With Friends & Family: The Lanfair Family
By Jameela and Jordan Lanfair
Jordan is an Educator Ambassador and The Institute for CP and Team WI Lead
Helping People Learn About Voting With My Dad by Jameela Lanfair (Transcribed by her Dad Jordan Lanfair)
When we went to Virginia to help people learn about voting I was happy. I was excited about voting because voting is all about using your voice. When we were canvassing, we would go knock on people’s doors and tell them about the election and who they could vote for. We went together and it was fun. We got to play, meet people, have snacks, and see new places. People were nice and wanted to talk to us. I want to go canvassing again because it was fun the last time we went and voting is important. People should vote because if you don’t use your voice people may not understand you or know how you feel about things. I’m happy I got to help.
Helping People Learn About Voting with My Daughter by Jordan Lanfair (Supervised by his daughter Jameela Lanfair)
Getting to go to Virginia with Common Power was one of the best experiences of my life. It wasn’t just that we got to be a part of a vibrant community, or that we got to see how New Virginia Majority and other partners think about political strategy, it was that I got to show my daughter how showing up for people and elections matter.
Everyday, we’d wake up, have breakfast, and then engage in conversations with volunteers from all over before setting out to knock on doors. The kids became pros at hanging literature and using different doorbells and over the course of traveling it became clearer that we do this because the best way to change things is to meet each other.
We were also honored to meet amazing women that she could learn from and ask questions like Celestria, Victoria, Larcy, and Dr. Geary, and Dr. Scott of CP, as well as Tram Nguyen of New Virginia Majority. It’s one thing to tell her that she can be and do anything she sets her heart to, it's another for her to walk alongside people who are actually doing it.
We’ll be heading to Wisconsin in the coming weeks to do the same and I continue to hope that we will see more families and parents out together. The best way I know to show my daughter what matters to me is by bringing her along and engaging her in the act. Every election she goes to vote with me, but these trips have been about how we help others engage in the process of using their voice and showing everyone what is most important to them. There are a lot of political issues that she is still asking me about and trying to wrap her mind around, but at the most basic level, we love getting to canvas because action is the gift we can give to our community. It’s a gift I’m proud to give to places with my favorite person ever and i hope we get to see you all out there as well.
With Friends & Family: The Casey-Goldsteins
By Mary Casey-Goldstein and Steve Goldstein
Long-time CP Volunteers
We were feeling devastated by the results of the 2016 election, so when friends invited us to join them in a new volunteer group that was just being started by David Domke in the spring of 2018, we jumped on it. After a few Saturday workshops, we signed on to participate on the Wisconsin Team and made our first trip there that summer. Now here we are 6 years, several trips to Wisconsin and other states, as well as many phone banks and postcards later, and we really feel like we have made a difference. Taking action feels good - and it’s been fun too!
We have now been to 4 states with CP - Wisconsin, Virginia, Florida and Georgia – and we’ve had lots of great experiences on all of our trips. But when all is said and done, Wisconsin has become our home team. We’ve gotten to know the city of Milwaukee and some of the surrounding areas. We have our favorite restaurants and coffee spots, and free time activities. No trip is complete without a visit to the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Third Ward, Collectevo coffee shops, the shores of Lake Michigan, and good old Beans and Barley.
We have met new friends on each of our trips, many of whom have become part of our social network here in Seattle. Some we see regularly in town at social functions, the gym, and we even joined a book group with some of our Wisconsin folks. We feel lucky that we have so many opportunities to interact and work with people of different backgrounds and ages. That is one of the things that is so special about our involvement in CP. We look forward to new events and trips so we can catch up with the folks that we don’t see regularly and to meeting new people as CP grows.
Charles (Douglas) has often said - “You come for the work, but you stay for the people.” That has definitely been true for us. The work is important and it has been rewarding, but it’s the people that keep us coming back!
