Events (all Pacific Times)
Interview with Mayor Baraka
Don’t miss this powerful conversation between Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a bold candidate for New Jersey Governor, and Common Power’s Executive Director, Charles Douglas.
As Mayor Baraka steps up to take on Trump’s dangerous agenda, this is your chance to hear firsthand why he’s the kind of fighter our democracy needs right now.
Come learn more about his vision, his leadership, and how we can support a progressive path forward in New Jersey and beyond in this free online event!
LA Premiere: American Dignity Screening And Q&A
In the shadow of a divisive election, a young organizer seeks wisdom from a civil rights elder—and takes to the streets to rekindle a movement rooted in courage, memory, and the unshakable pursuit of dignity.
In the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election, voting rights organizer Charles Douglas III finds himself at a crossroads— disquieted and questioning the future of his community and the movement he has helped lead. Seeking clarity, he turns to civil rights veteran Charles Mauldin, who, at just 17, was sixth in line during the historic 1965 march across Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge.
As the two men walk and talk—across decades and generations, they wrestle with what it means to keep going when history seems to repeat itself. Their conversations unearth hard-won lessons from young activists who, sixty years earlier, refused to pause their peaceful struggle for democratic dignity, even in the face of violent resistance and deep uncertainty.
Slack Update Support Sessions
We're updating the back end of our online community on Slack! After the update on Monday, April 28th, you will need to sign back into your account to access the new workspace!
These info sessions are intended to provide support both before and after the scheduled update.
Sessions after 4/28 will address any issues logging back into your account!
Staging Ground
Our CP Staging Ground, located in downtown Seattle, is a space we open up in support of local organizers and the community who are engaging in advocacy efforts.
There are snacks, coffee, signage making materials and community on Fridays.
Feel free to drop by our staging ground anytime between 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM.
Address: 107 Spring St Floor 1 Lobby, Seattle, WA 98104
We are supporting and endorsing local organizers from the Seattle Trouble Makers group. We encourage you to join their protests/Rallies every Friday at the Seattle Henry Jackson Federal Building starting at 11:30 AM- 1 PM.
Check out the Mobilize event page to learn more:
Team New Jersey Orientation Meeting
Join us for the New Jersey Trip Orientation Meeting! 🌟 Get all the information you need for our upcoming trip, meet your fellow volunteers, and learn about our goals and plans. This is your chance to ask questions and ensure you’re fully prepared. Don't miss it!
CP Goes to San Diego: Community Meet-Up
Join Common Power in San Diego!
This meet-up will be centered around action: how we stay engaged and fight back in 2025. At the national level, CP has a clear vision for our electoral priorities this year. We want to work directly with our volunteers to drive and support real, tangible action at the local level. We invite our volunteers, as well as passionate civic-minded individuals, to join us in these conversations and organize in-person with us.
Whether you’re a longtime volunteer or just interested in helping us organize, we’d love to see you there! CP staff Executive Director Charles Douglas, Fieldwork leader Binh Truong, and Community Associate Jessica Lui will be in attendance. Join us for some good coffee, company, and conversation!
By signing up for this event, you’ll also be subscribed to our newsletter, where we share updates, impact stories, and future opportunities to get involved. We respect your inbox, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Banned Books Club - All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
The Banned Books Club will meet monthly from March - June to discuss banned or challenged literature—from modern works like "Stamped" to classics such as "The Bluest Eye."
June 2nd - All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
The Institute for Common Power, the educational branch of Common Power, is inviting you to join our Banned Books Club. According to a PEN America report, the 2023-2024 school year recorded the highest instances of book bans and highest number of unique titles banned on record – over 4,000 unique titles were removed in over 10,000 instances of book bans. The Institute believes in the enduring power of books to provoke thought, challenge norms, and broaden perspectives. During our meetings of the Banned Books Club we will discuss race, identity, and freedom of expression as the club dives into the societal issues these books illuminate.
