Going Beyond Voting with Emily Williams
Sounds Like Impact: A newsletter for audio and action
Welcome to Sounds Like Impact!
This week we have an interview with Emily Williams, host of Beyond Voting and I share some resources to help you go “beyond voting.”
ICYMI: Last edition we had a guest curation from Eric Bond for World Aids Day which was December 1. Also, I sent out a bonus newsletter with some documentary and Native American Heritage Month recommendations.
🫶 Giving and Doing
Giving Tuesday was this week, and while I shared my own pleas for the nonprofits I support, I encourage you to think about other ways to sustainably take action. So, I’ve rounded up some resources that may be of interest.
But before that, I want to highlight two articles that I’ve been thinking about: one about how climate change is impacting kids globally and another about how incarcerated people are increasingly unable to access books and other media.
May we never forget some of the most vulnerable among us, and organize for a better world.
How to get involved in community organizing.
Advice from abolitionist Mariame Kaba
on ‘how to take action where [you are]’.
How to take action for the climate.
Advice from an environmental policy expert
framed as ‘what if we act as if we love in the future’.
Reminder: To guest curate, be interviewed, advertise and more, click here.
📣 Spotlight
Emily R Williams (she/her) coaches women of color to accelerate positive change at work and in their personal lives. When they do, they help to create a better world for everyone. Emily has written policies to end sexual harassment and increase inclusion in workplaces nationally and globally, including at the United Nations. Emily has worked with national governments, institutions of higher education, companies, nonprofits and advocates in more than 20 countries to advance social justice. Emily provides consulting, speaking, leadership coaching and training to organizations. In her spare time, you can find Emily dancing to Chicago house music or checking out cute cafes.
Follow Emily’s work on LinkedIn.
Below is an excerpt from our interview; click the button to get the full thing!
Can you start by telling us what the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership is and what drew you to leading the organization?
The Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (ACSJL) is a semi-autonomous social justice organization. We are affiliated with Kalamazoo College, a small liberal arts college in the Midwest. We exist to increase the capacity of social justice leaders. We do that in a variety of ways: through public education about the social justice issues unfolding right in front of our eyes and providing advocacy training to support radical social justice activism. Our reach is expansive, at this moment, we’re spending a lot of time working with students. We also work with human rights leaders globally and with local activists in the Midwest and nationally.
What drew me to leading the organization is a slightly complicated question. In short, I feel deeply called to support social justice leaders, of all kinds, and to support movement building. Building strong social justice movements is how we transform societies. We desperately need movements that bring people together and model a world that truly values everyone, all living things, the planet. And I’m doing my part right now by leading the Arcus Center.
At the time of this interview, the 2024 U.S. election has already occurred and we have a new President-elect. I felt it was still appropriate to do this interview after the fact, given the title Beyond Voting. What was the genesis of this podcast and what were you all hoping to accomplish?
The 2024 elections were a really big deal. There was so much to say about what people were thinking, how they were regarding voting, taking for granted the guarantee of our rights, the benevolence of politicians and powerful people, and ultimately misunderstanding their own power… It seemed absolutely critical to address these things and to have conversations about the big questions in people’s minds. We hoped that our reflections and our guests could really help to provide some guidance and perspective.
This is still what we want. We want to be able to provide some perspective and guidance that allows people to channel their anxieties, misgivings, and disillusionment with our society into something constructive centered on community-building, and activism.
The first season of Beyond Voting was the conversation we needed to have. And it is still totally relevant after the election. If people are still wondering what happened or feel convinced that we need a third party, or if you are wondering how to strengthen our movements to meet this moment…If you still don’t fully understand what fascism is...you should definitely listen to Season 1. We had some really insightful and informative conversations about all of these topics.
There are people that feel demoralized in this moment, for various reasons, such as those related to their concerns about protecting immigrants and asylum seekers; accessing abortion; combating climate change; avoiding discrimination based on race, gender, sexuality; or all the above. What are you telling folks who feel like the electoral system has let them down?
I affirm them. The electoral system has let us all down, but that doesn’t mean we just throw our hands up and do nothing. Our disenchantment with the electoral system is our call to action. It’s our sign to get involved.
I am telling people to get organized and to pay attention. We all have to pay attention to what is happening in electoral politics because as we’ve learned acutely over the last decade, the policies and practices of our elected officials impact our lives immensely. So, while I understand that it can be overwhelming to constantly hear about the whims of the incoming administration, we have to assume responsibility for creating a better world and for protecting each other.
If we’re going to resist the harmful policies espoused by the incoming administration, we’re going to have to stand in solidarity with people in identity groups we may not belong to. Solidarity is going to be required to protect the rights of others. By doing so, we are protecting everyone’s human rights.So I am telling people to stand in solidarity with the communities being targeted.
I’m also telling people to stay optimistic. The reason why we are in a moment where politicians and others in our society can get ahead by espousing hateful rhetoric and harmful agendas is because our social justice movements have been successful. Starting with the Civil Rights movement and anti-discrimination laws, movements for transgender rights and visibility, women’s movements, DACA and immigrants rights movements, the labor movement is making a resurgence. There is such backlash because our social justice movements built a lot of power. All that power doesn't go away in just 4 years. It will help us stand strong against the attacks the administration has vowed to bring.
Continue our interview by clicking here.
🌟 Classifieds
Nothing to promote but still want to support? You can donate here.
