What does it mean to be American? From our perspective, it means standing together as members of different backgrounds, ages, religious affiliations, sexual orientations, and more to say that America can become more than what it is today. This week, we explore how our We The People coalition is working to help create an America that’s truly free.
We The People
About our campaign and coalition to bring back true American liberty
GUEST BIO:
Ebonni Chrispin is the Director of Legislative Affairs and Community Engagement for HF Self and Healthy Housing Foundation.
CJ Staples is the national organizer for Dream Defenders.
Abby Langweiler is a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:
[2:29] - What is We the People?
Multiple causes, one unifying mission
Spearheaded by AHF, We the People is a coalition of over 40 organizations covering a wide range of social justice causes — from reducing gun violence to serving marginalized communities. Together, we hope to create one, unified voice in defense of the real American dream — an America that’s safe, equitable, and just for all people. We the People will culminate in a July March located in Florida.
[11:56] - Fighting Against Fear
Turning distrust into community
At the core of We the People is a fight against policies in Florida and elsewhere that encourage people to distrust, fear, and even physically harm each other. When any person can possess a firearm — and when hateful speech towards marginalized communities is at a fever pitch — neighbors feel they can’t trust one another. We the People is about telling the establishment that there is a better way, and that individual citizens will stand together to bring it to fruition. After all, there’s more that unites us than divides us.
[17:28] - Keeping Hope through Heartache
Despite setbacks, hope for a better world endures
Our hosts and guests offer a timely reminder that there’s no place for pessimism or hopelessness in We the People. Even as the world seems to move backwards, there are glimmers of hope — such as the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Alabama’s Black voters rights — that remind us change is possible when people stand together with one voice and demand justice.
Meanwhile, Abby reminds us that even though the news may suggest otherwise, the majority of Americans do in fact support things like background checks on gun sales and other laws to promote safety and fairness. We’re not as divided as the news and some politicians would have us believe.
[25:15] - What If You Can’t March?
You can still make your voice heard
Can’t make the We the People march on July 2nd in Fort Lauderdale? You can still make an impact. There will be sister marches taking place in South Carolina, Chicago, New York, LA, and Houston. Details are available at https://wtpmarch.org.
You can also follow along online @WTPmarch on Instagram and TikTok.
Finally, the coalition will continue to thrive after the march is finished, working to register voters, send mail-in ballots, and more.
RESOURCES:
FOLLOW:
ABOUT AFTER HOURS:
AIDS Healthcare Foundation is the world’s largest HIV/AIDS service organization, operating in 45 countries globally. The mission? Providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy for everyone, regardless of ability to pay.
The After Hours podcast is an official podcast of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in which host Lauren Hogan is joined by experts in a range of fields to educate, inform, and inspire listeners on topics that go far beyond medical information to cover leadership, creativity, and success.
Learn more at: https://www.aidshealth.org
ABOUT THE HOST:
Lauren Hogan is the Associate Director of Communications for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and has been working in a series of roles with the Foundation since 2016. She’s passionate about increasing the public visibility of AIDS, the Foundation's critical work, and how everyday people can help join the fight to make cutting-edge medicine, treatment, and support available for anyone who needs it.
ABOUT DETROIT PODCAST STUDIOS:
In Detroit, history was made when Barry Gordy opened Motown Records back in 1960. More than just discovering great talent, Gordy built a systematic approach to launching superstars. His rigorous processes, technology, and development methods were the secret sauce behind legendary acts such as The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
As a nod to the past, Detroit Podcast Studios leverages modern versions of Motown’s processes to launch today’s most compelling podcasts. What Motown was to musical artists, Detroit Podcast Studios is to podcast artists today. With over 75 combined years of experience in content development, audio production, music scoring, storytelling, and digital marketing, Detroit Podcast Studios provides full-service development, training, and production capabilities to take podcasts from messy ideas to finely tuned hits.
Here’s to making (podcast) history together.
