Join Common Power in LA!

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 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, along with good food, drinks, and company!

Join Common Power in LA!

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.

Common Power Hubs will bring together and sustain our volunteer capacity across the country. Hubs will concentrate on large groups of local volunteers who meet up around the country in person throughout the year.

This weekend represents the official launch of our Chicago Hub.

Saturday, March 15th-Community Event where we'll create, reflect on the current landscape, and hear about possible actions moving forward

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.

Common Power Hubs will connect and sustain our volunteer capacity across the country. Hubs will concentrate on large groups of local volunteers who meet in person throughout the year.

This weekend represents the official launch of our Chicago Hub.

Friday, March 14th- Meet Up and Hang Out with Common Power Volunteers and Supporters

Come enjoy hearing about the work done by CP and its volunteers in a low-stakes environment.

By signing up for this event, you’ll also receive our newsletter, which shares updates, impact stories, and future opportunities to get involved. We respect your inbox, and you can unsubscribe anytime.

In conversation with Dr. Terry Anne Scott and Dr. David Domke from the Institute for Common Power, Mr. Newkirk will discuss his latest book project, Children of the Flood (Random House), a chronicle of Black communities fighting for survival in the climate crisis.

Join us for an exclusive in-person premiere of 'American Dignity' at the CP Office!

This powerful documentary brings together two generations of the same movement: Charles Mauldin, a foot soldier who marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday, and Charles Douglas III, a modern-day organizer leading the charge for voting rights with Common Power. Through their stories, 'American Dignity' captures the endurance of the movement and fight for justice.

As part of this special event, we invite you to not only experience the film but also engage in a discussion with the key voices behind it. Director Hanson Hosein, Executive Director Charles Douglas, and David Domke will join us for a live Q&A following the screening.

Event Schedule:

• 4:30 PM – Meet the CP team, connect with fellow attendees, and enjoy fresh food and beverages.

• 5:30 PM – Live screening of 'American Dignity'

• 6:00 PM – Engaging Q&A with Director Hanson Hosein and Executive Director Charles Douglas, moderated by David Domke.

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.

On the 60th Anniversary of the 1965 nation-defining “Bloody Sunday” march for voting rights, we know definitively that we are in an existential fight for American democracy. Thousands from across the world will gather in Selma, Alabama, on the first weekend in March to commemorate the courage and determination of the 600 Americans who were beaten 60 years ago on the Edmund Pettus Bridge by Alabama police.

Across three days this March -- the 7th, 8th, and 9th -- Common Power will convene a robust collection of historians, political analysts, journalists, civil rights heroes, contemporary democracy organizers, and everyday active citizens to dive into how we apply the lessons earned, wisdom gained, commitments made, and community connection to steel us for the road ahead.

DATES + TIMES

Friday, March 7 | 5 - 8 pm PST

Saturday, March 8 | 12 – 5 pm PST

Sunday, March 9 | 5 am – 1 pm PST

They marched then so that we can, and will, fight for democracy today. Connecting Selma 1965 to America 2025 is the focus of this event. All sessions are free and will be live-streamed on Common Power's Youtube channel, live at Youtube.com/@commonpower

Register now to receive scheduling details as they develop, updates, and kinds of other interesting democracy content from Common Power.

On the 60th Anniversary of the 1965 nation-defining “Bloody Sunday” march for voting rights, we know definitively that we are in an existential fight for American democracy. Thousands from across the world will gather in Selma, Alabama, on the first weekend in March to commemorate the courage and determination of the 600 Americans who were beaten 60 years ago on the Edmund Pettus Bridge by Alabama police.

Across three days this March -- the 7th, 8th, and 9th -- Common Power will convene a robust collection of historians, political analysts, journalists, civil rights heroes, contemporary democracy organizers, and everyday active citizens to dive into how we apply the lessons earned, wisdom gained, commitments made, and community connection to steel us for the road ahead.

DATES + TIMES

Friday, March 7 | 5 - 8 pm PST

Saturday, March 8 | 12 – 5 pm PST

Sunday, March 9 | 5 am – 1 pm PST

They marched then so that we can, and will, fight for democracy today. Connecting Selma 1965 to America 2025 is the focus of this event. All sessions are free and will be live-streamed on Common Power's Youtube channel, live at Youtube.com/@commonpower

Register now to receive scheduling details as they develop, updates, and kinds of other interesting democracy content from Common Power.

On the 60th Anniversary of the 1965 nation-defining “Bloody Sunday” march for voting rights, we know definitively that we are in an existential fight for American democracy. Thousands from across the world will gather in Selma, Alabama, on the first weekend in March to commemorate the courage and determination of the 600 Americans who were beaten 60 years ago on the Edmund Pettus Bridge by Alabama police.

Across three days this March -- the 7th, 8th, and 9th -- Common Power will convene a robust collection of historians, political analysts, journalists, civil rights heroes, contemporary democracy organizers, and everyday active citizens to dive into how we apply the lessons earned, wisdom gained, commitments made, and community connection to steel us for the road ahead.

DATES + TIMES

Friday, March 7 | 5 - 8 pm PST

Saturday, March 8 | 12 – 5 pm PST

Sunday, March 9 | 5 am – 1 pm PST

They marched then so that we can, and will, fight for democracy today. Connecting Selma 1965 to America 2025 is the focus of this event. All sessions are free and will be live-streamed on Common Power's Youtube channel, live at Youtube.com/@commonpower

Register now to receive scheduling details as they develop, updates, and kinds of other interesting democracy content from Common Power.

