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New Faces of Democracy — Government
New Faces of Democracy

Welcome to the New Faces of Democracy podcast, hosted by Nancy Bynum.

This podcast features inspiring interviews with people who have transformed their lives since 2016 and who are transforming our political landscape. These are not career politicians or former cabinet members, but ordinary citizens who are starting organizations, running for office for the first time, using their creative skills and otherwise stepping outside of their comfort zones to stand up for our democracy. Along the way, they are discovering new skills and talents and creating new communities.

Nancy felt her own personal call to action in the aftermath of the election of 2016, when it became painfully clear how important it is to use our voices to stand up for the America we believe in. As she became increasingly politically active, she witnessed the emergence of an awe-inspiring phenomenon: people changing their lives to defend our democracy. She decided that the best way for her to help would be to share the work of these change-makers, and New Faces of Democracy was born. Since then, she has dedicated herself to both spreading the word about this new wave of activism and chronicling the tremendous political and patriotic energy of this time.

This podcast elevates and celebrates these new faces, and in the process, will hopefully inspire you and maybe even galvanize you to take action on your own. These are unprecedented times, but there is a silver lining. As we become more engaged citizens, our democracy will become stronger and more resilient– in fact, it’s already happening. So if you’ve had enough depressing news and are ready to feel hopeful and maybe even optimistic about the future, head over to newfacesofdemocracy.org where you can subscribe to the podcast, watch the videos and follow New Faces of Democracy on social media.

Copyright: © Copyright 2026 Nancy Bynum

Latest Episodes:

So what I’m hearing is… Walls of Moms Aug 19, 2020

Show notes

Nancy takes a break from the podcast to muse on the army of mothers powering the resistance.

Sara Trail: Quilter, Warrior Aug 12, 2020

Show notes

This episode features a conversation with Sara Trail, founder of Social Justice Sewing Academy, an organization that provides young people in marginalized communities with free workshops to make textile art about social justice issues. You might think of quilters as little old ladies in rockers, but this fierce, young warrior will upend all your notions of what can be achieved through the artistic expression of quilting. The young makers use fabric, needle and thread in decidedly un-old lady-like ways to create arresting images where they can protest injustice and advocate for social change, giving them the chance to be heard for the first time. Sara and Nancy talk about how Trayvon Martin’s murder propelled her from a very young, very successful sewing career into tackling social justice issues with her craft; the community that has developed between the young quilt designers and the older, whiter volunteers who do the technical work to create the finished product, helping to bridge the divide between these groups; and the ways we can help, whether we can sew or not. To learn more about Social Justice Sewing Academy and ways to get involved by donating, sewing or mentoring, go to sjsacademy.com.

So what I’m hearing is… Chipping Away at the Margins Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

In this bonus episode, Nancy talks about four groups focused on chipping away at the margins in key, battleground states to beat Trump this November: 140 Florida Blue Project, Galvanize USA, Vote Values and American Bridge.

Zak Malamed of The Next 50 on the Youth Vote Jul 29, 2020

Show notes

In 2018, Zak Malamed was living the millennial dream with a job at Facebook. But after coming home from a trip to Auschwitz to images on CNN of internment camps on the Mexican border, he decided he could no longer sit on the sidelines and he needed to do something that felt more purposeful. Since then, he has founded The Next 50, a group focused on helping young people harness their grassroots political powers through political giving. Zak and Nancy discuss how political giving and proximity to power can engage young voters in the political process, how Democrats need to catch up to the GOP in cultivating young voters and the importance of supporting young candidates in down ballot races. If you want to feel hopeful about the next generation and the future of our country, this episode is for you. To learn more about and support The Next 50, go to https://thenext50.us or subscribe to his blog at https://zakmalamed.substack.com.

How to Flip Florida Blue Jul 22, 2020

Show notes

Janelle Christensen is a professor and head of the Florida Democratic Environmental Caucus. Margie Stein is a political activist who has found her niche in fundraising for Florida state races. Together, this dynamic duo are spearheading an effort to turn Florida blue by taking a page out of the Virginia playbook that helped flip that state in 2019. Their program, called 140 Florida Blue Project, has recruited democratic candidates to run in all 33 of Florida’s state legislature races in which the Republican candidate had been running unopposed. We talk about why it matters to chip away at the margins in red districts, building democratic infrastructure and momentum for future election cycles and the path to winning Florida’s 29 electoral votes for Biden. This is grassroots activism at it’s grassiest in arguably the most important swing state in the country, and you will be amazed at what these two have pulled off in a few short months. If you want to get involved or support 140 Florida Blue Project, you can donate here or reach out to Janelle at Florida140Blue@gmail.com.

So what I’m hearing is… thoughts on creative activism Jul 15, 2020

Show notes

In this week’s bonus episode, Nancy talks about trends in creative activism she’s been hearing about.

Diana Weymar, Tiny Pricks and the Art of Protest Jul 08, 2020

Show notes

This week’s podcast features a conversation with artist Diana Weymar of Tiny Pricks Project. Diana is a textile artist who one day in 2018 had the impulse to embroider the words “I am a stable genius” onto an old piece of her grandmother’s needlework, and Tiny Pricks was born. Now Tiny Pricks is a public textile-based protest project with hundreds of participants around the world and 56,000 followers on instagram. Nancy and Diana talk about the importance of preserving Trump’s language and transforming it into something beautiful in protest, the therapeutic benefits of doing this work, learning to stay present with difficult emotions, the power of community, and much more.

Mark Bergman and the View From Across the Pond Jul 01, 2020

Show notes

This week I’m speaking with Mark Bergman, a lawyer and Democrat based in London, who since 2017 has been keeping his fellow Democrats abroad engaged in the political process here at home through conference calls with candidates, elected officials and democracy groups. Mark’s calls have featured sitting senators, state attorneys general, candidates for the House and Senate, and other prominent American political figures like James Comey and James Carville. With an audience maxing out in the double digits, the calls provide a relatively intimate opportunity for listeners to hear from and ask questions of these Americans who have stepped up to answer the call of our times. Mark and I discuss why it’s so important to keep Democrats overseas informed and engaged, and how, despite the sorry state of US influence abroad, these calls have instilled in him faith in our power to change things and optimism for the future. If you want to sign up for Mark’s weekly newsletter, email him at USvision2018@gmail.com.

So what I’m hearing is…. Thoughts on Down Ballot Elections Jun 26, 2020

Show notes

Almost two months into the podcast, Nancy takes a break to muse on one theme that's been coming up a lot in her interviews: the importance of state and local elections.

Stacy Kramer on Fundraising Democratically Jun 17, 2020

Show notes

This episode features Hollywood writer and producer Stacy Kramer who since 2016 has become a tireless fundraiser for Democratic candidates and grassroots groups. Stacy talks about how to make Democratic fundraisers more democratic, how her creative skills as a writer and her noodgy skills as a producer have benefitted her, and why making people feel included and engaged in the process is just as important as raising money. Listen for Stacy’s ideas on how to host successful fundraisers and creative ways to make them fun on Zoom.

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