Learn more at: DetroitPodcastStudios.com
Lauren Hogan:
Check out what's new and happening from leaders in the community. Learn the ins and outs of advocacy, events and activations. Get involved, make an impact, and do something that adds value in your life. AHF is the world's largest HIV AIDS service organization operating in 45 countries globally, 16 states domestically, including DC and Puerto Rico. Our mission is to provide cutting edge medicine and advocacy regardless of ability to pay. Hello and welcome to the After Hours podcast. I'm your host, Lauren Hogan, serving as your liaison to take you on a journey to learn more about AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Our topic for today is learn, lead, act. Before we start the show, please make sure to remember to check out the show notes so you can follow along. Now, let's get started. Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the After Hours podcast. As always, I'm your host, Lauren Hogan, along with my lovely co-host.
Sean Little:
Sean Little. Hello, hello, hello.
Lauren Hogan:
And so we're excited to have our very special guest with us today. We're going to be touching on a bit of a sensitive subject, but I think one that definitely needs to be discussed. So I'm just going to go around the grid really quickly and have everybody introduce themselves. So Ebonni, can we start with you?
Ebonni Chrispin:
We can. My name is Ebonni Chrispin. I am the Director of Legislative Affairs and Community Engagement for HF Self and Healthy Housing Foundation.
Lauren Hogan:
CJ.
CJ Staples:
Hey everyone. My name is CJ Staples. I am the national organizer for Dream Defenders.
Lauren Hogan:
And Abby.
Abby Langweiler:
Hi, my name is Abby Langweiler. I am a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and the statewide lead for our state focused on community gun violence prevention.
Lauren Hogan:
So first I just want to say thank you guys all for the amazing work that you do. It's very vital for our communities. It's very important. So we're going to be talking a little bit today about how our three organizations have kind of come together in a Rainbow Coalition effort. And under this umbrella, we're entitling, Are We The People Coalition. So just diving right into that, can one of you guys just tell us what is We The People? And Ebonni, I think you'd be the best person to speak to this, but what is We The People and how did this come about?
Ebonni Chrispin:
We The People is a campaign in March started by now over 40 organizations that make up the coalition, organizations like Moms Demand Action, Dream Defenders, Planned Parenthood, Save.LGBT, The Urban League. We're super excited about all the organizations, but really was spearheaded initially by AIDS Healthcare Foundation with our goal to be able to unify America in a way that a lot of the policies over a thousand laws across the country have divided us. This is an opportunity to really bring back American liberties, show what freedom looks like. What does it mean to be American? And from our perspective, it means coming together and standing together given our different backgrounds, our ages, our religious affiliations, our sexual orientation, et cetera, we can come together and say that America can be more than this.
Lauren Hogan:
So Abby, I want to come to you first. I mean, other than Ebonni's amazing persuasive skills and all the things that she just said, why did Mom's Demand Action decide to come on board to this coalition and lend your voice to this cause?
Abby Langweiler:
Thanks, Lauren. Mom's Demand Action is a grassroots nationwide organization and we're focused on ending gun violence. In an average year, there is 10,300 hate crimes in the United States, and the vast majority of those hate crimes are directed against people of color, religious minorities, and members of the LGBTQ community. So we know that those groups in particular are disproportionately affected by gun violence and easy access to firearms. And in Florida, we know that it's only getting easier to access firearms and all different types of guns. A hate-filled individual is more likely to cause more damage and kill people when they have easy access to guns. And that's something that's really a key effort for us. And coming together with the remaining members of the coalition will help us be able to spread that message and really fight back against the ease with which people can commit hate crimes and the deadly nature of that hate and that extremism when people have easy access to guns.
Lauren Hogan:
And CJ, same question to you. Why did Dream Defenders decide to come on board with this coalition?
CJ Staples:
Yeah, thank you. So I mean, as you all know, this past legislative session in Florida definitely did a number on a number of marginalized communities and Dream Defenders has been at the forefront of just trying to shed light on this legislation and bring all of these groups together to basically not just let our administration in Florida know, but as well as the country know that we are all in this fight together. Right? Dream Defenders has been around since 2012. We are majority black led organization. Just trying to make sure that all folks are treated with dignity and respect, that our families and neighborhoods are funded equitably with programs that bring stimulation to our economies. And we want strong black communities that have political and economic power within those communities.
