Jeanine Abrams McLean: Bringing Joy to Bring About Change

Sep 5

Kristine Michie - Playfull Podcast Interview Rewind - Jeanine McLean Abrams

Jeanine Abrams McLean: Bringing Joy to Bring About Change

Listen in as Kristine and Jeanine discuss:

Growing up in a family (with sister, Stacey!) that knew the power of play
Being relentless and relentlessly-positive while doing difficult change work and facing challenges every day from every direction
The Census, CDC, redistricting, and other things that only sound dry but are actually the beating heart of our democracy
The importance of play from an evolutionary and biological perspective
Creative ways to take care of yourself so you can better solve global and local problems
How listening is the key to both good research and good community organizing no matter what the topic – from urban food desserts to rural crop failure, anything people care about

Key Takeaways:

If you can’t find the positive in the moment, think about what the “future positive” might be. “Sometimes that’s the only positive you’ve got,” but it’s a place to start.
Use creativity to delight, surprise, engage: from paint ‘n’ sip to a 90-foot whale kite (for real). Bring joy and people will come.
Joy is essential. You can’t come up with solutions when you’re depressed.
We’re like tools being deployed to do important work. Play is key to keeping the tools sharp and in good condition. Karaoke, laughter, self-care, getting lost in a good book, or sitting on your porch and doing nothing. Whatever it looks like, do what you need to maintain yourself when building coalitions and combating crises.

"You need to have a way to bring people in and bring people joy … [this makes them] more accessible [so you can] talk to them and to figure out what's really impacting them on a daily basis." — Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean

More about Jeanine Abrams McLean:

Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean is the President at Fair Count, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, founded by Stacey Abrams. The goal of Fair Count is to ensure that every person in Georgia and the nation is counted for a fair and accurate census and to build pathways to continued civic participation, including voting and redistricting. Jeanine is a highly skilled researcher with over 20 years of experience designing, managing, and implementing population-based studies and projects, and she has authored over 25 peer-reviewed publications. While at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she applied her expertise in computational biology and population research to advance public health initiatives. At Fair Count, she has led the creation of statistically-relevant census undercount maps of all 50 states with a focus on Black and Latinx communities and advocated for community-driven solutions through the pairing of scientific researchers and organizers. She is widely renowned for championing the voices of the rural South, earning her a seat on the National Advisory Committee for the Census Bureau in advance of the 2030 Census. Jeanine was recently selected for the 2023 Keseb Democracy Fellowship, which focuses on cross-country learning with democracy entrepreneurs from the United States, Brazil, and South Africa.

Connect with Jeanine:
Website: https://www.faircount.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faircount/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faircountgeorgia/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/faircount

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JAbramsMcLean

Connect with Kristine:

Website: https://www.impactfullinc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactfull_inc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-breese-michie/