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What Can I Do

What Can I Do

You voted (again), you protested (again), you posted on social media (again), yet you’re still reeling from all the terrible news. But…what else can you do?

We’ll help you figure that out! Each week hosts Kelly Therese Pollock and Lila Nordstrom interview activists working on a range of issues, from national policy to local concerns, not about why but about how they took action: What got them started, who helped them along the way, and what they’d do differently if they had to do it all again. In the process, we’ll offer concrete advice on how to take the leap from freaking out on Twitter to making a difference, building community, and finding joy in getting involved.

Recent Episodes

Oct. 9, 2024

“Government’s not the problem, it’s the prize.” (w/ DaMareo Cooper, co-Executive Director of Popular Democracy, formerly CPD)

Are you interested in learning more about coalition-building and how to contribute to the creation of a more representative government? This week we spoke to DaMareo Cooper, one of the co-Executive Directors of Popular Democ…
Sept. 11, 2024

“Work doesn’t feel like work when it’s fun.” (WCID Jr. w/ Joan Galat, author of Make Your Mark, Make a Difference)

It’s a special episode of What Can I Do Junior , hosted by Teddy and Arthur! Are you a young person looking to make a difference? Do you have kids in your life who are eager to make their voices heard? This week we spoke to …
Sept. 4, 2024

"Find the joy in today." (w/ Dr. Deborah Vinall, psychologist, Author of Gaslighting and the Trauma Recovery Workbook for Teens)

Wondering how to protect your mental health during this election season? This week we spoke to Dr. Deborah Vinall, a psychologist and author based in Southern California, about how to engage in the political process in a way…
Aug. 21, 2024

“In order to get there, you have to build out infrastructure.” (w/ Jane Kleeb, Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, author, and Climate Breakthrough Awardee)

Wondering how to do effective Democratic organizing in rural red states? This week we spoke to Jane Kleeb, the Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, about the innovative work she and the Nebraska Dems are doing to bring De…
Aug. 14, 2024

“I listen to the people that these elections are truly life and death for.” (w/ Maggie O’Keefe, Chicago 40th Ward Committeeperson, community organizer.)

Wondering what canvassing for a candidate and organizing in-person voter outreach actually involves? This week we spoke to Maggie O’Keefe, a community activist who is part of a new generation of Democratic Committee members …
Aug. 7, 2024

“Words mean things” (w/ Anat Shenker-Osorio, Host of Words to Win By, Principal of ASO Communications)

This week we spoke to Anat Shenker-Osorio, Democratic campaign consultant, messaging researcher, founder of ASO Communications, and host of the excellent podcast Words to Win By . In this episode Anat shares crucial wisdom o…

Recent Blog Posts

TL;DL: Recap 1

This week we’re looking back at the action items we discussed on the first five episodes of “What Can I Do” featuring: Lila and Kelly on their own activist work, Marked By Covid’s Kristin Urquiza and Christine Keeves, Emerge&…

About the Hosts

Lila Nordstom Profile Photo

Lila Nordstom

Lila Nordstrom is a writer, producer, activist, and author of Some Kids Left Behind. She is the founder of StuyHealth, an advocacy group representing young adults exposed to the World Trade Center cleanup in 2001/2022, which has worked with organizations at the city, state, and federal level to raise awareness for the health programs in place to support 9/11 survivors. In 2019 she testified before the House Judiciary Committee on behalf of the estimated three hundred thousand NYC community members eligible for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and was awarded New York City's Bronze Medallion, New York City's highest civic honor, for her work on behalf of 9/11 survivors. Originally from New York City, she now lives in Los Angeles, California.

Kelly Therese Pollock Profile Photo

Kelly Therese Pollock

Kelly Therese Pollock is also the producer and host of Unsung History and previously co-hosted Two Broads Talking Politics, where she interviewed everyone from US Senators to school board candidates. Kelly has a BA in Religious Studies from Northwestern University and an MA in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara (where she wrote a thesis on feminist witches), and by day, she is the Dean of Students in the Division of the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago, where she has worked since 2004. When not podcasting or working, you can find Kelly knitting, reading mystery novels, and trying to raise her two kids to be good humans.