Obviously you do have different religions, orientations and whatnot, but we believe that being free is the ultimate goal here. And we cannot be free unless all of us are free. So an injustice in one group is a threat to justice to all groups. So coming into this coalition of all of these different organizations that are focused on different issues and represent different marginalized communities, we felt like it was an obligation for us to be a part of it.
Lauren Hogan:
That's fantastic. And you guys both kind of alluded to Florida and what's happening in Florida. So Ebonni, I'm going to go back to you and just ask, why was Florida chosen as a location for us to host this march in July?
Ebonni Chrispin:
Florida has been an epicenter for these policies. Unfortunately, we are a popular state for all the reasons we don't really want to be. And I think it was important to use Florida as an example, even though there are other states that are facing the same really, really horrible inequitable violent laws in places like Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, the list goes on. But Florida has been an example of why we need other states, other places around the country to also take a stand. This national march is simply happening in Florida because it's been a good example of what we shouldn't be doing in this country.
Lauren Hogan:
And you guys talked about this not just being a one person issue, and I just want to touch on what you just said, CJ, because you were the one that said this is not just one person. If it affects one group, it affects us all despite what our differences may be. So with that being said, why do you guys think it's so important that we do stand together to have this march at this point in time and at this point, honestly, in our history and in this country? And Abby, I can turn it back over to you first.
Abby Langweiler:
Thank you. Well, I think especially right now in Florida, we are looking at some extremely dangerous deadly laws that are coming into effect right now, combined with really dangerous and deadly laws that were already in effect.
Abby Langweiler:
Deadly laws that were already in effect. So right now, permitless carry is effective, which means you don't need to have a class or a permit to carry a gun. And we're combining that with an already deadly climate surrounding the disproportionately impactful Stand Your Ground law that we have in Florida. And combining that with the extreme agenda, and dare I say propaganda that surrounds members of the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups, historically excluded groups, we're looking at what could be a really dangerous and deadly outcome for a lot of folks here in Florida. So it's important for us to be standing together raising awareness for these issues. Gun violence is really at the intersection of almost every other issue and societal ill that we face as a nation. Much of that boils down to either gun violence or its root causes. So it's really key, especially at this point, where we could be really facing an extremely dangerous crossroads that we stand together and talk about how this affects Floridians and Americans, and really figure out how we can best push back on those issues.
Lauren Hogan:
And CJ, what would you like to add?
CJ Staples:
Yeah, I just think that even in the name of this event, We the People, I think that, historically, the establishment has done a very effective, very good job at dividing individuals who do have the same struggle. I mean, when you talk about Reconstruction, Southern Strategy, Jim Crow, these are all working class people that are being told that the reason for their plight is not because of the people in power that are passing legislation or dumping pollutants into their communities, but it's their neighbor, or it's the people that are trying to come into the country because of our country's foreign policy. So I just felt like with this whole We the People coalition, it was an opportunity for Dream Defenders as a Black-led organization to make it very, very clear that we understand the intersectionality of all of these issues, whether it be gun violence, education, poverty, employment. And whether you're democrat, republican, independent, whatever, their issues are our issues.
And the sooner that we all understand who it is that we should be focusing our energy towards when we are talking about a resistance or a movement, revolution, the sooner that it's actually going to happen. Because with, like you said, this permitless carry, you're scared of your neighbor now. You're scared of the person in the supermarket getting into an argument and not knowing whether or not they're going to pull out a gun. We talk about drag queens and tran and LGBTQ rights. And it's like, well, they represent such a small amount of the population. Why are elected officials choosing to demonize and villainize them for the sake of elections and votes? So yeah, just really getting to the core of what We the People really means, and that it doesn't have, it shouldn't have a party affiliation. Because at this point in our nation's history, the 99% are literally all struggling in the same ways. And I think that our attention, it needs to be refocused on the people that have put us in that position, and it's not our neighbors.
Lauren Hogan:
Absolutely. Sean, do you want to jump in?
