This summer, AoCC Executive Director, Jennifer Hofmann, had the distinct privilege of interviewing long-time activists and civically-engaged practitioners about their work. Get inspired by diverse perspectives about how to keep going, ideas to revolutionize your activism, and what our guests are most hopeful about. Grab your favorite beverage and dig into these five interviews.

Colleen Cunningham, Equal Justice USA

Colleen Cunningham is the Senior Campaign Strategist of Equal Justice USA (EJUSA), a Black-led national nonprofit working to build justice, healing, and accountability for everyone impacted by violence. She shares about a challenge in her activism journey and Three Cs that can guide effective activism. Colleen also shares the distinction between self-care and healing, and how to get ourselves to actually do it. She shares several stories about why she feels hopeful and strategic successes in decreasing violence in communities. Don’t miss this one!

Kelly Brotzman, Prison Book Program

Kelly Brotzman is the Executive Director of Prison Book Program, a 52 year old nonprofit that sends free books to people in prison. She enthusiastically explains how books in the hands of people in detention has the power to change lives. Kelly blows our misconceptions of “prisoners” out of the water, leaving us inspired to question our assumptions, do more good, and read more books!

Madison Sparkman, Grace Therapy and Wellness Center

Madison Sparkman, clinical therapist at Grace Therapy and Wellness Center, a socially just, trauma informed, and culturally responsive private practice. Madison is an emerging expert on the health experiences of Black women and shares from her lived experience two activities that are more important than self-care. “Burn that table down and build a new one….to inspire the beauty that can come ahead.”

Sam Daley-Harris, Civic Courage

Sam Daley-Harris shares the story of how he woke up to injustice and ended up founding numerous organizations including Sustaining Civic Engagement, the anti-poverty lobby, RESULTS, and Civic Courage. Not only is Sam the author of Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen’s Guide to Transformational Advocacy (a highly-recommended read for activists), his enthusiasm is contagious and grounded in strategies that get real results.

Sherrell Byrd, SOWEGA Rising

Sherrell Byrd of SOWEGA Rising (Albany, Georgia) and Jen Hofmann talk about the realities of rural Black America. Sherrell shares how to lean into discomfort in activism, one phrase that can create change in our communities, and why she’s hopeful about the future. “I believe that…we’re on the cusp of a renaissance where people are about to rise up…and tell America: Enough is enough… it’s time to shift our country to what we want it to be.”