Raben

Our country stands at a pivotal moment, and it’s more important than ever to be prepared to address emerging issues and defend the values we all hold dear. Thank you Ashleigh Gardere, Julián Castro and Mayor Karen Bass for lending us your expertise and wisdom this morning ?? We're here to ensure organizations are well-positioned to navigate the road ahead and are able to continue making meaningful impacts. Whether you need strategic communications, government affairs, issue campaigns, or culture, strategy, and organizational design, we’re here to stand strong with you. Learn more ??

Wrote this piece on why the frame of "save democracy" may ring hollow in some communities along with my colleague Jennifer Disla, the co-Executive Director of Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice, which I co-founded with Deepak Bhargava and co-chair with Cristina Jimenez. https://lnkd.in/dxZeduSM

As we continue to dust ourselves off from last week's election, we are looking to grow our team here at Raben! We have a few positions that we are looking to fill quickly. Join us! Seriously, one of the best places I've ever worked. Principal, Government Affairs (focused on investigations/oversight/opposition research) - https://lnkd.in/e9FAgbfQ Associate, Government Affairs - https://lnkd.in/eDiSqsgG Director, Strategic Communications - https://lnkd.in/eDU7Jkhw Associate, Strategic Communications - https://lnkd.in/e4c5qEDU We also have a few paid internship positions open for college students. - https://lnkd.in/enpZnBk3

In this special day-after-the-election episode, our podcast, The Ask, sat down with our very own Robert Raben to break down what Trump's victory means for our country, the political landscape, and the immediate impact of this new leadership on domestic and global affairs. ???Full episode available on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

There's no sugar coating this one.? He told us what he was going to do, he did it, and a winning but narrow voting majority went along. We have our work cut out?for us. Dr. King, in the Letter from a Birmingham Jail, cut to the core then, and it remains true now. In a deeply divided society, it is the powerful moderates who enable behavior they know is bad that can make or break us. Today they are breaking us. Dr. King's letter is directed to the white clergy and businessmen of Birmingham, who tacitly supported Sheriff Bull Connor and the violent preservation of Jim Crow. "Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world?" He asked the same of the business leaders, of the press, of people of influence who at best sat on hands, at worse quietly supported the suppressive violence.? King called on the white moderate leaders to get off the sidelines and push back on the extremists. There are many problems that led us to today--the forensic pathologies will be done, the blaming and shaming abundant--but the powerful mushy middle that enables the destructive behavior, ought be a key focus of us all. There will be interrogation and introspection on African American turnout, and the sway of Latino men [and women] to the right, of people wrenched by the horror of the middle east and protest voting, or indecipherable people who thought Jill Stein was a good idea. There will be chewing and digesting of VP Harris's tactical decisions--as there should be. But the fundamental issue to me--because it is both persistent and capable of change--is the huge swath of powerful leaders--business, faith, elected officials--who knew and know better--but for a toxic mix of greed, enabling or fear--sit and let it happen. The titans who get most everything they want in a country that perfected capitalism who hedge their bets and say, "it won't be that bad". This was Dr. King's lamentation--the firehoses and the Klan horrible enough--but the James Crow Esquires and doctors and business owners that folded their hands and let it happen were dispositive; but for their inaction and enabling, the terror of forced segregation would have been over much sooner. And here we are, on the national scale. We will survive.?It will be brutal.?We have seen worse. That is hardly comforting, but it's both true and what I have.? Our nation is being tested, and we are not on the sidelines.? We will fight.?We will be smart.?We will mobilize our bases, and we will bring in allies who don't yet realize they are allied. You are tired.?Scared.?Frustrated.?Angry.?Get some rest.? Hug your loved ones, they come first and are there for you. Do what you need to do to breathe, center and regroup. Inauguration Day falls on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.? You can't make this up Robert?

Starting Tuesday night, Raben's Michael Torra will keep a close eye on the election outcomes in the key races that will determine the House and Senate majorities. He will be making live updates in our 2024 Congressional Elections Tracker. Bookmark this page and follow along!!!

Election Day is tomorrow and our incredible Government Affairs team at Raben has 3 bold predictions on the results. Check them out below and let us know your predictions here ?? https://bit.ly/3Cmf7j2? ? ?? Prediction 1 – We'll get the omnibus and disaster aid by the end of the year but expect a lame duck session that’s just as productive as the rest of the 118th Congress has been...not very. ???Prediction 2 – Trumpier Senate. We’re calling Republicans taking the Senate but regardless of who wins the chamber, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell stepping down is going to pave the way for new leadership closely aligned with former President Trump to take the mantle. ?? Prediction 3 – No matter who wins the chamber in the House, it won’t be by a lot. We’re predicting a narrow majority. ???Bonus – If either party can win the trifecta (White House and control of both chambers) we’re predicting that budget reconciliation and filibuster reform will be back in the spotlight.? ? No matter what, make sure you vote and make your voice heard in this close election. Every voice and every vote will be crucial.??

Faith leaders are trusted voices in our society and play a vital role in speaking truth, advocating for religious freedom, and offering a clarion call for non-violence. To help faith communities fight misinformation, Raben’s Faith Strategies hosted a webinar this week and heard directly from the experts about the election process and the safeguards to ensure it is free and fair. Our team hopes to help faith leaders guide their institutions and communities should challenges to the election occur, including by helping direct people to accurate and unbiased sources of information. Watch the full webinar here: https://lnkd.in/eZ6_bNWc

Our friends at Gender Research Advisory Council + Education (GRACE) are doing essential work changing the narrative for LGBTQ young people who need care. Everyone deserves to live their lives authentically and without fear and GRACE is working hard to make that a reality. ?? https://lnkd.in/eraXHmdc

Calling all #BookLovers! October is #NationalBookMonth, so to celebrate, we’re highlighting some of the absolutely incredible authors that we’re proud to represent ?? Check them out below ?? and get your copies wherever books are sold! ?? Jonathan Eig’s “King: A Life” is the first major biography in decades of the civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. — and the first to include recently declassified FBI files. ?? Wright Thompson’s “The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi” is a shocking and revelatory account of the murder of Emmett Till that lays bare how forces from around the world converged on the Mississippi Delta in the long lead-up to the crime, and how the truth was erased for so long. ?? J.C. Hallman’s “Say Anachra” is a compelling reckoning with the birth of women’s health that illuminates the sacrifices of a young woman who changed the world only to be forgotten by it — until now. ?? In “The Includers”, Colette Phillips shares stories of real Includers: all white male allies — she’s admired, known, and, in some cases, counseled. ?? Ben Austen’s “Correction” is a powerful exploration that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the process of parole. Austen’s unflinching storytelling forces us to reckon with some of the most profound questions underlying the country’s values around crime and punishment. ?? National political commentator Steve Phillips’s “How We Win the Civil War” helped chart the way forward for progressives and people of color, arguing that Democrats must recognize the nature of the fight we’re in, which is a contest between democracy and white supremacy left unresolved after the Civil War. ?? Drawing from historical and present-day example — including Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock, the Hip Hop Caucus, the Legacy Museum, and the Art for Justice Fund — Ken Grossinger’s “Art Works” offers a rich tapestry of tactics and successes that speak directly to the challenges and needs of today’s activists and of these political times.