Party At The Polls, plus Otis' Dream as The Vote Is Sacred Launches!

What’s one way to deflate the fear and uncertainty that’s being manufactured around the coming election? “By throwing a party at your local polling place and inviting your community to attend.” That’s the unorthodox suggestion from Kyle Lierman, CEO of ⁠Civic Nation⁠. The tactic’s already been tried out, it works, and it’s only one of the creative ideas Kyle brings to his conversation with host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush on The State of Belief. With impactful projects such as ⁠Party at the Polls⁠ and ⁠When We All Vote,⁠ Kyle and Civic Nation are inspiring and empowering people nationwide to defend the vote - and democracy.

This week we also hear highlights from an event kicking off Interfaith Alliance’s ⁠The Vote Is Sacred bus tour⁠ in Omaha – Paul’s in-person conversation with Rev. Dr. Amos Moss III, who wrote and produced a short film about his grandfather’s attempts to exercise his right to vote in the Jim Crow south. You can watch the film at ⁠www.otisdream.com⁠

Kyle Lierman held several prominent positions in the Obama White House, and led Michelle Obama’s democracy initiative “When We All Vote.” Today, Kyle is CEO of Civic Nation, a nonpartisan nonprofit that brings together organizers and educators who are working toward a more inclusive, more equitable America. In 2024, Civic Nation saw concrete returns for its work to increase participation among young and minority voters, and those efforts are being expanded this year to motivate a broad cross-section of eligible voters.

Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III is a powerhouse American pastor, preacher, author, poet, filmmaker, and civil rights advocate. He serves as the senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois, a position he has held since 2008. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, he is the son of the prominent civil rights leader and pastor Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr.

The State of Belief host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance.