Civic Engagement & Leadership Development (CELD)

CELD 2025 Series Description

Democracy as direct decision making by the people through voting has a tortured history in the United States. The Founders didn’t love it. On September 17, 1787, when Elizabeth Willing Powel asked Benjamin Franklin: “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?,” he replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”  A republic — or representative democracy — ensured that persons with character, means, and judgment would represent voters and make decisions on their behalf (originally only property owning, white, men were eligible for elected office). The system of checks and balances forced compromises between competing views by ensuring multiple power centers which prevented rapid, sweeping and decisive changes fueled by the passion of the masses. And the constitution protected the rights and freedoms of those who didn’t agree with majority sentiments.

It has taken centuries of diligent advocacy and fighting to build governmental systems to serve all Americans, not just a privileged few and to ensure freedom of political perspectives. But on January 20, 2025, we face a federal government where the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive branches share the same party and a newly invigorated worldview to return America to its past. They have few obstacles to unilateral decisions and can revoke decades of changes and centuries of rules and norms. Some argue that this moment is as significant as the end of Reconstruction in the 1890s, an era defined by the decisive reversal of freedoms won during the Civil War. Others point out that one-party trifectas have dominated state-level politics for some time and that a decisive electoral re-alignment is unfolding nationally.

The labor movement remains the largest organization of working-class people in the country, despite counting only 6% of the private sector workforce (the lowest since 1900s) as members.  While America will always be a multiracial society, less clear is whether that rainbow will be democratic or a neo-autocratic and fascistic future endorsed by elections. Anti-incumbency and elected authoritarians are on the rise worldwide.

• Is the republic at risk or can we keep it? Will the unprecedented experiment that is the US continue apace or will it take a decisive turn?
• How did we get here and what is to be done?
• What is the labor movement’s role at this historical juncture?

For this season, we are inviting guest moderators to guide panels reflecting on this historic turn. Together, we will assemble a range of leaders from labor and progressive organizations to share how they are grappling with the challenges of building a progressive working-class politics at this moment and explore new strategies and new directions.

Civic Engagement & Leadership Development – Virtual Spring 2024 seminar

Seminar Description:

“The Quest for Governing Power:  2024 Elections and Beyond” — SLU’s Civic Engagement and Leadership Development virtual seminar for Spring 2024 — will examine a range of on-the-ground organizing in light of their potential and the challenges they face.  With every election cycle, the choices and consequences seem more dire and require voters to “pull out all the stops” and “dig deep” to do all we can to save democracy…again.  In this series, we will examine local races with national consequences and national organizing strategies with local implications. Speakers will discuss strategic choices taken to build power for workers and the role of elections in advancing that work. They will address past and upcoming local, state, and national elections and share lessons from their wins and losses.  Join us to learn how worker-driven electoral and governing agendas are developed and pursued.

The seminar will be led by Dr. Alethia Jones, Distinguished Lecturer in Labor Studies at the CUNY School of Labor & Urban Studies.

Framing Questions:

• What will it take to consolidate governing power that serves the interests of workers?
• What are the biggest internal and external obstacles we have to overcome?
• What are unique advantages and strengths that we possess that we can leverage further?
• What are key strategic lessons learned over the last 10 years?
• What do we need to learn to grow our successes?
• What innovations excite you? Which ones concern you?

“What’s the Matter with Florida?”

Guest speaker:
Roxey Nelson – Executive Vice President, 1199SEIU – Florida Region

“Lessons from the Campaign Trail:  Running for Office”

Guest speakers:
Amber Cano-Martin – Learning Coordinator, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Eunic Epstein-Ortiz – Executive Vice President, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Julia Mejia – City Councilor At-Large, City of Boston

“Building for the Short Term and Long Term”

Guest speaker:
Patrick Gaspard – President, Center for American Progress

“Re-Making Elections: New Rules for Winning”

Guest speakers:
Maria Poblet – co-editor, Power Concedes Nothing; Executive Director, Grassroots Power Project
Max Elbaum – co-editor, Power Concedes Nothing; Member, Convergence Magazine editorial board

Seminar Description:

SLU’s spring 2023 Civic Engagement and Leadership Development Saturday sessions will examine a range of on-the-ground organizing in light of their potential and the challenges they face.  Speakers will discuss the work of organized labor and social justice organizations to advance racial, gender, and economic justice and environmental sustainability.  Particular attention will be paid to ongoing challenges related to aligning electoral work with the priorities of ongoing grassroots organizing and issue-based coalition-building.  The seminar will be led by Dr. Alethia Jones, Distinguished Lecturer in Labor Studies at the CUNY School of Labor & Urban Studies.

Framing Questions:

• What are the chief challenges and opportunities confronting progressive forces currently seeking to bolster and deepen democracy?
• How have statewide organizations worked to expand the voter base, particularly among voters of color and poor and working-class voters?
• What role can unions play in building multi-racial coalitions and large-scale public support for progressive policy goals?
• What obstacles stand in the way of greater labor-community collaboration?
• How can electoral engagement be carried out in ways that maximize labor-community cooperation?