With Friends & Family: Luke Michener
By Luke Michener
Senior Education Specialist, The Institute for CP
My kids have this book we read together called “Vote For Our Future.” It’s this cute story about an elementary school in Anytown, USA that closes down on election day so that it can become a polling place. My young sons and I have read that book together a number of times.
In the book the elementary students learn about what elections are and they talk to their friends and loved ones about the importance of voting. They share lessons they have learned about the history of voting, and about how some people used to not be allowed to vote. The students learn that some people today vote in every election, and to their bewilderment they learn that some people chose not to vote.
The students also learn that they can take action. They help organize to get out the vote and they help unregistered voters to sign up.
It’s a beautifully illustrated story about what America should be; a diverse and inclusive democracy that hears and respects the will of the people - all people. The children learn that the winners in these elections get to make the rules, and the candidates that lose accept the outcome.
It’s in the spirit of this story and of this vision for our country that my six-year-old son joined me and Common Power Team Wisconsin on a field work trip to Milwaukee.
Our local partners in Milwaukee were the Wis-Dems and a Milwaukee based org called Power to the Polls. The Wis-Dems were canvassing in Milwaukee to increase voter turn-out in an upcoming primary and Power to the Polls was trying to engage more Black folks in the city in the democratic process.
My son and I were on a small canvassing team which included Jordan, an educator from Chicago and dear friend of mine, along with Lilly and Davis, two incredible gen-z organizers. Together we knocked on hundreds of doors over four days. Team Wisconsin that weekend knocked on approximately 3,400 doors.
My son became quite the expert at finding the doorbell or figuring out just the right force to knock with, and the best place to drop the literature if nobody answered. He also met a few new buddies, including a sweet little girl in North Milwaukee who offered him a pack of her fruit snacks. We also took some breaks at playgrounds in the neighborhoods, stopped for a rootbeer (and an IPA for dad) at a local brewery. The Green Bay Packers are now his second favorite NFL team. Go Seahawks!
We knocked on doors and talked to voters in the same way that children did in “Vote For Our Future.” We asked people what mattered most to them, if they knew who they were voting for in the upcoming election, and if they needed any help finding their polling place. We connected with people, together.
It’s an experience that my son still talks about. It wasn’t all easy; travel with a young one presents challenges, canvassing is tiring, and there was the occasional grump at the door, but the experience made a big impression on both of us, and we made a difference.
With Friends & Family: Carri Urbanski
By Carri Urbanski
Ohio Team Lead
I’ve been a team lead with Common Power since 2021, but it wasn’t until recently that I brought along loved ones on fieldwork travel. Voter activism adds purpose and fulfillment to my life, and I wanted them to share in that joy. So, when I traveled to Columbus, Ohio for the primaries this year, I brought along my husband, our 10 year-old son, and a friend.
In addition to being a volunteer, I’m a busy mom with a career and lots of responsibilities. Trying to make it all work while separating out all those identities (mom, wife, employee, volunteer, etc.) gets overwhelming. However, when I can blur the lines and combine some of those roles, as I did in Columbus, I’m able to fully live in the moment and focus on what matters most. And, since they are already structured towards multigenerational fieldwork, Common Power was able to offer me the flexibility and support I needed to balance out my personal commitments, even while serving as a team lead.
During the trip, my husband, Chris, was canvassing with a CP staffer when a woman stopped them to ask what they were doing. After they explained, she told them she was interested in getting involved and asked for contact information to help in the general election.
This is the kind of ripple effect we have on others. My work brought in Chris, who paid it forward by bringing in another volunteer, and so on.
One of my favorite memories of the trip was when my friend and I canvassed the home of a 78 year-old woman who recounted her first voting experience. She has cast her ballot in every election since then, despite voter suppression tactics in her way. She was so grateful for the work we’re doing that she gave us each a hug. We’ll win some elections, and we’ll lose some, but it was a reminder to stay in the fight for people like her. My friend just signed up for her second CP trip.