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.

While mainstream historical narratives tend to focus on the political work of prominent men such as Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, Black women played instrumental roles in shaping the Civil Rights Movement. These women were community organizers and leaders, sustaining the movement as it grew from local communities into a national struggle. Black women, such as Ella Baker, Diana Nash, Jo Ann Robinson, and Fannie Lou Hamer, were central to the movement’s success. In this lecture, Dr. Blain highlights the significance of Black women’s political activism during the 1950s and 1960s and brings to light some of the challenges they encountered as women organizing in predominantly male-dominated spaces. 

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!

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."

March 3rd - Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

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.

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.

In an era of unprecedented challenges to public education and democratic values, how can educators and others become powerful voices for positive change? Join us for a virtual panel discussion featuring dynamic educators who are making an impact in the world. All attendees, from the classroom to the boardroom, will leave with actionable steps to explore their own avenues of change, whether in policy, education, career reinvention, or community engagement.

Our panelists will share their experiences and strategies for:

• Using your strengths and personal skills to create change

• Thinking within and beyond the boundaries of conventional education for ways to take action

• Advocating at the local level to impact policy (school boards, city councils, state government)

• Mobilizing youth and communities for the cause

• Maximing professional expertise into effective political action

This timely discussion will explore how we can lead from where we are to actively shape public discourse, influence policy, and foster a more equitable democracy. Our panelists will share practical strategies for getting involved in advocacy work while maintaining excellence in their respective fields.

Registration is free. A recording will be provided to all registrants.

In this Institute course, Dr. Terry Anne Scott will survey the struggles and accomplishments of people of African descent in the United States during the institution of slavery. While some attention will be paid to African origins, the three sessions in this series will analyze the historical path from importation through the Civil War and the process of freedom. Through a largely, but not exclusively, chronological approach, Dr. Scott will emphasize how African Americans have worked to determine the trajectory of their own lives and worked to resist and persevere. Areas of exploration will include but are not limited to, the following: the construction of racial identity and alterity, the slave family and community, the domestic slave trade, resistance, and the process of freedom.

Lecture Four: African Americans Taking Their Freedom During the American Civil War. This lecture will examine the process of freedom and how African Americans actively changed the course of the war as they worked to change the course of America and the trajectory of their own lives.

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!

For volunteers who are ready to travel with us or want to learn more. This virtual training will cover what you can expect from a trip, the steps involved in preparing to travel with us, and what a CP trip looks like once we are on the ground.

For new and returning volunteers to learn about how we do Fieldwork at CP. We’ll meet virtually to introduce the CP way with our values and fieldwork principles, how to navigate our remote action and door-knocking opportunities, and what's coming up for volunteers to plug into.

In this Institute course, Dr. Terry Anne Scott will survey the struggles and accomplishments of people of African descent in the United States during the institution of slavery. While some attention will be paid to African origins, the three sessions in this series will analyze the historical path from importation through the Civil War and the process of freedom. Through a largely, but not exclusively, chronological approach, Dr. Scott will emphasize how African Americans have worked to determine the trajectory of their own lives and worked to resist and persevere. Areas of exploration will include but are not limited to, the following: the construction of racial identity and alterity, the slave family and community, the domestic slave trade, resistance, and the process of freedom.

Lecture Three: Abolitionism will be the focus of this lecture. How did people work individually and collectively to resist the institution of slavery? What do their efforts teach us about coalition work today?

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!

Renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize winner Dr. Eric Foner, Professor Emeritus at Columbia University and foremost scholar on Reconstruction, will be in conversation with award-winning historian Dr. Terry Anne Scott, Director of the Institute for Common Power. Join them as they discuss Dr. Foner's paradigmatic work and how we create a just and inclusive democracy.

For volunteers who are ready to travel with us or want to learn more. This virtual training will cover what you can expect from a trip, the steps involved in preparing to travel with us, and what a CP trip looks like once we are on the ground.

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. 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.

For new and returning volunteers to learn about how we do Fieldwork at CP. We’ll meet virtually to introduce the CP way with our values and fieldwork principles, how to navigate our remote action and door-knocking opportunities, and what's coming up for volunteers to plug into.

In this Institute course, Dr. Terry Anne Scott will survey the struggles and accomplishments of people of African descent in the United States during the institution of slavery. While some attention will be paid to African origins, the three sessions in this series will analyze the historical path from importation through the Civil War and the process of freedom. Through a largely, but not exclusively, chronological approach, Dr. Scott will emphasize how African Americans have worked to determine the trajectory of their own lives and worked to resist and persevere. Areas of exploration will include but are not limited to, the following: the construction of racial identity and alterity, the slave family and community, the domestic slave trade, resistance, and the process of freedom.

Lecture Two: The Domestic Slave Trade and African American Resistance. Take a virtual walking tour through Montgomery, Alabama as we retrace the steps of enslaved people who arrived in one of the largest slave markets in the country. We will also examine Black resistance in varied forms.

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!

For volunteers who are ready to travel with us or want to learn more. This virtual training will cover what you can expect from a trip, the steps involved in preparing to travel with us, and what a CP trip looks like once we are on the ground.