In a world increasingly wary of uncomfortable truths, we believe in the right to read freely and believe that banning books is anathema to democracy. As with our overall organizational mission of safeguarding the vote, we also hold true that safeguarding the diversity of ideas is essential to a just and inclusive democracy.
No More! We're Done with the Assault on TRUTH & Education
This course will examine Executive Orders, propaganda, and dictates that seek to cement white supremacy while destroying diversity and TRUTH. We will look at historical parallels to our modern world and learn what we can do to combat this assault.
It has become woefully apparent that too many in America find it acceptable, even admirable, to dismiss the humanity of marginalized people and erase truth from history. Federal, state, and local leaders across this country have banned together with so-called “concerned citizens” to promote and implement archaic and discriminatory policies, executive orders, and dictates designed to eliminate Truth in education, to intimidate and stoke fear among educators, to target certain children and make them feel unimportant, uninvited, irrelevant. These actions are in direct contradiction to a fair, open, honest, and democratic America.
Volunteer Action Call
Join us for our bi-weekly volunteer call, where you'll learn how we're adapting to meet the moment, get the latest action opportunities, and hear important updates. Be the first to preview upcoming training and connect with our Fieldwork team.
Monthly Community Meeting
Our Monthly Community Meetings take place every 1st Thursday of the month. This is a valuable opportunity for us to gather virtually and delve into the latest updates at Common Power. These meetings serve as an ideal platform to explore the various programs our dedicated staff are developing, seek clarification through interactive Q&A sessions, or enjoy the warmth of our community.
All meetings will be recorded for the benefit of our community and will be made available on CP's YouTube channel a few days after the event.
Your participation and support are greatly appreciated! Thank you for being part of Common Power.
CP Goes To New York: Community Meet-Up
Join Common Power in New York - Manhattan area!
This meet-up will be centered around action: how we stay engaged and fight back in 2025. At the national level, CP has a clear vision for our electoral priorities this year. We want to work directly with our volunteers to drive and support real, tangible action at the local level. We invite our volunteers, as well as passionate civic-minded individuals, to join us in these conversations and organize in-person with us.
Whether you’re a longtime volunteer or just interested in helping us organize, we’d love to see you there! CP staff Executive Director Charles Douglas, Fieldwork leader Binh Truong, and Community Associate Jessica Lui will be in attendance. Join us for some good coffee, company, and conversation!
"From Selma to Stonewall" - Lecture 1
This series surveys the tensions and solidarity points between the struggles for African American Civil Rights and LGBTQ+ Rights.
Speaker: Dr. Meredith Bagley
Course Dates: June 9, 16, 23 at 4 PM PST.
Lectures will examine queer-identified figures within the Civil Rights movement - after laying a working foundation for LGBTQ+ terminology - before moving forward to the ways the two movements overlap, inform, and occasionally exist in tension. Through a largely, but not exclusively, chronological approach, this four-part series will examine Black Lesbian Feminism, the Stonewall Riots, Marriage Equality, and the current crisis over gender-affirming health care.
Team Virginia Orientation Meeting (Ghazala Hashmi)
As we prepare for our summer trip, come find out about the momentum we've already built, ways you can engage moving forward, and our strategy for showing up for the upcoming election.
Team Virginia Orientation Meeting (New Virginia Majority)
As we prepare for our summer trip, come find out about the momentum we've already built, ways you can engage moving forward, and our strategy for showing up for the upcoming election.
Volunteer Training: Engaging With Voters
Get trained on techniques for engaging with voters: A virtual community sharing space to share challenges, solutions, and strategies to talk to voters in all our actions.
We'll go over different types of voter conversations, engagement techniques, and scenarios together!
No More! We're Done with the Assault on TRUTH & Education
This course will examine Executive Orders, propaganda, and dictates that seek to cement white supremacy while destroying diversity and TRUTH. We will look at historical parallels to our modern world and learn what we can do to combat this assault.