Sean:
I want to know, since you guys are in it, Ebonni and you guys and everyone. You guys are... I mean, I'm not really good at following the news. I'm kind of going to say that I'm guilty of really not, because I just would rather not know, you know what I mean? So I think, though, I mean, but it's hard not to hear all the stuff that is happening. And I think, what do we think the future's going to look like if we're unsuccessful? Just how far back do we think that we're able to go, or roll back? You know what I mean? Because that's what I think the importance of the We the People stands for is kind of stopping us from sliding backwards, because I think we already kind of have. So I'm like, what is the biggest fear? You know what I mean? The ultimate worst case scenario kind of a thing? You know what I mean? That's what I want to know.
Lauren Hogan:
Ebonni, I'm going to ask if you could jump in to kind of answer that because you have spearheaded some of these effort.
Ebonni Chrispin:
Yeah, I think that's a good question. I don't know. I don't want to pretend like I know what the future will hold. I think what history has shown us is that when we are apathetic and don't take action, we allow systems to continue to erode progress and move us back. And frankly, you can look at any movement in our history to show that, when we don't act, even if it's a small group, we see systems sort of take over and effectively divide not just this country, but other countries. Do I think it will get worse? And by it I mean more policies. Yes.
They start, to me, a lot of people paid even closer attention when Roe v. Wade was overturned. I think you see the erosion of women and their reproductive rights. Before that, you saw, you continue to see the systemic oppression of Black folks within the Black diaspora, through education, through healthcare. And to be honest, a lot of groups can ignore it because maybe they're not a woman or they're not Black. Or maybe they're an ally, but have other things going on. And then it was trans youth, and then it was trans adults. It's, will gay marriage be attacked? How will this affect me if I am over 55? What will it look like if I don't own a gun, but I have a kid and now my kid is at school and now I'm worried about my kid? And just doing something simple as going into the first grade.
And so I think what I know for sure is maybe I can't tell you what's going to happen next, but I can tell you that, even in the last 10 years, the erosion of people's rights are continuing to get closer and closer to each of us, no matter how far away we think we are. And I'll say I saw a [inaudible 00:16:40] recently, and it spoke to this point that I like to make, which is a lot of people think that they can make enough money to not be touched by inequality. And if I have so much money, then these things won't touch me. But that is the lie that these systems tell us because in reality, at some point, even on some level, all of these laws that have passed in the last year to three to five years even touch us in some way if we're paying attention. So that's what I would say. I don't know what the future will hold, but I think history tells us that we really should be paying attention.
Lauren Hogan:
Ebonni, I kind of want to echo that too, because I think, at this point in our history, it's really easy to become pessimistic, in a way. And I don't mean to say that negatively, but it's just, it's almost like when you keep getting beaten down so hard, it's hard to say, "How can I be hopeful? How can I stay engaged? How can I keep putting one foot in front of the other to make sure that I'm enacting change or action, whatever it may be?" But I think it's important to also acknowledge when we do get those wins, because it kind of helps us to keep that hope alive. And an-
Lauren Hogan:
Because it kind of helps us to keep that hope alive. And an example I'll give of that is I just saw that the Supreme Court just upheld a law in Alabama for Black voters, so that way their voting lines weren't being redistricted. So I think what you're saying has a lot of value, and it's something that we should really pay attention to because if we don't keep that hope or that fight in us, how are things going to actually change? So CJ or Abby, please feel free to jump in as well.
Abby Langweiler:
I mean, something that you, Lauren, just said is a point that I kind of wanted to bring up, which I heard Sean kind of talking about hopelessness. So if that's all we see is what's on the news or what horrible things are continuing to happen... And in the gun violence prevention movement part of the goal of Moms Demand Action is to really focus on partnerships with community organizations and lift their voices and the voices of survivors of gun violence and make sure that we're supporting the organizations that are doing the real work to disrupt the cycle of violence and in historically disproportionately affected areas. And so when we're doing that, it's basically there's a mass shooting every single day in some community somewhere. And if it's not a mass shooting, it's a shooting that's resulting in even one person getting killed, that's a loss. That's someone's life was taken by something that we are working and we believe can be prevented.
