222. Jenn Stowe on Championing the Rights and Dignity of Private Domestic Workers

In this episode of The Legal Lens, Angela Reddock‑Wright sits down with Jenn Stowe, executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) and head of Care in Action, to talk about how domestic workers are organizing for dignity, better working conditions, and real political power. Now based in Richmond, Virginia, Jenn shares her journey as the granddaughter of a domestic worker growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, and explains how honoring foremothers like her grandmother and Dorothy Bolden, the mother of the private domestic workers’ movement,  fuels her fight for gender justice, immigrant rights, and Black women’s leadership. Through stories like that of Adriana—a former nanny turned full‑time organizer—Jenn shows how care workers are at the heart of our society and economy, and why people power and community are the antidotes to crisis. Key Topics Covered Jenn’s inspiration from her grandmother who was a domestic worker in Atlanta, GA and the legacy of Dorothy Bolden, the mother of the private domestic workers’ movement. Jenn’s path through reproductive justice, electoral work, and movement organizing, and why the National Domestic Workers Alliance felt like “home” where all her justice work could converge. NDWA’s role as a nearly 20‑year‑old membership organization and “national voice” for domestic workers, centering gender justice, workers’ rights, Black women’s advocacy, and immigrant rights in a time of overlapping crises. How Care in Action works alongside NDWA to support, endorse, and turn out voters for women of color candidates, and why Jenn sees home‑care workers and domestic workers as future mayors, council members, and elected leaders. Jenn’s belief that with crisis comes opportunity, and how domestic workers’ organizing offers a path to better jobs, stronger communities, and a more just future. Jenn’s note of hope about finding “your people,” leaning into the local community, and recognizing that the majority of Americans want the country to advance—reminding listeners that collective organizing and solidarity can overcome despair. 🔗 Connect with Angela:  InstagramFacebookLinkedInVisit Angela's Website