How do we respond to this political moment? Pessimism is tempting and optimism may feel foolhardy, yet a sense of possibility fueled by hope makes enduring sense to us. After the Biden/Harris victory, we turned to long-time activists, Lecia Brooks and Lisa Veneklasen to tap into their wisdom and clear-eyed assessment of what we’re facing and what’s possible in the struggle for overdue and drastically needed social and political change. For the past 16 years, Lecia has worked at the well-known Southern Poverty Law Center, a regional and national catalyst for racial justice, most recently as Chief of Staff. She plays a key role in their work to expose and dismantle white supremacy and nationalism. Almost 20 years ago, Lisa founded Just Associates (JASS) and recently stepped down from her role as Executive Director. JASS is a transnational feminist movement building organization that strengthens the voice, visibility and collective power of women to transform the world. Lisa and Lecia’s analysis and insights about these times -- including the power of older women to make change happen -- galvanize and provoke us to think differently about this political moment.

See www.splcenter.org for more information about the Center and Lecia. Meet Lisa at http://www.twohundredwomen.com/lisaveneklasen and check out JASS at www.justassociates.org/en/

And be sure to stay tuned to the end of the episode where Renata Joy (www.purejoywellness.com) shares her dream about how women's leadership will be central to the change we need.

With “thousands of grandmothers' voices and stories” in her head, Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, a Canadian labor and human rights lawyer and passionate women’s rights advocate, started the “Grandmothers on the Move” podcast over two years ago. Fifty-three engaging episodes later, she’s already succeeded in her goal to “kick old stereotypes to the curb” through conversations with astonishing older women. Ilana worked at the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) for many years before joining with her father in 2003 to co-found the groundbreaking Stephen Lewis Foundation to partner directly with community-based groups confronting the HIV-AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. She is an ardent mother who sees motherhood as “an emotional reality and a political identity.” (Yes!) And at 55, Ilana is “happily getting older.” Don’t you want to know why?

Check out Ilana's Grandmothers On The Move podcast at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grandmothers-on-the-move/id1356003135