It has become woefully apparent that too many in America find it acceptable, even admirable, to dismiss the humanity of marginalized people and erase truth from history. Federal, state, and local leaders across this country have banned together with so-called “concerned citizens” to promote and implement archaic and discriminatory policies, executive orders, and dictates designed to eliminate Truth in education, to intimidate and stoke fear among educators, to target certain children and make them feel unimportant, uninvited, irrelevant. These actions are in direct contradiction to a fair, open, honest, and democratic America.
The Institute’s Third Anniversary Celebration!
Join us for an evening of celebrating the Institute’s third anniversary. Learn more about our year’s successes, upcoming programs, and the ways we are trying to change the world! Wine and appetizers will be served.
The evening will include the following:
A lecture by and book signing with Elmer Dixon, a founder of Seattle’s Black Panther Party chapter. He will discuss the BPP’s survival programs, and how we can uplift our communities today.
We will hear from Institute Educator Ambassadors who are engaging in critical work within their classrooms and beyond.
"From Selma to Stonewall" - Lecture 2
This series surveys the tensions and solidarity points between the struggles for African American Civil Rights and LGBTQ+ Rights.
Speaker: Dr. Meredith Bagley
Course Dates: June 9, 16, 23 at 4 PM PST.
Lectures will examine queer-identified figures within the Civil Rights movement - after laying a working foundation for LGBTQ+ terminology - before moving forward to the ways the two movements overlap, inform, and occasionally exist in tension. Through a largely, but not exclusively, chronological approach, this four-part series will examine Black Lesbian Feminism, the Stonewall Riots, Marriage Equality, and the current crisis over gender-affirming health care.
Volunteer Action Call
Join us for our bi-weekly volunteer call, where you'll learn how we're adapting to meet the moment, get the latest action opportunities, and hear important updates. Be the first to preview upcoming training and connect with our Fieldwork team.
No More! We're Done with the Assault on TRUTH & Education
This course will examine Executive Orders, propaganda, and dictates that seek to cement white supremacy while destroying diversity and TRUTH. We will look at historical parallels to our modern world and learn what we can do to combat this assault.
It has become woefully apparent that too many in America find it acceptable, even admirable, to dismiss the humanity of marginalized people and erase truth from history. Federal, state, and local leaders across this country have banned together with so-called “concerned citizens” to promote and implement archaic and discriminatory policies, executive orders, and dictates designed to eliminate Truth in education, to intimidate and stoke fear among educators, to target certain children and make them feel unimportant, uninvited, irrelevant. These actions are in direct contradiction to a fair, open, honest, and democratic America.
"The Origins and Legacy of Juneteenth" with Dr. Terry Anne Scott
Join Institute for Common Power Director Dr. Terry Anne Scott as she examines the history of Juneteenth and discusses its legacy.
"From Selma to Stonewall" - Lecture 3
This series surveys the tensions and solidarity points between the struggles for African American Civil Rights and LGBTQ+ Rights.
Speaker: Dr. Meredith Bagley
Course Dates: June 9, 16, 23 at 4 PM PST.
Lectures will examine queer-identified figures within the Civil Rights movement - after laying a working foundation for LGBTQ+ terminology - before moving forward to the ways the two movements overlap, inform, and occasionally exist in tension. Through a largely, but not exclusively, chronological approach, this four-part series will examine Black Lesbian Feminism, the Stonewall Riots, Marriage Equality, and the current crisis over gender-affirming health care.
Welcome to CP Info Session
Are you new to Common Power and unsure where to begin? We've got you covered!
Join our dynamic info session for an inside look at Common Power’s mission, programs, and departments. This is your chance to explore how to get involved, connect with our community, and take the first step toward meaningful action.
Bring your questions—we’ve got answers! Leave with the knowledge and tools to get started. Welcome to Common Power!
Freedom School Saturday: Teaching The History They Don't Want You to Know
Across the country, federal, state, and local leaders alongside so-called “concerned citizens” have banned together to promote and implement archaic and discriminatory policies, executive orders, and dictates designed to eliminate Truth in education. These efforts aim to intimidate and stoke fear among educators, to target certain children and make them feel unimportant, uninvited, and irrelevant.