So there's a lot of hopelessness in the gun violence prevention movement. And we do celebrate small victories, there aren't a lot of them in Florida but there's other victories around the country. And that's something that we face and everybody on this call, everybody who's working to make change feels that way. But there's one thing that I would like to caution against, which is what Sean was saying, everything on the news seems bad, and it seems like everything is sliding in a backwards slide, and it certainly is that way except when you watch, when you see that stuff. I think we also have to remember that the vast majority of Americans agree with us. There's crazy, crazy extreme gun laws in Florida and a lot of other states, but just for example, at least 80% of Americans want a background check on every gun sale.
So we should be heartened by the fact that in coming together, we encourage people to take notice, join our causes, and join the movement towards change. And when we do that, it enfranchises people, it makes them interested and it makes them want to take action, whether by voting for candidates or going out there marching with us or doing any of the things to voice the fact that they agree. And we're in the majority,
Lauren Hogan:
CJ.
CJ Staples:
Yeah, absolutely. And to your point around bad news, bad news, bad news, there was actually some good news out of this legislative session thanks to Representative Ashley Gantt who introduced a bill to provide protections to pregnant women who are facing eviction. So that was a pretty significant win I would say. I mean, I'm not a woman and I will never be pregnant, but I think that that's a win.
To piggyback on something that Ebonni had mentioned earlier, just this entire country has been kind of built on the foundation of individualism. The entire American dream is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness within your little bubble. So, we've been conditioned to not really care so much about what's happening next door as long as, like you said, I'm taken care of, I make enough money to make it, I'll be all right. I don't care about what's actually going on in the problems that this country's facing.
And I think to Sean's question around what's going to happen? What's the worst? Where is the floor? Where's our rock bottom? And I think that we're starting to see a turn, a revolution when it comes to collectivism. And it's in these really small, these signs that you may not really notice. So for instance, GoFundMe. We already know that our healthcare system, our health insurance system is absolute shambles, but how many times have you seen a GoFundMe for someone that needs surgery or some kind of medical expense and people pouring as much as they can, what little bit that they can into that? That's collectivism. That shouldn't be our responsibility, but we've taken that on, on a case by case basis.
Same with someone facing evictions. So I've got a family and I'm going to be homeless, can you just put some money into so I can put a down payment on a rental or whatever. So we're seeing that people are understanding the value of community. And again, historically we've seen that when we come together, we can make positive change. So, unfortunately, I do believe that it is going to get a little worse before it gets better because people are going to have to come to that realization that, no, I can't do it alone. It is easy for me to be in the same position as someone that I may have looked down upon for having something horrible happen to them, even if you're making six figures. We're all one emergency, one horrible incident away from being completely impoverished just because of the way that our economy is set up.
So, I do believe that we will get to a place where we understand the value of collectivism, and that's what Dream Defenders tries to... That's the message we try to put forth, that no one is an island, no one has ever made it on their own, despite what the Jeff Bezos and the Elon Musks will have you believe. Everyone needs someone. It doesn't necessarily have to be your blood just as long as it's someone who cares, it's someone that actually sees the community for what it can be. And that's what Dream Defenders is pushing to reimagine what our communities can look like.
So while Sean, I do believe that things can be pretty bleak nowadays. I think that organizations such as the ones that are in this coalition are helping the rest of the country that may not be as involved as we are see that there are people, everyday people, that are willing to do the work to make things better.
Lauren Hogan:
So I have just two more questions for you guys. One is, and this might be directly for Ebonni, but if a person can't attend the march in Florida... It's going to be on July 2nd, I don't know if we said that already. I know it's July 2nd, Fort Lauderdale and Esplanade Park. But if somebody can't attend in person, what else can they do to get involved?
Ebonni Chrispin:
Great question. If people would like to be involved and cannot attend in person, they could do a couple of things. One, there will be sister marches happening across the country in South Carolina, in Chicago, in the New York area, in LA, and in Houston. Go to wethepeoplemarch.us to take a look. If you are local and want to come down, we have lodging available. So you can email me at ebonni.chrispin@hf.org and I can hook you up.
