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2024 Do You Know Who You’re Voting For

Toshi Reagon in Residence: Now That We Are Here

Originally Aired: Thursday, May 30, 2024

Overview

Per Time magazine: “2024 is not just an election year. It’s perhaps the election year.”

Globally, more voters than ever in history will head to the polls as at least 72 countries (plus the European Union)—representing a combined population of about 49% of the people in the world—are meant to hold national elections, the results of which, for many, will prove consequential for years to come.

Join media activist and filmmaker, J. Bob Alotta, as she explores our options for agency and accountability in the age of disinformation. Alotta will be joined by a powerhouse panel of visionary voices including Chani Nicholas, the internet’s favorite astrologer, Rachel O’Leary Carmona, Executive Director of Women’s March, and Danielle Moodie, the #WokeAF Daily podcast host. Plus, Toshi Reagon will elevate the experience with a captivating musical performance.

 

Leadership support for The Greene Space’s Artist in Residence program is provided by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation. Additional support is provided in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

J Bob Alotta

Credit: Photo provided by Artist

J. Bob Alotta is a veteran movement builder and executive working at the intersection of technology and communities. Bob is the Senior Vice President of Global Programs at Mozilla Foundation, Bob brings their experience as a movement strategist to leverage the organizations’ programs to shift power back to people instead of “big” tech.

Through the lens of trustworthy AI, Bob has launched the African Innovation Mradi, the Data Futures Lab, the Mozilla Technology Fund, the Creative Media Awards, and a second phase of the Responsible Computing Challenge, as well as myriad fellowship and grant-making cycles. Bob helps Mozilla fellows and awardees become stronger community organizers and leaders; and grows the diversity and geographical scope across our programs, with an emphasis on expanding our work outside North America. Bob serves as the executive producer for both MozFest and of theaward-winning podcast, IRL.

Prior to joining Mozilla, Bob led the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, a global foundation based in New York City that provides critical resources to LGBTQI+ activists and artists around the world. Over eight years, they quintupled the global footprint of the organization which makes more grants in the global majority than any other funder in their sector. Bob specifically strengthened movements by adding extra support for digital security, data use, and internet freedom to otherwise “non-tech” grants. As chair of the Global Philanthropy Project, Bob helped secure the largest bilateral and multilateral investments to date for LGBTQI+ communities worldwide. Bob was an early architect of the “feminist internet” and the creator of CommsLabs, bringing queer human rights defenders and technologists together. Bob builds bridges between the LGBTQI+ and digital rights worlds.

Chani Nicholas

Credit: Photo provided by artist

Chani Nicholas is a Los Angeles–based New York Times bestselling author and astrologer with a community of over one million monthly readers. She has been a counseling astrologer for more than twenty years, guiding people to discover and live out their life’s purpose through understanding their birth chart. She has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, The  New Yorker, The Atlantic, and on Netflix.

Danielle Moodie

Credit: Photo provided by artist

Danielle Moodie is a sought after voice in the cable news and the social media spheres since her viral 2016 election night CBC News appearance where she referred to the election of Donald Trump as “white supremacy’s last stand”. Over the last several years Danielle has increased her media footprint with three podcasts; her flagship series iHeart Media’s #WokeAF Daily; The Daily Beast’s The New Abnormal that she co-hosts with fellow journalist Andy Levy and #democracyish which she co-hosts weekly with fellow Daily Beast columnist and author Wajahat Ali. She also writes for a myriad of outlets including: The Daily Beast, Zora at Medium, Vogue, Essence and others.

Rachel O’Leary Carmona

Credit: Photo provided by Artist

Rachel O’Leary Carmona is the Executive Director of Women’s March and Women’s March Network that form the backbone of the largest political home for women and most effective base building organization on the left.

Rachel served as the Chief Operating Officer of Women’s March from 2018, transitioning to the Executive Director role in 2019. She oversaw building the infrastructure of Women’s March as an organization from a series of record-breaking mobilizations. Rachel oversaw the incorporation of Women’s March Network, the sister organization of Women’s March, and founded Women’s March WIN, a Super PAC that builds and mobilizes the political power of women.

Under Rachel’s leadership, Women’s March drove record turnout in 2018, playing a key role in defeating Trump in 2020; anchored 4,500 nationwide actions in the United States, mobilizing tens of millions in 2022; and mobilized women in a pivotal 2023 Supreme Court race in Wisconsin, a race that was called the most important of the year by the New York Times.

Rachel has been quoted and featured in The New York TimesThe Washington PostUSA Today, The Guardian, CNN onlineRewireFox Online, and the Journal of Transformational Work and many other national and local outlets. She is a frequent media contributor and is regularly featured on outlets including MSNBC, CNN, CBS, NBC, Reuters, NPR, and other broadcast news and radio stations.

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