People Place Power

When Joy Oladokun was 10 years old, she saw a performance that made her realize she wanted to play music. Today, she has been named the top LGBTQ+ artist to watch and calls herself the Trap Tracy Chapman. Her music, from folk songs to ballads, resonate with sadness, optimism, and poetry. Joy writes music to process her experiences being gay in the church, living as a Black person in the USA, and even having an obsession with puppets. She hopes her music can help you, too. In Episode 6, we talk to Joy about three of her songs to learn the stories and inspirations behind them.  A big thank you to Joy's fans who sent in voice notes for this episode. We would highly recommend checking out their music! In order of appearance: Ciara Kowalczyk  Honor Hunter Sarah Chung

Senator Nikil Saval represents several neighborhoods of Philadelphia on the Pennsylvania State Senate. He has worn many hats, including author, editor, and community organizer, before he was elected as the first Asian American Ward Leader in Philadelphia. Tune in to learn about what inspires Senator Saval as he works hand in hand with social movements to push for progressive causes as an elected representative. To support Senator Saval's vision, consider learning about and donating to UNITE HERE!, a movement of people committed to changing lives in the hospitality industry by making sure jobs are safe, respected, and provide enough to live on.

How can we hold our governments accountable? It’s a fundamental question of democracy, one that humans have been wrestling with for millenia. But recently, technology has disrupted the way we think about this problem and its potential solutions. In this episode, we’ll explore how online platforms enable citizens to keep their representatives in check, from New York City to Kabul, Afghanistan. In Kabul, activist Sara Wahedi is at the forefront of the emerging field of civic technology. Join us as Sara tells us about growing up in Canada as a refugee, returning to Afghanistan and working for the President’s Office, and the many incidents, big and small, that her civic tech startup tackles every day in an effort to make Afghan’s lives safer. Want to learn more about Sara’s story? Sara was recently featured in TIME magazine’s “Next Generation Leaders” issue, which you can find here. You can also follow her on Twitter. Read more and support our work at www.peopleplacepower.com.

Finn Lau is an activist-in-exile fighting for democracy in Hong Kong. What does accountability look like when officials evade the consequences of their decisions? How can you build international solidarity from outside your home country? Benjamin spoke with Finn about his work both within and outside Hong Kong, and his hopes for the future of Hong Kong democracy. Please consider supporting Finn's work through his personal Ko-Fi here. You can also stay up-to-date with his work by following him on Twitter. This episode is the fourth installment of Activist Chats, a bonus series in which we have short, candid conversations with activists we admire about why they do what they do. If you like what you hear, be sure to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, and check out our website to learn more about each episode.

For Abby Stein, home was the insulated Hasidic neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She came from a lineage of prominent religious figures, and grew up speaking mostly Yiddish, avoiding any and all pop culture, and believing that most of the world was Ultra-Orthodox Jewish. Eventually, she was ordained as a Rabbi and started a family.  The only problem? Everyone thought she was a man. In this episode, we'll hear about Abby's experiences as an author, model, speaker, rabbi, and the first openly transgender woman raised in a Hasidic community. She'll tell us how she left her home and her family and learned to live a vastly different life only a short subway ride away. We'll explore how Abby is pursuing change in her community from the outside. To support people who are considering leaving their religious communities, donate to Footsteps, the non-profit that helped Abby. Read more and support our work at www.peopleplacepower.com.