Join us for “Freedom School Saturday: Teaching Dismissed, Ignored, and ‘Controversial’ History” - a free event featuring powerful lectures that will teach TRUTH so educators and others are armed with the knowledge, perseverance, and inspiration necessary to fight the threats to education.
Click the button below to view the full list of lectures and speakers!
Monthly Community Meeting
Our Monthly Community Meetings take place every 1st Thursday of the month. This is a valuable opportunity for us to gather virtually and delve into the latest updates at Common Power. These meetings serve as an ideal platform to explore the various programs our dedicated staff are developing, seek clarification through interactive Q&A sessions, or enjoy the warmth of our community.
All meetings will be recorded for the benefit of our community and will be made available on CP's YouTube channel a few days after the event.
Your participation and support are greatly appreciated! Thank you for being part of Common Power.
Welcome to CP Infosession
Are you new to Common Power and unsure where to begin? We've got you covered!
Join our dynamic infosession for an inside look at Common Power’s mission, programs, and departments. This is your chance to explore how you can get involved, connect with our community, and take the first step toward meaningful action.
Bring your questions—we’ve got answers! Leave with the knowledge and tools to get started. Welcome to Common Power!
Welcome to CP Infosession
Are you new to Common Power and unsure where to begin? We've got you covered!
Join our dynamic infosession for an inside look at Common Power’s mission, programs, and departments. This is your chance to explore how you can get involved, connect with our community, and take the first step toward meaningful action.
Bring your questions—we’ve got answers! Leave with the knowledge and tools to get started. Welcome to Common Power!
Welcome to CP Infosession
Are you new to Common Power and unsure where to begin? We've got you covered!
Join our dynamic infosession for an inside look at Common Power’s mission, programs, and departments. This is your chance to explore how you can get involved, connect with our community, and take the first step toward meaningful action.
Bring your questions—we’ve got answers! Leave with the knowledge and tools to get started. Welcome to Common Power!
Welcome to CP Info Session
Are you new to Common Power and unsure where to begin? We've got you covered!
Join our dynamic infosession for an inside look at Common Power’s mission, programs, and departments. This is your chance to explore how you can get involved, connect with our community, and take the first step toward meaningful action.
Bring your questions—we’ve got answers! Leave with the knowledge and tools to get started. Welcome to Common Power!
Staging Ground
Our CP Staging Ground, located in downtown Seattle, is a space we open up in support of local organizers and the community who are engaging in advocacy efforts.
There are snacks, coffee, signage making materials and community on Fridays.
Feel free to drop by our staging ground anytime between 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM.
Address: 107 Spring St Floor 1 Lobby, Seattle, WA 98104
We are supporting and endorsing local organizers from the Seattle Trouble Makers group. We encourage you to join their protests/Rallies every Friday at the Seattle Henry Jackson Federal Building starting at 11:30 AM- 1 PM.
Check out the Mobilize event page to learn more:
https://mobilize.us/s/ir50cw
Slack Update Support Sessions
We're updating the back end of our online community on Slack! After the update on Monday, April 28th, you will need to sign back into your account to access the new workspace!
These info sessions are intended to provide support both before and after the scheduled update.
Sessions after 4/28 will address any issues logging back into your account!
Institute Course - The Surprising History of Asian Americans and Racial Justice - Lecture 3
Lecture Two: "Democracy" - An overview of the little-known, but increasingly consequential, impact of Asian American political engagement
Speaker: Dr. Ellen Wu
Course Dates: May 8, 15, 22 at 5 pm PST.
Professor Ellen Wu researches, teaches, and writes about race, immigration, and United States history. She is a proud graduate of Indiana University Bloomington’s College of Arts and Sciences, where she doubled majored in Biology and History. Prof. Wu earned an MA in Asian American Studies at UCLA and a PhD in History at the University of Chicago. She is now an Associate Professor of History and Associate Director of the College Arts and Humanities Institute at IU Bloomington.