If you’re ready to bring loved ones into fieldwork, remember that they may need extra support at first. Common Power is intentional about cultivating an inclusive, respectful community based on core values and principles, and they do it through awareness and education. Even if they’ve canvassed before, volunteers who are new to Common Power can benefit from the (free!) training series to help them do fieldwork in the CP way.
As a parent, it’s my job to create a better future for my son through civic duty, while at the same time teaching him to proactively stand up for his own ideals. And when he sees both parents doing this work together, the importance is compounded. It made me proud to show them my leadership on this trip, and in turn I was proud of them for getting involved. There is no better way to learn than through action, and there is no better way to act than together.
Action Academy ‘24 Reflection From Program Manager
Hello Common Power Community!
My name is Blossom Pianwi, and I’m the current Program Manager for Action Academy, a 10-week program focused on civic engagement and voter history education within the CPFuture department at Common Power (CP). Fun fact: Action Academy is where my journey with CP began!
My CP Journey
Back in the Spring of 2021—right in the middle of the pandemic—I received an email at Hood College about a virtual 10-week program offering a $1,000 stipend. As a college student, it was a no-brainer, so I signed up! The following year, I was invited back as a Crew Lead for the 2022 cohort. After that, CPFuture offered a great opportunity to work on a Misinformation and Disinformation Campaign alongside Ahmed Baba, an Action Academy guest speaker and owner of Rantt Media. A few other Crew Leads and students joined the initiative, and let me tell you—it was SO fun! We learned how to spot fake news, distinguish misinformation from disinformation, and even how to handle internet trolls coming after us for our liberal views. This experience brought me closer to the CPFuture team.
In 2023, I started working as a contractor, helping Larcy, and I eventually became a Program Assistant for that year’s Action Academy cohort. I was SO nervous! But Larcy, Asha, Binh, and Charles saw something in me I hadn’t yet recognized—a natural ability to lead. Later that year, with Larcy’s belief in me and the freedom she gave me to take charge, I developed a 6-month internship program called Campus Leads. We recruited 14 students—8 from the East Coast and 6 from the West Coast—who had completed Action Academy and wanted to continue working with CPFuture. Elizabeth Hernandez, a CPFuture contractor, joined me in this effort. During the internship, students practiced networking, mobilizing, and educating by recruiting others for the 2024 Action Academy, phone banking and text banking with their peers, and conducting voter registration drives on their campuses. By 2023, I had gone from overseeing 7 Crew Leads and 100 students in Action Academy to creating my own 6-month program with 14 students spread across the country! The impact of this work became evident when Larcy and I noticed a huge increase in interest from the colleges involved in Campus Leads.
In early 2024, we opened the Action Academy application, and by March, we had 170 applicants. By April, we were up to over 200 applications, with 30+ people applying to be Crew Leads. With such a massive cohort, we needed more of everything—more staff, more structure, more planning! By May, I was offered a full-time position at CP, transitioning from a contractor to a CPFuture Associate. In this role, I now oversee programs, manage our teams, and build relationships with Gen Z. It's wild to think that I started with CP as a 21-year-old STEM student, and now, at 24, I'm preparing to be a graduate student. I’ve truly watched myself blossom into a leader!
Before Action Academy, I had minimal management experience. When I became Program Assistant in 2023, I was thrown into the deep end. My days were packed with meetings with Larcy to plan the week, coordinating with Crew Leads, emailing guest speakers, hosting sessions, arranging recordings, and managing student payments. The following year, managing 30+ people only amplified these responsibilities. We developed a system for dividing and managing our growing team, and let me tell you, it was intense! As you'll see in the breakdown of our team below for 2024:
Challenges in Managing
Managing such a large and diverse group comes with its fair share of challenges. One of the biggest was ensuring effective communication across different time zones, schedules, and interests. To tackle this, I made it a point to have one-on-one meetings with each potential Crew Lead to learn their schedules and plan accordingly. Another challenge was introducing remote work to students who were more familiar with in-person environments. To help with this, we held a Crew Lead Retreat where we discussed expectations, responsibilities, and the ins and outs of working remotely.