We also will have the ability for you to follow online on July 2nd. Follow us at WTPmarch, that's WTPmarch, to find out more about watching the rally, watching the march, tweeting and sharing on IG, and as I'm saying in my old age, the TikTok. So that you can see what's what we're up to. And then after the march, we are still going to be a coalition and going to be participating in things like voter registration so that people can re-register, get their mail-in ballots redone, because unfortunately at the end of last year if you had a mail-in ballot, sadly you will not receive that anymore unless you re-
Ebonni Chrispin:
Sadly, you will not receive that anymore unless you re-register. And so we want to get those kind of initiatives up and running. And so yeah, there's a lot of things you can do ultimately follow WTP March to find out about all the ways that you can stay engaged now, during, and after.
Sean:
I have a question. If this was Star Wars, do we have a Luke Skywalker person that we can look for, as things begin to evolve? Just for those who want someone easy to... I don't know, just thought to ask. So-
Ebonni Chrispin:
That is the best question I've ever heard. That's fantastic. I don't know, I have sort of a philosophical question in my head, often in our generation in this time, do we have these sort of charismatic leaders like we had in the sixties, for example? And that's when I think about Luke Skywalker, I wonder that. What I will say, is there are a lot of people that are part of the Jedi, and I do think that there are a lot of us around. And that's exciting, Sean, that really excite me. You got me there, almost got teary.
But no, I don't think there are Luke Skywalkers. But I do think there are an incredible amount of people that are tapped into the force, understand the need for change, and work tirelessly every day to make change happen. And looking at Abby and CJ, you're looking at two of them. And that work is thankless often, but they're doing the good work and I so want to be able to highlight the people that are in it to win it, for us and also for generations to come. Good, good, good question.
Sean:
Well, thank you. That makes me feel really good too, I'll be looking for those Jedi's, so that's good.
CJ Staples:
And if I can add a little something, I actually don't think that we should be looking for those Luke Skywalkers. I think the people that we should be looking for are the Rogue Ones. The everyday people who made what Luke did possible by getting the death star blueprints. Those are the people who really make the moves happen. And even when you look historically, I mean, yeah, we can all look to MLK, and Malcolm X, and Fred Hampton, and Matt Grevers and say, "Okay, well these are icons from the movement and what do they all have in common?" They were all murdered. They were all murdered by the establishment. They were all martyred.
So is that really what we want? Even Luke Skywalker to some degree was martyred. So instead of looking to one person who we know, as soon as they're identified as our person, the opposition is going to do everything in their power to destroy them. How about we just create a bunch of Rogue Ones and so that they can't destroy it? Because like Fred Hampton said, "You can kill a revolutionary, but you cannot kill a revolution." So that's who we need to be focusing our energy on is the people because those are the going to be the ones that take us across the finish line, not Luke.
Ebonni Chrispin:
That was amazing.
Sean:
I think that's a great marketing. I think I'm going to use that for marketing. I'm like, "Oh, I'm going to pitch that, a Rogue One."
Ebonni Chrispin:
That's so good. Such a good answer, CJ. Oh good, good, good.
Lauren Hogan:
So I do want to say thank you guys so much. This has been a robust discussion and a very important one, Abby. I can't say thank you enough for the work that you're doing. We do know that gun violence is the main factor in how children are killed today in this country. That's the main way children are being killed. So thank you for all your work. It's very vital and keep pushing on despite how hard it may get.
And CJ, we truly commend you for all the work that you're doing for the Black community. Black folks have been in this fight for over 400 years and every time something comes up, we know we're the ones that are called on, and have to show up, and have to take those hits to make action really happen. So thank you for dreaming and being a defender, no pun intended. So it's greatly appreciated.
I just want to echo again. You guys can follow We The People @WTPmarch on social media. And if you have any questions, please go to wtpmarch.org, which is the website to get further instructions. And thank you guys so much for joining in today. I hope you got some amazing nuggets of knowledge and we'll see you next time.
Sean:
Yeah, thank you guys. May the force be with us. Yeah?
Lauren Hogan:
Thank you so much for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the show, please subscribe, share with your friends, like, post about it on social media or leave a rating and review. Follow us on Instagram @Afterhours and see you next time.