Democracy Summer

Posts by Democracy Summer interns and others.

A Story for my Grand Kids

Compelling tales of summer romance always seem to begin as a surprise. True to fashion, I certainly did not expect it. Perhaps this summer romance could be categorized as ‘unconventional’, but labels aside, the truth is I’ve fallen pretty hard—for North Carolina. Now my progressive friends who have been paying attention to the legislation coming [...]

Sharing Knowledge, Building Power

This past Saturday was the Juneteenth Celebration in Winston-Salem, a time in which community members celebrate the African American spirit and pay tribute to the roles and contributions which have enriched our society. It is a celebration that is the longest-running observance of the abolition of slavery, commemorating the day in which the last few [...]

Hitting the Road for the Sake of Early Voting

I've recently adopted the habit of giving each week a "codename" as a way of enriching this internship experience in my short and long term memory. So week one was "Gun Barrel" week, week two was "Eight Day" week, and week three shall forever be remembered as "NASCAR" week. "Why NASCAR", you ask? Because I [...]

Week Three: Beyond Comfort Zones

Just about through our 3rd week of DemSummer, already?!. Up and down the road, meeting after meeting, both shoulders indented by heavy bags, armed with voter registration, petitions and not to mention legal pads full of notes documenting our journey to becoming a bona fide organizer - not just any organizer - but the finest, [...]

“Pleasure and action make the hours seem short” – William Shakespeare

Our third week started off pretty strong and only looking to get stronger as the week goes on. Phone Banking has become a wonderful experience especially since we are able to transfer people directly to Berger’s line and hear them express their support for the HAVA funds! We have noticed that people are more likely [...]

Fayetteville Team and their first weekend “off”

After a blitzkrieg of a first week in Democracy Summer, I was extremely grateful to tackle the challenges that awaited in week two.  What was the most challenging aspect of week two you ask?  Remembering all the names and faces of the people I met in week one.  Along with our recurring scheduled events, our [...]