The Crew Lead Retreat in Seattle has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me. Many of you in the CP community had the chance to meet some of our Crew Leads this year during the retreat, and even canvassed with them. Hosting over 30 Gen Z leaders—many of whom had never traveled before—was incredible. The retreat is a crash course in leadership development, job training, and bonding. It's one of the few times we get all our new CPFuture leaders under one roof to learn, grow, and make mistakes together, truly embodying the motto "Further Together."
Mentoring Gen Z
Working with Gen Z is one of the best parts of my job. I relate to them, love hearing their stories, and I’m always inspired by their visions for the future of America. My mentorship style mirrors the autonomy Larcy gave me—I want to empower these young leaders to create their own programs and express their ideas. Mentoring remotely involves FaceTime calls, texts, and emails to check in, offer support, and ensure they feel open to giving me feedback. By creating a space where they feel secure and heard, I build strong relationships with them. So when we meet in person, it's like reconnecting with old friends!
When we’re on the ground for trips, my role shifts slightly to help guide them through new environments. They learn quickly, but I often have to help them adjust their mindsets, especially when it comes to shifting focus from themselves to the mission at hand. Our pre-travel meetings and pep talks help prepare them for this adjustment.
A Journey of Growth
Overall, managing and mentoring these bright young leaders has been a journey of personal growth for me. I’ve become better at listening, conflict resolution, and have developed more patience. I feel more grounded, mature, and eager to continue evolving as a young leader.
I love working with CPFuture because I see hope when I work with Gen Z. They embody everything I believe America should be—inclusive, caring, and resilient. CPFuture is a catalyst for change, and Gen Z is driving that change forward!
Looking Forward to Fall with Fieldwork
I preface this statement in admitting that I was never really a big fan of the heat; I’m more than ready to embrace the dry cold that is winter. That being said, this winter, I have a lot more to look forward to than the weather. Leading Michigan was a plan at the beginning of the Summer that came to fruition in the past couple months, and I could not be more thrilled to do it alongside anyone other than Ron, Mary, and Nathania. There really is no better way to end the Summer for me personally, than to have begun preparations for such an invigorating and exciting Winter.
I have been craving the type of weather that we’ll get in the Fall, because sweating at doors makes it a bit tougher to think through conversations with voters. This Fall I’m leading Michigan, and will be in Lansing (September), Flint (October), and Detroit (November) for election week, and cannot wait to ask around for hand warmers, complain about my fingers being too cold to type, and cozy up to the overly firm mattresses that the Mariott will offer us. Putting the weather that I can’t help but constantly bring up aside, this is the most important election of my lifetime FOR SURE.
It was a bit of an overdrawn conclusion in my mind before Kamala became the Democratic nominee for president, but I must admit that the events preceding Biden’s decision to step down, and the things that ensued after, have completely sold me on the dramatics. The "insane claims” have never felt more legitimate. The hard work somehow feels even easier. Our work is cut out for us, and I’m lucky to be here with you all to quite literally fight for all that matters to you and I. I close in admitting that being able to stand up for what matters is, in many ways, a privilege, and I’m grateful for it.
I used to handle packages for Home Depot for a living; an overnight job that I juggled between school and my personal life. Now? I contribute to literally saving democracy and I get to call it my job. Coolest shit ever if you ask me.
- Matthew, Marketing & Fieldwork Intern / Michigan Team Lead
A Note From David Domke 7/19
In February 2007, I went to Springfield IL to see the launch of a campaign for the US presidency by Senator Barack Obama. The thermometer outside was at zero but the sun was bright. With his wife and daughters, Obama stepped onto the stage set up outside the Old State Capitol building, where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous “House Divided” speech in 1858.
Canvassing in Kentucky, October 2023
Standing there with thousands, it felt like the dawn of a new era. A New American chapter. And indeed it was, but a chapter that has been far more painful than expected.