She is the author of the award-winning book The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority (2014), and is currently writing Overrepresented: The Surprising History of Asian Americans and Racial Justice, a new story about diversity, data, and democracy in the United States.
Lectures for this course will be recorded for everyone to watch on your own timing. Registrants will receive viewing instructions/reminders in advance of each lecture.
Volunteer Action Call
Join us for our bi-weekly volunteer call, where you'll learn how we're adapting to meet the moment, get the latest action opportunities, and hear important updates. Be the first to preview upcoming training and connect with our Fieldwork team.
Educators for Democracy Lecture Series
We are confronted today in America by an attack on truth in education. It is an attempt by politically motivated individuals, government offices, and politicians to halt the full teaching of American life by eradicating fully truthful aspects of our past, present, and potential futures. At their core, such attacks seek to erase the triumphs of African Americans, women, LGBTQ+ Americans, and others who have been vital in the struggle for civil rights and voting justice. The Institute for Common Power cannot and will not idly watch. To this end, we have created the Educators for Democracy speaker series to teach truth and encourage action that brings to fruition an inclusive democracy.
We will feature five educators from across the country each quarter who will deliver thirty minute talks on some aspect of American democracy. The educators who will be joining us in May are:
Simone Gordon - Brooklyn, New York
Nina McLean - Collinsville, Illinois
Rob Smith - Buckley, Washington
Tambra Clark - Birmingham, Alabama
Melchior Sysing - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Each educator is an Institute for Common Power Educator Ambassador, which means they have traveled with us on a Truth & Purpose Leaning Tour. They are part of our community and understand the power of how education leads to action. The lectures will have a heavy focus on history and will work to connect the past to the present as they encourage people to engage in work that focuses on social and voting justice.
Brown v Board of Education: 71 Years Ago, Teaching Truth Today
This event is part of a Common Power campaign to support frontline educators who are under assault for simply teaching truth and working to create an inclusive democracy. Our work is more important than ever right now because institutions are not stepping up to support them. We are at an existential crisis moment for American truth and democracy. The Institute for Common Power is built for this moment.
The Institute for Common Power is committed to teaching the truths that American authoritarians don't want taught.On May 17, 2025, join Institute Director Dr. Terry Anne Scott and Professor David Domke for a deep dive into the social, political, legal and cultural forces that produced the tectonic US Supreme Court 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Dr Scott and Prof Domke will be speaking live from Montgomery, AL, a sacred site in the fight for racial justice and equality. From The Double-V campaign in World War II through the 5 cases that comprised the Brown case, they'll discuss how collective social change happened, for the good of us all.
This event will be recorded and shared with all registrants, so if you can't attend live, you'll still receive the recording!
Team New Jersey Community Meeting
As we prepare for our Spring trip, come find out about the momentum we've already built, ways you can engage moving forward, and our strategy for showing up for the upcoming election.
Staging Ground
Our CP Staging Ground, located in downtown Seattle, is a space we open up in support of local organizers and the community who are engaging in advocacy efforts.
There are snacks, coffee, signage making materials and community on Fridays.
Feel free to drop by our staging ground anytime between 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM.
Address: 107 Spring St Floor 1 Lobby, Seattle, WA 98104
We are supporting and endorsing local organizers from the Seattle Trouble Makers group. We encourage you to join their protests/Rallies every Friday at the Seattle Henry Jackson Federal Building starting at 11:30 AM- 1 PM.
Check out the Mobilize event page to learn more.
Slack Update Support Sessions
We're updating the back end of our online community on Slack! After the update on Monday, April 28th, you will need to sign back into your account to access the new workspace!
These info sessions are intended to provide support both before and after the scheduled update.
Sessions after 4/28 will address any issues logging back into your account!
Institute Course - The Surprising History of Asian Americans and Racial Justice - Lecture 2
Lecture Two: "Data" - deep-dive into the strange status of Asian Americans as an "overrepresented" rather than "underrepresented" minority group.
