Merle McGee: The Promise, Practice, and Purpose of Everyday Democracy

Jul 25

Merle McGee: The Promise, Practice, and Purpose of Everyday Democracy

Listen in as Kristine and Merle discuss:

How Americans turned away from a commitment to public good when the “public” began to include people outside the white majority
That democracy thrives where well-being thrives
How to make conflict generative, so we learn from it
How play can transcend intellectual barriers to get to people’s hearts
How capoeira (the Brazilian martial art) is like democracy; it’s simultaneously a game, a dance, and a fight – and it cannot be done alone

Key Takeaways:

We need to develop democratic skills, not just practices; these include collaboration, deep-listening, and self-advocacy
Democracy is practiced at the local level, day-to-day and block-by-block
If people feel safe they can participate in a robust democracy
Community boards, jury duty, school boards, planning meetings, budgeting meetings, even getting your passport renewed – all these are examples of democracy at work
Democracy is not a pie – we are not carving up a finite resource; we are growing it

"Elections are just one aspect of our commitment to this democracy system. [We elect representatives] but they are not the people who make all of the decisions on our behalf. It is the people who come together at [the local level] where democracy happens day to day and block to block." — Merle McGee

More about Merle McGee:

Merle McGee is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Everyday Democracy. Merle brings over 25 years experience in non-profit settings fighting alongside historically marginalized and excluded communities for dignity and racial, gender, and economic justice. Before joining Everyday Democracy in May 2022, Merle served as Chief Equity and Engagement Officer at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, where she led organizational transformation through community engagement initiatives and by conceiving and implementing Reviving Radical, an initiative to reckon with the organization’s history and build accountable relationships with communities of color.

Prior to her work at Planned Parenthood, Merle served as Chief Program Officer at YWCA of the City of New York and taught non-profit consulting and Race and Identity in Organizations at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.

Merle earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from the New School. She is also co-facilitator and leader with the Anti-Racist Alliance and the co-founder of The BIPOC Project, an antiracist collective committed to building solidarity among people of color. Merle received the inaugural Planned Parenthood Federation A.P.P.L.E. Justice award for Reviving Radical and was named City & State’s 50 over Fifty Influential New Yorker in 2021.

Connect with Merle:
Website: https://everyday-democracy.org/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merlemcgee/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/everyday-democracy/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/evdem

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/everydaydemocracy

Connect with Kristine:

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

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

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