That day launched AND unleashed both the best and the worst of the United States. Obama became our first African American president, the kind of small-d democratic mountaintop for which Common Power today fights every day. Obama’s ascendancy, however, was a trumpet call for anti-democracy forces – particularly ones imbued with racism and xenophobia – to rise up. Today, the MAGA Movement headed by Donald Trump is opposed to freedoms and democracy on all fronts: reproductive freedom, the freedom to vote, racial justice, immigration opportunity, LGBTQ+ identities and safety, health care for all, and the struggle to save the planet. When Trump lost in 2020, he led an insurrection. And yet last night, the Republican Party nominated Trump as their presidential nominee for 2024.
In 2007, imagine if some supernatural entity tapped each of us on a shoulder and offered this deal: “If you want Obama for president for 8 years, you will get Trump as president for at least 4 years but you, the people, will get a chance to work to stop Trump from winning a second 4 years.”
That’s exactly the deal that we have right here, right now.
American history makes clear that a progressive advance like Obama’s presidency would be met by the kind of cultural backlash that Dr. Carol Anderson of Emory University has called “white rage.”
We are now, in July 2024, engaged in an unguaranteed, brutally uphill climb to win the Presidency, hold the US Senate, and win the US House. If we do these, the Democrats will start 2025 by passing laws to guarantee reproductive and voting freedoms. We have a chance to sustain this imperfect experiment in American democracy, and it’s our time to work. Please devote as much of your time, by doing voter fieldwork, and treasure, by donating to support our work and our volunteers, as you possibly can. It’s our time and our turn to step up.
— David Domke, Associate Director, Org Development
Volunteer Voices: Chloe Hall
Working with large groups of people who are two to four times your age can be intimidating as a young volunteer. My first trip with Common Power was in the spring of 2024 when we traveled to Pennsylvania. I was one of the youngest if not the youngest on this trip which led me to have reservations about how I would spend my days with people outside of my normal circle. The Gen X volunteers made a point to appreciate my perspective and I enjoyed my time with them, I felt like an equal to them on the ground which was very important to me.
As one would assume, Pennsylvania is what I based my expectations for the trip to Nevada that I led with Alejandra Jimenez and Jeffery White. At this point, I had already agreed to step in as co-lead so there was no backing out, but I had little reservations and was actually very excited to take on this leadership role. My excitement continued to grow as I realized we had a healthy mix of age ranges joining our team and Alejandra, my fellow Team Lead was also my age. This eliminated some of the reservations I had about being a young leader of so many people (we had 50 people on the ground at our peak making this team the largest in 2024 yet). Common Power provided us with a strong support system and I felt confident in them walking onto the ground in Nevada.
I was given the opportunity to test this support system when my Lyft from the airport to the hotel went haywire. At this point it was roughly 1 am my time, I had not slept, I had not eaten, and emotions were flowing. I called my Co-Lead, Jeffery White, who immediately put me on the phone with a fieldwork staff member and in no time I was on the way to our hotel with a meal waiting for me. This was a breath of fresh air and allowed me to relax my nerves and prepare for kick-off the next morning. I suppose it is actions like this that had me applying to lead a team. Along with this, while I have received a lot of care from CP, I have received unmeasurable amounts of knowledge.
From virtual and on-the-ground training, to leadership opportunities, and even simple conversations, Common Power has provided me with many avenues to test the boundaries of my uncomfortableness to grow and learn. It really is the people that make you keep coming back.
We put in a lot of preparation to make this a successful canvassing trip. Both on the ground and in person my co-leads and I played upon one another's strengths to evenly distribute work loads. For example, Alejandra did a lot on the back end of things, i.e. emailing people, finding hotels, conducting mini-van trainings, etc. Jeff worked with our on-the-ground partners to ensure we would have literature, turfs, and other pieces for success. I worked a lot with the organization on the ground ensuring car groups were well diversified, communicating with our volunteers, and overall working face-to-face with the volunteers and the CP team. The distributing of these tasks really helped us all not become overwhelmed or disinterested in our work. We also focused on mutual collaborations which I believe was a large part of the success of our team.
