Overview
Earlier this year, primary voter turnout in the District was the worst it has been in three decades, suggesting a concerning level of political apathy for local government in our nation's capital. At the same time, there has been an enormous influx of the millennial generation following the recession, while the District's income inequality gap is the fourth-highest of any other US city.
We see these issues as inextricably connected, and want to hear from local politicians, members of the media, and social sector organizations that have a stake and a perspective to offer about why political and civic engagement (in its many forms) is disappointing at best, and what we can do to improve it going forward.
This will be a ticketed event for ($10), and following the discussion will be an informal networking event with pizza donated from &Pizza, beverages, and beer/wine served by our friends at Union Kitchen. The event will serve as a fundraiser for ONE DC to help progress its mission and critical work.
Details
Date: Wednesday, October 22
Time: 6:30 – 7:30PM panel; 7:30 - 9:00PM networking and music
Location: Impact Hub DC, located in Chinatown at 419 7th St. NW
Speakers
Will Sommer, Loose Lips Columnist & Staff Writer, Washington City Paper (Moderator)
Eugene Puryear, Activist and Council-at-Large, DC Statehood Green Party
Tommy Wells, Councilman, DC Government – Ward 6
John McCarthy, Executive Director, Future Civic Leaders
Celinda Lake, President, Lake Research Partners
About Raise Your City
RYC is a hyper-local philanthropy group that curates benefit events and panel discussions to raise awareness of our city's most pressing issues, and funds to support community organizations alleviating those issues. To date, RYC has curated over a dozen events around the city and raised thousands for a wide-range of beneficiaries.
About Impact Hub DC
Impact Hub DC is a local member-site of Impact Hub Association, a consortium of collaborative spaces in cities around that world that are providing social innovators the space, resources, and connectivity they need to achieve maximum impact in their communities. Currently, there are 40 Impact Hubs across 6 continents, in cities including Johannesburg, London, São Paolo and San Francisco.
About ONE DC
ONE DC’s mission is to exercise political strength to create and preserve racial and
economic equity in Shaw and the District. We seek to create a community in DC that is equitable for all.
ONE DC was founded in 1997 in the midst of neighborhood change. From early on, ONE DC's approach
to community development addressed structural causes of poverty and injustice, an orientation that
stemmed from deep analysis of race, power, and the economic, political, and social forces at work in
Shaw and the District. As a result, ONE DC’s organizing work centers on popular education, community
organizing, and alternative economic development projects.
