsletter on Substack focusing on civic topics, social issues, political current affairs and podcasting, and oversees social media strategies and execution for The Democracy Group’s social platforms. Jessie holds a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and a master’s degree from Northwestern University, both in Journalism.
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