SideBar: Optimism In Action - Conversations with Community Leaders Inspiring Positive Change

Richard Walden is the founder, President, and CEO of Operation USA, a Los Angeles-based international disaster relief and development agency helping communities at home and abroad overcome the effects of disasters, disease, violence, and endemic poverty. Since 1979, Operation USA has worked in 101 countries—delivering over $450 million in aid for relief and development projects around the world.

Katherine Grainger, co-author of the NY gay marriage law, champion of groundbreaking work to enshrine gender protections in state constitutions across the country, and Managing Partner of Civitas Public Affairs Group, joins guest cohost Vanessa Priya Daniel and Mitch Winick. She ignites our imaginations about what true gender equality could look and feel like in our daily lives, and how we achieve it. With 25 years of policy, legal, and advocacy experience, Katherine Grainger is a unique thought leader challenging cultural and system norms towards a freer future.   

Sarabeth Berman, CEO of the nonprofit American Journalism Project, reminds us that local journalism keeps communities informed and holds the powerful accountable. Equally important, it is the key to an informed citizenry and provides the tools to safeguard a healthy democracy.

Linda Krop, Chief Counsel of the nonprofit Environmental Defense Center has dedicated her career as an environmental advocate to fighting offshore oil and gas development, protecting natural resources, and preserving open space lands. In her role as chief counsel, she leads the organization's efforts to defend nature and advance environmental justice through community advocacy and legal action. EDC has represented more than 100 nonprofit organizations and helped preserve more than 100,000 acres of woodlands and open space for long-term public use and protection from development or industry use.  

Vanessa Priya Daniel’s first book, Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone About Winning, centers the work of women of color in social justice movements.. She shares the three superpowers of successful WOC leaders that we can all adopt: a 360 vision, boldness, and generosity.

Drew Moser, CEO of The Lucky Duck Foundation, discusses how applying sound business principles with a bias for action, a focus on strategic collaborations, and the support of private philanthropy, can reduce homelessness and successfully address other community needs.  

Kate Compton Barr is a trailblazing advocate for democracy who made waves as the 'Can't Win' candidate for the North Carolina State Senate in 2024. Her candidacy was never about winning. Instead, it was a platform to focus the community's conversation on the un-democratic effect of partisan gerrymandering. Kate's current campaign is equally unique. She is campaigning openly as a progressive running in the Republican primary for North Carolina's US House District 14 on a platform supporting fair maps that support democracy by reflecting the bipartisan demographics of her state.

As Director of Monterey County Homeless Services Program, Roxanne Wilson is a seasoned community leader with over a decade of dedicated service to housing justice and homelessness reduction. She leads the county's efforts to integrate policy, planning, and partnerships across governmental and nonprofit sectors by overseeing strategic initiatives and homeless response systems.

SideBar: Optimism in Action podcast, a collaboration of KAZU 90.3 and Monterey College of Law, welcomes Bill Burke, founder of The Optimism Institute and host of Blue Sky podcast. Burke transitioned to promoting optimism in 2022 after an extensive media and sports career as an executive, writer, and producer. Bill is a lifelong optimist and launched The Optimism Institute with a mission to inspire people with an optimistic, hopeful vision of the world and its future.  

Kathleen deLaski is at the forefront of designing higher education for the 21st century. She founded Education Design Lab to  help colleges begin the journey to reimagine higher education toward the future of work and she manages the deLaski Family Foundation, a 25-year grant maker in education reform. In her book, Who Needs College Anymore: Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter, Kathleen describes a multiple educational pathways through the learners lifecycle to help them find success.

Back in 2000, Bradley Zeve and the Monterey County Weekly decided to leverage its media resources to create a new program to support the local nonprofit community with both editorial coverage and philanthropy. This initial philanthropic endeavor has developed into the community-wide Monterey County Gives! campaign that has raised and donated more than $82 million to approximately 500 local nonprofits in Monterey County. This year's campaign runs through December 31, 2025.    

The Monterey Bay Aquarium coordinates initiatives in California to establish the nation’s first statewide network of marine protected areas, prohibit the trade of shark fin products, ban plastic grocery bags and defend against expanded offshore oil and gas drilling. Aimee's team advocates for the sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture around the world, to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean, and to take action on climate change.

Community Hospice & Health Services provides end-of-life care with compassion and dignity, and is still evolving to add to the continuum of care that people need by investing in programs that support community members in critical and meaningful ways. Monica Ojcius, Director of Strategic Development, discusses serving more than 2,500 patients and families each year providing hospice and palliative care for adults and pediatrics, and outpatient mental health counseling for adults and children.

