Sticky Note Conversations

Revisiting Alicia Contreras Alas - "Taking the Time We've Fought For"

Host Erica Washington welcomes Alicia Contreras, founding executive director of RAIZ Arizona (an interfaith organizing community working for an Arizona where all people belong and live with abundance and dignity), to discuss sustaining leadership and organizing in the current political moment. Alicia reflects on taking a three-week WinCall residency respite in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula to rest, regulate her nervous system, and confront workaholism and imposter syndrome, noting many leaders only stop when illness forces it. They discuss Arizona’s climate of fear around ICE raids, rapid-response readiness, heightened risks for Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities, and why organizing may need to look different amid funding and safety concerns. The conversation explores relationship-based interfaith organizing, confronting weaponized Christianity, defining democracy, mutual aid and neighbor-to-neighbor organizing, Pope Francis’ death and its implications, and Alicia’s vision of an American Dream grounded in safety, care, rest, and dignity

Dawn Blagrove - "This Woman's Work"

Host Erika Washington welcomes back Dawn Blaigrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, to process the Supreme Court decision weakening Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and what it means for Black political power. They argue that chasing temporary wins and constant crisis response has prevented long-term strategy, succession planning, and “inoculation” against policymakers’ whims. Dawn urges building bottom-up power by taking over local governments, school boards, and municipal systems, creating cooperative, self-sustaining community pillars (education, safety, health, food, shelter, security) that can function with, without, and against government. They discuss collective economic responsibility, urging Black people with means to materially support others to create breathing room for long-term decisions, reject leader-centered celebrity politics, fund Black-led organizing, and still vote while holding elected officials accountable and pushing reforms, including Supreme Court reform. * (00:00) - Introduction * (01:54) - How We Keep Ending Up Back Here * (03:04) - Building Local Power & Inoculating from Policymakers * (06:00) - Sovereign Spaces & Co-ops * (09:04) - Ruby Duncan, Welfare Rights & The Cycle of Fighting * (11:27) - Long-Term Planning vs. Survival Mode * (18:20) - Economic Solidarity: Each One Help Three * (24:25) - Funding Our Own Liberation * (42:11) - Vested Interests in Black Pain * (53:46) - The Voting Rights Act & Supreme Court Decision * (01:00:26) - What This Means for the 2026 Midterms * (01:07:22) - Voting Is a Process, Not Just an Act * (01:12:36) - Radical Imagination & Strategic Planning

Claytee White - "Fight the Power" A Tribute to Dr. Ruby Duncan

Host Erika Washington dedicates this special episode of Sticky Note Conversations to the late Dr. Ruby Duncan (1932–2026), her friend and mentor, recounting Duncan’s move from Louisiana to Las Vegas and her leadership as co-founder of Operation Life and president of the Clark County Welfare Rights Organization, including the 1971 protest that shut down Caesars Palace and her work to bring food stamps to Nevada. Erika interviews retired UNLV Oral History Research Center founding director Claytee D. White about why documenting Las Vegas history matters, how the center collected oral histories of the Black community, and Ruby’s multicultural coalition-building, lobbying, and community programs such as WIC offices, a West Las Vegas library, clinics, employment efforts, and Ruby Duncan Manor. They discuss ongoing threats to voting and civil rights, the need for sustained civic action, and Ruby’s legacy of education, equity, and systemic change. * (00:00) - SNC S3 Claytee White - Ruby Duncan Final * (01:50) - Introduction & Tribute to Ruby Duncan * (04:04) - Clay T. White & the Oral History Research Center * (04:50) - How UNLV Started Collecting Las Vegas History * (08:19) - Learning Las Vegas History & Meeting Ruby Duncan * (11:54) - The Oral History Project & Documenting the African American Community * (16:43) - Ruby Duncan's Work & Operation Life * (18:40) - The Welfare Rights Movement & Food Stamps in Nevada * (21:12) - Operation Life's Lasting Legacy * (34:00) - Storming Caesars Palace & the Multicultural Movement * (36:37) - Keeping the Momentum: Democracy & Civic Engagement * (45:34) - Ruby Duncan's Legacy * (52:08) - Accessing UNLV's Oral History Archives * (54:31) - The American Dream & Closing Tribute

Revisited: DaMareo Cooper - "Democracy Is Right in Front of Us"

In this episode of Sticky Note Conversations, host Erika Washington sits down with DaMareo Cooper, co-executive director of Popular Democracy. Erika and DaMareo engage in a rich discussion on topics such as the challenges of creating innovative social justice initiatives, the importance of grassroots organizing, and the current state of democracy in the United States. DaMareo shares valuable insights from his 15+ years of activism, including book recommendations and reflections on the intersections of race, class, and policies. The conversation also delves into the importance of the 14th Amendment, the potential impact of reparations, and the need for long-term community investments. This episode serves as a thought-provoking dialogue on how to foster a more cohesive and equitable society. * (00:00) - Introduction and Host's Creative Struggles * (01:42) - Guest Introduction: DeMareo Cooper * (05:17) - Defining Democracy and Its Challenges * (07:16) - Historical Context and Constitutional Amendments * (14:11) - Current Political Climate and Social Issues * (16:36) - Community and Organizational Roles * (21:04) - Economic Inequality and Racial Capitalism * (32:07) - Religion and Social Responsibility * (43:10) - The Dilemma of Black Men Voting for Trump * (44:13) - The Struggles of Black Communities and Political Disillusionment * (47:17) - The Importance of Long-Term Investment in Black Men * (54:26) - Building Power in Black and Brown Communities * (01:10:19) - The Role of the 14th Amendment in Civil Rights * (01:14:08) - Reparations and the Path to Equity * (01:19:42) - Envisioning the American Dream * (01:22:51) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Democracy Recap

Erika Washington centers her recurring question—what is democracy and do we have it—noting democracy’s Greek roots (“people” and “rule”) and that there’s no single agreed-upon definition beyond voting. She compiles past guest perspectives that describe democracy as people choosing government, having a voice, freedom and constitutional protections, fairness and opportunity, and community responsibility, while many argue the U.S. is backsliding toward oligarchy or authoritarianism through weakened checks and balances, billionaire influence, voter suppression, and public apathy. Several guests stress local action, collective organizing, and defending civil rights as essential to keeping a “republic,” echoing Benjamin Franklin’s warning.