Speaker: Dr. Ellen Wu
Course Dates: May 8, 15, 22 at 5 pm PST.
Professor Ellen Wu researches, teaches, and writes about race, immigration, and United States history. She is a proud graduate of Indiana University Bloomington’s College of Arts and Sciences, where she doubled majored in Biology and History. Prof. Wu earned an MA in Asian American Studies at UCLA and a PhD in History at the University of Chicago. She is now an Associate Professor of History and Associate Director of the College Arts and Humanities Institute at IU Bloomington.
She is the author of the award-winning book The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority (2014), and is currently writing Overrepresented: The Surprising History of Asian Americans and Racial Justice, a new story about diversity, data, and democracy in the United States.
Lectures for this course will be recorded for everyone to watch on your own timing. Registrants will receive viewing instructions/reminders in advance of each lecture.
Welcome to CP Info Session
Are you new to Common Power and unsure where to begin? We've got you covered!
Join our dynamic info session for an inside look at Common Power’s mission, programs, and departments. This is your chance to explore how to get involved, connect with our community, and take the first step toward meaningful action.
Bring your questions—we’ve got answers! Leave with the knowledge and tools to get started. Welcome to Common Power!
Truth + Purpose: Common Power Learning Tour
Join Institute Director Dr. Terry Anne Scott, CP senior leader and Professor David Domke, and other CP staff in an investment in CP's foundational principles of mindset, mojo, mobilization with a trip to Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham AL. These are not vacations; they are challenging, growing, intentional deep dives into historical and contemporary realities of race and voting justice, realities that are foundational to the work of Common Power. The goal, always, is to move from education to action.
The trip is priced at $3500/person for a shared room and $4000 for a single room, to cover costs of hotel rooms, ground transportation, speakers, food, and various fees. Participants also purchase their own airfare. Common Power is pricing this trip at cost to make it as accessible as possible! If you wish to pay by check (and thus no Eventbrite fees), please contact david@commonpower.org for details.
Team Virginia Community Meeting
As we prepare for our summer trip, come find out about the momentum we've already built, ways you can engage moving forward, and our strategy for showing up for the upcoming election.
Volunteer Training: Engaging With Voters
Get trained on techniques for engaging with voters: A virtual community sharing space to share challenges, solutions, and strategies to talk to voters in all our actions.
We'll go over different types of voter conversations, engagement techniques, and scenarios together!
Will Judges Save Us? The American Constitutional Crisis of 2025
This course is part of The Institute for Common Power's Rising to the Moment series, is taught by Professor David Domke.
Donald Trump in his second term has sought to eviscerate American democracy as we've known it. Trump's countless Executive Orders, the unregulated actions of the "Department of Government Efficiency" headed by Elon Musk, and fellow-arsonists Republicans in Congress have sought to steamroll laws, policies, and practices. But they've hit a wall SO FAR with the federal judiciary, a body of unelected judges who hold lifetime appointments. Can or will these judges -- including ones appointed by Trump in his first term -- preserve the American experiment in democracy? Or are we done? This Institute course explores the precarious 2025 state of American democracy, and how much of a chance we have. Registrants will receive viewing instructions/reminders in advance of each lecture.
Staging Ground
Our CP Staging Ground, located in downtown Seattle, is a space we open up in support of local organizers and the community who are engaging in advocacy efforts.
There are snacks, coffee, signage making materials and community on Fridays.
Feel free to drop by our staging ground anytime between 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM.
Address: 107 Spring St Floor 1 Lobby, Seattle, WA 98104
We are supporting and endorsing local organizers from the Seattle Trouble Makers group. We encourage you to join their protests/Rallies every Friday at the Seattle Henry Jackson Federal Building starting at 11:30 AM- 1 PM.