Former California Senate Majority Leader Bill Monning reminds us that regardless of your political affiliation, voting provides the opportunity to make sure that your opinions and beliefs are represented at the local, state, and federal levels when decisions about public policy are being made. It is tempting to think that mid-term elections in which there are no major national candidates on the ballot are less important. However, every election provides you with the opportunity to make sure that your voice is heard.

Dr. Chad Harris reminds us that defending health care equity is a fundamental community value that is important to all of us. Dr. Harris serves as CEO of Natividad Medical Center, the safety-net hospital for Monterey County. He also serves on the executive committee of the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems that advocates for comprehensive, high quality, equitable health care services for all Californians, regardless of insurance status, immigration status, ability to pay, or other circumstance.    

The Community Foundation for Monterey County works with individuals, families, and businesses to make a positive and lasting impact on our community. The Foundation's mission is to create healthy, safe, vibrant communities throughout Monterey County and beyond. It serves as a design studio for philanthropy, creating a bridge for generous people from all backgrounds and financial levels to join together to address critical community needs.  

At Rancho Cielo, students learn in a safe, supportive environment that affirms them as individuals and builds self-esteem and belonging. CEO Chris Devers discusses the mission of Rancho Cielo to enrich the lives of young people and empower them to become accountable, competent, productive, and responsible citizens who will earn a sustainable living wage, become financially independent, and help end the cycle of poverty.    

Food Share of Ventura County is a leading example of how a community can successfully join together to address food insecurity and hunger. President/CEO Monica White joins SideBar to explain how Food Share of Ventura County distributes nearly 20 million pounds of food, providing over 16 million meals annually through its hunger programs and 175 pantry and program partners to more than 250,000 hungry friends and neighbors with compassion and respect.  

We desperately need access to trustworthy, fact-based information about key issues impacting our communities. "SideBar: Optimism in Action" welcomes Tani Cantil-Sakauye, president and CEO of the independent, nonpartisan, Public Policy Institute of California. PPIC has long been recognized as an independent, credible source of information on the most pressing issues facing California. From 2011 to 2022, she served as the 28th Chief Justice of California and led the judiciary as the chair of the Judicial Council—the constitutional policy and rule-making body of the judicial branch—the first person of color and the second woman to do so. 

Mindy Romero is the founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy that is part of the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy based in Sacramento, California. Romero is a political sociologist whose research focuses on political behavior and race/ethnicity. The research and reports of the Center seek to explain patterns of voting and political underrepresentation, particularly among youth and communities of color in California and the U.S.

For over 40 years, Louis Clark has led the Government Accountability Project (GAP), an organization dedicated to protecting whistleblowers and ensuring government accountability. During the Trump administration, GAP is overwhelmed with the number of government employees seeking support in disclosing illegal, unethical, and fraudulent conduct. It is also addressing a new form of retaliation against whistleblowers, physical harm, and death threats. Learn more about the organization and its work at https://whistleblower.org.

Vanessa Priya Daniel’s first book, Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone About Winning, centers the work of women of color in social justice movements. Daniel discusses her personal journey from community organizer to the founder and Executive Director of Groundswell, a philanthropy organization committed to intersectional organizing. She shares the three superpowers of successful WOC leaders that we can all adopt: a 360 vision, boldness, and generosity.

We The Action has a simple premise – lawyers have the power to do good. The organization started in 2017 to help connect lawyer with pro bono causes, from immigration and domestic violence representation to non-profit governance and tax issues, from voting rights to copyright.  Anna Chu, the Executive Director, describes how nimble organization started the Federal Workers Defense Network to provide pro bono support for the thousands of federal workers who were fired from their positions in violation of law and without legal process. You can find pro bono opportunities at https://wetheaction.org/lawyers

Erica Pinheiro serves as the Executive Director of Al Otro Lado providing holistic legal and humanitarian support to refugees, deportees, and other migrants in the US and Tijuana through a multidisciplinary, client-centered, harm reduction-based practice. The organization provides direct, free, legal services on both sides of the US-Mexico border and beyond through zealous individual representation,  medical-legal partnerships, and impact litigation to protect the rights of immigrants and asylum-seekers.

Thirty years ago, Cassandra Dahnke and Tomas Spath founded the Institute for Civility with the goal to promote civility—in government, workplaces, schools—and to catalyze change. They describe their journey, how they define civility, what they have learned about reducing polarization, and why they have hope for the future.  https://www.instituteforcivility.org/.

Meals on Wheels does more than just provide home delivery of healthy food for Seniors. President Christine Winge reminds us that maintaining human connection is a critical and essential part of physical and mental health as we grow older and risk becoming more isolated.