I have been able to grow as a leader with this opportunity from Common Power. I was introduced to new strengths and weaknesses while being pushed to work beyond those limitations in a healthy manner. I have learned ways to effectively communicate my desires to large groups of people and in intimate gatherings. I was introduced to philosophies such as deep listening and was made aware of my implicit biases through trainings which helped me create a more welcoming and appreciative space for our volunteers.
Overall, CP has really nurtured me into becoming the type of leader I want to be, taught me how to create fair and just spaces for every person, and how to rely on community.
I am eager to continue exploring these avenues with Common Power and am excited to get into the work of this election year!
Volunteer Voices: Giovi Hermansyah
As someone who had little canvassing experience before the Nevada trip, nervousness and anxiety were just two of many emotions that ran through my body.
My only previous experience was at the Kent International Festival a week prior, collecting signatures for city council redistricting. As we landed in Las Vegas, I was excited to explore a new city and engage in something I'd never done before. On our first day of canvassing, the nervousness began to set in. Throughout the trip, it was consistently hot with the sun out. The first day was exceptionally sweltering, forcing us to be driven from house to house. I had a great first team that made me feel accommodated and only pushed me to do what I was comfortable with. There were times when I was going to take the lead and talk to the resident, but every time that happened, no one was home; just my luck. It was unusual, as few people were home that first day. Our team may have had ten real encounters; the rest were Ring doorbells. The ring doorbells were consistent. Throughout the trip, I became more comfortable knocking on doors and talking to residents.
I took what I learned from the Action Academy retreat and how being put in uncomfortable situations makes you grow as a person. Knocking on someone's door and being in their own space epitomizes uncomfortableness.
Putting that aside, the trip itself was a fun experience, especially in a city such as Las Vegas. But the cause and the people working beside me made the trip memorable. Not every day can you meet 40 new people congregating from across the United States for a common cause. Before Common Power and Action Academy, I never thought I would do this work, not even in my wildest dreams. No organization like Common Power can mobilize people from different backgrounds and ages to do this work. This being my first fieldwork and canvassing trip was one of the challenges I faced. I didn't know what to expect other than what people told me. How do residents react to you knocking on their doors? What is expected of you while canvassing? These were just a few questions that lingered at the back of my mind.
I advise any younger people interested in fieldwork to try it. Be put in that uncomfortable situation and experience new things because you'll never know if you will enjoy it.
Volunteer Voices: Shy Burgos
A Bronx Teacher's Hot Take on Canvassing in Nevada
Who knew a history teacher from the Bronx would end up canvassing in the Nevada desert? But that's exactly what I did with Common Power (CP), and let me tell you, it was an experience!
🔥Heatwave Heroes: Canvassing in 103°F is no joke, but CP had our backs with water, fans, shade – the whole shebang. They made sure we volunteers felt supported every step of the way.
🗣️Real Talk: Talking to people on their doorsteps was eye-opening. Hearing how policies directly affect veterans, the local workforce, and education gave me a new perspective as a teacher.
🤝Candidate Connection: Getting face time with the candidates was a major plus. Hearing their platforms firsthand made me feel more informed and engaged.
✊Community Power: But it's not just about politics for CP. They're all about building community. The way they treat their team, volunteers, and the communities they work in is truly inspiring.
🏫A History Lesson in Action: Their grassroots approach reminded me of the civil rights movement. It's about listening to the community and working together for change.
💪 Challenge Accepted: Overall, my Nevada adventure was a hot, challenging, and incredibly rewarding experience. It reminded me that real change starts at the grassroots level, with people coming together.
If you're looking for a way to make a difference, I highly recommend checking out Common Power. It's a chance to beat the heat, connect with your community, and learn a thing or two along the way.
Signed Burgos, a Bronx Highschool teacher.