Check out the Mobilize event page to learn more:
https://mobilize.us/s/ir50cw
Slack Update Support Sessions
We're updating the back end of our online community on Slack! After the update on Monday, April 28th, you will need to sign back into your account to access the new workspace!
These info sessions are intended to provide support both before and after the scheduled update.
Sessions after 4/28 will address any issues logging back into your account!
Institute Course - The Surprising History of Asian Americans and Racial Justice - Lecture 1
Lecture One: "Diversity" - Explores how the "minority rights" revolution of the 20th century, sparked by the Black Freedom Movement, widened to encompass Asian Americans.
Speaker: Dr. Ellen Wu
Course Dates: May 8, 15, 22 at 5 pm PST.
Professor Ellen Wu researches, teaches, and writes about race, immigration, and United States history. She is a proud graduate of Indiana University Bloomington’s College of Arts and Sciences, where she doubled majored in Biology and History. Prof. Wu earned an MA in Asian American Studies at UCLA and a PhD in History at the University of Chicago. She is now an Associate Professor of History and Associate Director of the College Arts and Humanities Institute at IU Bloomington.
She is the author of the award-winning book The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority (2014), and is currently writing Overrepresented: The Surprising History of Asian Americans and Racial Justice, a new story about diversity, data, and democracy in the United States.
Lectures for this course will be recorded for everyone to watch on your own timing. Registrants will receive viewing instructions/reminders in advance of each lecture.
Volunteer Action Call
Join us for our bi-weekly volunteer call, where you'll learn how we're adapting to meet the moment, get the latest action opportunities, and hear important updates. Be the first to preview upcoming training and connect with our Fieldwork team.
Banned Books Club - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Banned Books Club will meet monthly from March - June to discuss banned or challenged literature—from modern works like "Stamped" to classics such as "The Bluest Eye."
May 5th - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Institute for Common Power, the educational branch of Common Power, is inviting you to join our Banned Books Club. According to a PEN America report, the 2023-2024 school year recorded the highest instances of book bans and highest number of unique titles banned on record – over 4,000 unique titles were removed in over 10,000 instances of book bans. The Institute believes in the enduring power of books to provoke thought, challenge norms, and broaden perspectives. During our meetings of the Banned Books Club we will discuss race, identity, and freedom of expression as the club dives into the societal issues these books illuminate.
In a world increasingly wary of uncomfortable truths, we believe in the right to read freely and believe that banning books is anathema to democracy. As with our overall organizational mission of safeguarding the vote, we also hold true that safeguarding the diversity of ideas is essential to a just and inclusive democracy.
Will Judges Save Us? The American Constitutional Crisis of 2025
This course is part of The Institute for Common Power's Rising to the Moment series, is taught by Professor David Domke.
Donald Trump in his second term has sought to eviscerate American democracy as we've known it. Trump's countless Executive Orders, the unregulated actions of the "Department of Government Efficiency" headed by Elon Musk, and fellow-arsonists Republicans in Congress have sought to steamroll laws, policies, and practices. But they've hit a wall SO FAR with the federal judiciary, a body of unelected judges who hold lifetime appointments. Can or will these judges -- including ones appointed by Trump in his first term -- preserve the American experiment in democracy? Or are we done? This Institute course explores the precarious 2025 state of American democracy, and how much of a chance we have. Registrants will receive viewing instructions/reminders in advance of each lecture.
The Freedom Riders Paved the Way: Launching Support for Frontline Educators
We are kicking off a campaign to support frontline educators who are under assault for simply teaching truth and working to create an inclusive democracy. Our work is more important than ever right now because institutions are not stepping up to support them, so we, at the Institute for Common Power, must.
We are seeking to raise money for the following:
Building a larger army of educators equipped with the knowledge, fortitude and support to stand for Truth.
Expand our Education to Action Project Fund so educators across the country can implement programs in their schools and communities that create real, lasting change.
Join us May 4, the anniversary of the launch of the Freedom Riders. We will discuss this monumental coalition building event as we reveal what is needed to create change today.
