Eric Liu

Laura Brill

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1d3eb3/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1563x1563+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F08%2F13%2Fa3c2864343b99061b105f278a46c%2Fdemocracy-optimist-higher-res.png] The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1971, effectively lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Young people were asked to fight in the Vietnam War, which many of them opposed. They organized anti-war protests on school campuses all across the country. “Old enough to fight, old enough to vote” became a common rallying cry. But these days, young people have not embraced their voting power in significant numbers. The youngest age group turns out to vote at the lowest rate among all age groups, often by a significant margin.  Our guest wants to help, and she’s built an organization to do just that. Laura Brill is the CEO & Founder of The Civics Center, an organization focused on promoting voter registration for young people.  **Federal funding for public media has been eliminated. However, you can take action to address this issue. Join WEKU's 1850 campaign for the future! 1,850 new supporters, each giving $10 monthly to keep WEKU strong. Donate today! [https://afg.secureallegiance.com/weku/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=1850CAMP&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=ZYLzN8U0d2OcNVZCGGJODm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d]

Joyce Vance

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1d3eb3/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1563x1563+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F08%2F13%2Fa3c2864343b99061b105f278a46c%2Fdemocracy-optimist-higher-res.png] On this episode, Joshua Douglas speaks to Joyce Vance, author of Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Our Democracy. In the book, Vance says democracy is the collective responsibility of all concerned Americans and that each of us has a role in preserving that democracy.  Joyce Vance is a New York Times bestselling author, former United States Attorney, and current professor at the University of Alabama School of Law. She’s also a legal analyst for MS Now—formerly known as MSNBC—writes the Civil Discourse newsletter on Substack, and co-hosts two podcasts, SistersInLaw and The Insider. **Federal funding for public media has been eliminated. However, you can take action to address this issue. Join WEKU's 1850 campaign for the future! 1,850 new supporters, each giving $10 monthly to keep WEKU strong. Donate today! [https://afg.secureallegiance.com/weku/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=1850CAMP&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=ZYLzN8U0d2OcNVZCGGJODm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d]

Jaime Lucke

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1d3eb3/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1563x1563+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F08%2F13%2Fa3c2864343b99061b105f278a46c%2Fdemocracy-optimist-higher-res.png] Surveys show that there’s a real lack of trust in the news media. Why is that? And how do we rebuild that trust? And how can people know that they are consuming news from a trustworthy source? Among the many questions for Jamie Lucke, founding editor of the online news source, Kentucky Lantern. **The 1850 campaign is replacing lost federal funds one supporter at a time. Thanks to our listeners and supporters, we are very close to reaching our goal of 1850 new supporters donating at least $10 a month. Click here to join the campaign! [https://afg.secureallegiance.com/weku/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=PLEDGE&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2IHggXVb%2bSYhrOSvjvOZaxiCxtaFReuS]

Jacqueline Coleman

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1d3eb3/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1563x1563+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F08%2F13%2Fa3c2864343b99061b105f278a46c%2Fdemocracy-optimist-higher-res.png] Many people can name the Kentucky Governor, but what about Kentucky’s Lieutenant Governor? Do you know what she does and how her work impacts your daily life? Do you know her main priorities? We are about to find out. Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman is our first guest in this episode of our series, “Democracy Optimist,” hosted by University of Kentucky election law and voting rights research professor Joshua Douglas. Coleman is the 58th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky. She has served as a high school teacher, school administrator, and basketball coach. and was recently chosen to chair the National Lieutenant Governors Association for 2026-27.  **The 1850 campaign is replacing lost federal funds one supporter at a time. Thanks to our listeners and supporters, we are very close to reaching our goal of 1850 new supporters donating at least $10 a month. Click here to join the campaign! [https://afg.secureallegiance.com/weku/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=PLEDGE&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2IHggXVb%2bSYhrOSvjvOZaxiCxtaFReuS]

Richard Young

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1d3eb3/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1563x1563+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F08%2F13%2Fa3c2864343b99061b105f278a46c%2Fdemocracy-optimist-higher-res.png] CivicLex founder and Executive Director Richard Young discusses the details of the much-watched “Civic Assembly,” an exercise in true grassroots democracy currently underway in Fayette County, Kentucky. **Federal funding for public media has been eliminated. However, you can take action to address this issue. Join WEKU's 1850 campaign for the future! 1,850 new supporters, each giving $10 monthly to keep WEKU strong. Donate today! [https://afg.secureallegiance.com/weku/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=1850CAMP&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=ZYLzN8U0d2OcNVZCGGJODm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d]