After a long career in the corporate world, Beth Wilbur decided she would serve children as the Executive Director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Monterey County.  She discusses the incredible work that CASA volunteers do to support children in the foster care system and how they change lives through their efforts.  She describes her motivation as a moral call to protect children.

Lisa Sperow is the Executive Director of the Cal Poly Low Income Taxpayer Clinic. The clinic provides free representation to low-income taxpayers in disputes with the IRS. Many of the clinic’s clients have nowhere else to seek help when they receive frightening notices from the IRS. It is even more alarming for taxpayers who do not speak English and who are completely unfamiliar with the process and documents necessary to respond to government claims, even if the claims are in error. As Lisa says, “this program helps ensure the fairness and integrity of the tax system by educating low-income taxpayers about their rights and responsibilities and by ensuring that their individual rights are protected.”

Cathy Sakimura has spent her entire professional life empowering young people, first as a youth organizer, then as the Deputy Director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and now as Executive Director of Legal Services for Children (LSC) in San Francisco. In this episode, Cathy describes why she has dedicated her life to serving children and families, how she manages the challenges, and what each of us can make a difference in a child’s life, including donating money to LSC because it lost its federal funding that allowed it to serve immigrant children in detention. https://secure.everyaction.com/cVYzZjzhqkC12TIE2v3q7A2

Brad Adams and Climate Rights International believe that progress on climate change cannot succeed without protecting human rights – and the fight for human rights cannot succeed without protecting our planet against climate change. Brad and CRI work in partnership with local and international groups, activists, and affected communities to demand justice and accountability from powerful interests.

Providing pro bono service to small businesses in Dallas, Texas not only persevered through the pandemic - it expanded. The innovative program developed by attorney Fawaz Bham coordinated more than 40 law firms and community organizations through a transition from in-person to remote clinics to sustain a program that has served over 25,000 clients. Bham's efforts were recognized by the 2024 American Bar Association's Pro Bono Publico Award for exceptional volunteer public service.

John Echohawk has served as Executive Director of the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) since 1977. Under John's inspired and continuing leadership, NARF has successfully asserted and defended the most important rights of Indians and tribes in hundreds of major cases, and has achieved significant results in such critical areas as tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, natural resource protection, voting rights, and Indian education.

Nisha Anand, the Chief Executive Officer of Dream.org, joins SideBar to discuss how she builds bridges across political divides to find real solutions. Nisha employs the “radical act of finding common ground” with unlikely allies while still staying true to her progressive values. She provides a hopeful message that collaboration can achieve change and overcome polarization and political divides.

Seasons one and two of SideBar featured discussions with authors, lawyers, and academics discussing challenges to our individual constitutional and civil rights. Each of our episodes ended with our featured guests providing recommendations on how each of us can contribute to solutions for the common good. Season three of SideBar is going to flip the narrative. We are featuring lawyers, nonprofit leaders, activists, and community members who are already accomplishing extraordinary work that is improving the humanitarian, public policy, and charitable needs of our local, national, and global communities. We hope that you will join us for this season of SideBar as we meet individuals and organizations who prove through their actions that opportunities to influence positive change exist for each of us. We are calling this season of SideBar -- "Optimism in Action”.

SideBar guest Chris Hearsey has spent over ten years working in international space collaborations, space exploration technologies, and other aerospace applications. His work has contributed to advancements in space law, policy, and technology. Chris is known for his visionary approach and commitment to pushing the boundaries of space capabilities, developing sustainable space technologies, and fostering an economic ecosystem conducive to innovation and growth.

Was 2024 a "historic" presidential election? Constitutional historians Lawrence Goldstone and Madiba K. Dennie join Jackie Gardina and Mitch Winick to discuss the context, concerns, and questions following the recent re-election of Donald Trump. One of the questions that many of us are asking is whether the recent presidential election was a rejection of Democrats or a broader rejection of Democracy?

Since colonial days, the legal profession has been proud of its role in the founding of the republic, the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, and the defense of democracy and the rule of law. However, the profession faces an existential crisis on which the American democratic experiment hinges, says law professor Ray Brescia, author of Lawyer Nation: The Past, Present, and Future of the American Legal Profession. If attorney unethical behavior surrounding the 2020 election repeats without disciplinary repercussions in 2024 . . . democracy itself is at risk.

Stephen Bright made it his life's work to unleash social change by representing unpopular clients--namely those on death row. Remarkably, he succeeded, winning all four cases he argued before the Supreme Court. Robert Tsai chronicles Stephen Bright's decades long fight to ensure equality under the law that is still being challenged at the Supreme Court today.

David Noll and Jon Michaels, authors of Vigilante Nation, discuss the reemergence of state-supported vigilantism. Noll and Michaels explain the vigilante methods, from anti-abortion bounties to book bans to the January 6 attack on the Capitol. They also provide a path forward, outlining what needs to be done to stop these efforts.