Staging Ground
Our CP Staging Ground, located in downtown Seattle, is a space we open up in support of local organizers and the community who are engaging in advocacy efforts.
There are snacks, coffee, signage making materials and community on Fridays.
Feel free to drop by our staging ground anytime between 10:30 AM - 2PM PM.
Address: 107 Spring St Floor 1 Lobby, Seattle, WA 98104
We are supporting and endorsing local organizers from the Seattle Trouble Makers group. We encourage you to join their protests/Rallies every Friday at the Seattle Henry Jackson Federal Building starting at 11:30 AM- 1 PM.
Check out the Mobilize event page to learn more:
https://mobilize.us/s/ir50cw
Monthly Community Meeting
Our Monthly Community Meetings take place every 1st Thursday of the month. This is a valuable opportunity for us to gather virtually and delve into the latest updates at Common Power. These meetings serve as an ideal platform to explore the various programs our dedicated staff are developing, seek clarification through interactive Q&A sessions, or enjoy the warmth of our community.
All meetings will be recorded for the benefit of our community and will be made available on CP's YouTube channel a few days after the event.
Your participation and support are greatly appreciated! Thank you for being part of Common Power.
Slack Update Support Sessions
We're updating the back end of our online community on Slack! After the update on Monday, April 28th, you will need to sign back into your account to access the new workspace!
These info sessions are intended to provide support both before and after the scheduled update.
Sessions before 4/28 will focus on answering any questions you may have and assisting with saving contacts and DMS.
Sessions after 4/28 will address any issues logging back into your account!
Book Party: Facilitating Interracial Conversations About Race
The Institute's Dr. Devon Geary will be in conversation with Institute Director, Dr. Terry Anne Scott, and Dr. David Domke about her new book.
Facilitating Interracial Dialogues About Race is an exploration into the lived experiences of people in organizations conducting interracial dialogues on race. Utilizing focus groups, interviews, and other primary materials, the book highlights facilitators’ voices to examine the processes and challenges involved in holding these essential conversations within a sociopolitical climate fueled by racial disparities and reckonings.
Dr. Devon Geary, a senior program manager in the Institute for Common Power, earned her doctorate in interpersonal and political communication from the University of Washington, where she was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award. Throughout her career, she has been part of several initiatives focused on race and democracy, including at the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Mississippi, the Highlander Research and Education Center in Tennessee, and Project Pilgrimage in Washington state
Slack Update Support Sessions
We're updating the back end of our online community on Slack! After the update on Monday, April 28th, you will need to sign back into your account to access the new workspace!
These info sessions are intended to provide support both before and after the scheduled update.
Sessions before 4/28 will focus on answering any questions you may have and assisting with saving contacts and DMS.
Sessions after 4/28 will address any issues logging back into your account!
Volunteer Training: Engaging With Voters
Get trained on techniques for engaging with voters: A virtual community sharing space to share challenges, solutions, and strategies to talk to voters in all our actions.
We'll go over different types of voter conversations, engagement techniques, and scenarios together!
Will Judges Save Us? The American Constitutional Crisis of 2025
This course is part of The Institute for Common Power's Rising to the Moment series, is taught by Professor David Domke.
Donald Trump in his second term has sought to eviscerate American democracy as we've known it. Trump's countless Executive Orders, the unregulated actions of the "Department of Government Efficiency" headed by Elon Musk, and fellow-arsonists Republicans in Congress have sought to steamroll laws, policies, and practices. But they've hit a wall SO FAR with the federal judiciary, a body of unelected judges who hold lifetime appointments. Can or will these judges -- including ones appointed by Trump in his first term -- preserve the American experiment in democracy? Or are we done? This Institute course explores the precarious 2025 state of American democracy, and how much of a chance we have. Registrants will receive viewing instructions/reminders in advance of each lecture.
Team New Jersey Community Meeting
As we prepare for our Spring trip, come find out about the momentum we've already built, ways you can engage moving forward, and our strategy for showing up for the upcoming election.