Like all discretionary authority, the pardon power is only as virtuous as the person who controls it. Kimberly Wehle, author of the new book, Pardon Power: How the Pardon System Works - and Why demonstrates that it can be a righteous tool to remedy wrongful convictions, but it also can be used to obstruct investigations, benefit political allies, and reward the President’s friends and family. As the author of What You Need to Know about Voting—and Why, Kim also challenges efforts to distort or disrupt the U.S. electoral system for selecting the president and warns that vigilance is necessary, locally and nationally.

Berkeley Law Dean, author of No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States asks the provocative question - is it time to consider drafting a new constitution? Is it absurd to think that a document drafted in the 18th Century can still protect democracy and individual rights in the 21st Century? Join the SideBar discussion about the challenges under the constitution to protect free speech, a democratic electoral system, diversity in higher education, and the status of the Equal Rights Amendment.

In the last several years, there have been a wave of anti-LGBTQ laws passed across the country and ACLU is tracking 547 new bills in the 2024 legislative session. Robbie Kaplan and Brandon Trice describe their success challenging one of those laws, Florida’s “don’t say gay law.” In this wide-ranging conversation, we touch on the rising attacks on the LGBTQ community, the future of marriage equality, and the effect of the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision on the E.Jean Carroll defamation judgement.

Award-winning author and historian Lawrence Goldstone explains why what the Constitution does not say - was intentional - so that democracy can evolve. According to Goldstone, author of "Imperfect Union: How Errors of Omission Threaten Constitutional Democracy", changing the Supreme Court, protecting voting rights, defining the Second Amendment, and maintaining the balance of power between state and federal government are intended to be the responsibilities of voters, not the government or the courts.

Over the past year, the Supreme Court has taken a far more active role in reviewing cases reflecting fringe arguments supported by federal district court judges and appellate circuits. The Western and Northern Districts of Texas have become the destination of choice for "judge-shopping" to receive the benefits of far-right conservative judicial ideology. But when attorneys challenging the ban on gender-affirming care used a similar approach to dismiss a case before a hostile right-wing conservative federal judge, the Alabama district court subjected them to a two-year secret investigation for purported "judge-shopping". Chris Geidner, a noted Supreme Court reporter and author of the newsletter "Law Dork" joins SideBar to discuss how federal "judge-shopping" is allegedly being used to manipulate outcomes and how the current Supreme Court is responding.

Nisha Anand, the Chief Executive Officer of Dream.org, joins SideBar to discuss how she builds bridges across political divides to find real solutions. Nisha employs the “radical act of finding common ground” with unlikely allies while still staying true to her progressive values. She provides a hopeful message that collaboration can achieve change and overcome polarization and political divides.

Senior CNN Legal Analyst Elie Honig challenges whether the rule of law is under attack when powerful people square off against judges and juries. As author of Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away with It and a former federal and state prosecutor, he served on air as a CNN Senior Legal Analyst throughout the first criminal trial and conviction of a former US President.

Kathy Spillar, Executive Director of Feminist Majority Foundation and Executive Editor of MS Magazine joins SideBar to discuss why ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is an essential legal tool to guarantee women's rights. Ratification of the ERA would constitutionally prohibit sex discrimination, recognize systemic inequities across different groups of people, and uplift historically marginalized people to achieve true equality and justice.

Madiba K. Dennie is an attorney, columnist, author, and professor whose work focuses on fostering an equitable multiracial democracy. Dennie is the author of The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back. She currently serves as Deputy Editor and Senior Contributor at the critical legal commentary outlet Balls and Strikes. As counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice, she addressed democracy issues involving the census, the courts, and attempts to disempower communities of color.

Since the Dobbs Supreme Court case was decided, we have gained a heightened awareness of the criminal laws surrounding pregnancies, including the decision to terminate one. But the criminalization of abortion isn’t a new post-Dobbs phenomenon. Women, especially women of color, have frequently faced punitive state laws regulating reproductive health. Dr. Michele Goodwin, attorney, law professor, and author of Policing the Womb: Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood, joins SideBar to discuss her research into the long and continuing history of the government policing and criminalizing women’s reproductive health.

Law Professor Mary Sarah Bilder discusses the amazing story of Eliza Harriot, a rare female public lecturer who delivered a University of Pennsylvania program attended by George Washington as he met in Philadelphia with delegates to draft the US Constitution. Harriot’s performance likely inspired the gender-neutral language of the Constitution and her advocacy inspired countless young women to consider a college education and fight back against exclusions based on sex, gender, and race.