Hope & Possibility

I confess, I’ve been at risk of losing that most essential of the soul: hope.

These past months, I’ve slowly, inadvertently slipped into a despondent surrender; that insidious poison of “in-between-ness” that leads to inaction and complacency. 

Knowing how tirelessly many of you have worked these past months on the front lines of our democracy renewed my hope.

Record voter turnout renewed my hope.

Seeing the joy of people dancing in the street in support of our democratic ideals renewed my hope.

And that much-longed for infusion of hope peaked for me last night.

Seeing the first black, south Asian woman, daughter of immigrants, stand on a Delaware stage as the first Vice President-elect of the United States renewed my hope.

Listening to a man whose soul has been shattered by loss and has chosen to transform his suffering into service at the highest level of our country renewed my hope.

I have felt that loss myself. Cultivate the Karass was borne of the same spirit: to turn suffering into service and transform loss into unity.

Last night, our Cultivate the Karass mission was on the stage along with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as they called for listening to each other again in a spirit of outreach and collaboration.

What they’re calling for is what we do:

- We are here to create an army of Loyal Antagonists.

- We are here to exemplify civility in the midst of difference.

- We are here to exert our collective influence to heal and build up our democracy.

We have a role to play in elevating cross-partisan relationships that will make this possible.

We have a responsibility to instill Loyal Antagonism as a norm of the democratic process. 

We have contributions to make to advance our national healing.

Hope’s energy is surging through me today, and I pray this is true for all of you, as well. Not because of the individuals who are the President- and Vice President-elect, but because of the possibilities before us. 

Let’s seize this moment—our moment—to be part of our national healing. Let’s continue to put all our energy and the power of the Karass towards building a thriving democracy. 

With hope in my heart, 

Lori

Riding the Paradox

We can't imagine a better time or better people to convene in the midst of our current situation. We're all managing the tension of the opposites and riding the paradox. ALL. THE. TIME.

Which is why we need our Loyal Antagonists. Which is why it is just the right time for a little leadership development to learn how to manage polarities. What are polarities?

Breathe in. Now hold it. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Are you still holding it? Still holding it? A little uncomfortable? Now exhale.

Breathe out. Keep exhaling. Keep exhaling. Yup, keep exhaling. That's it. Keep going. Just one more second.

That's the most basic example of a polarity. You can't have one without the other. Even if you like exhaling better, you can't only exhale. Learning how to manage polarities can help each of us improve our leadership capacity. Which has never been more necessary than it is right now. We need you. Each of you. All the time.

So please join us on October 20, 2020 from 5pm EDT to 6pm EDT to learn more. You can register right here.

Riding the Paradox Handout

Remembrance

This coming Saturday, September 19th, 2020, will mark 5 years since we lost the incomparable, Jake Brewer.

To honor this moment, and the powerful and important ways that Jake’s memory continues to shine so brightly in the world and in our lives, we are asking you to share a short video reflection of how Jake continues to inspire you.

Given the circumstances of the world make it difficult for us (Jake’s beloved community and “Karass”) to convene in person, we’ll compile these short videos into a tribute to share this coming Saturday with his entire community.

Please submit your video (ideal submission is 1-2 minutes long) by Friday, so we will all have a chance to honor Jake this Saturday in the company of one another’s memories.

Thanks!
Jessy Tolkien

Questions to answer in your video

  • How has Jake’s life and memory continued to inspire and shape your life?

  • What’s a special memory or reflection you hold dear about your relationship with Jake Brewer?

  • Answer one, answer both, but please submit your video!

Note

During these past 5 years perhaps the most remarkable living tribute to his life has been his amazing daughters G & G, growing in to two dynamic and spirited little ladies. We hope these tributes (when / if MK feels it’s right moment and appropriate) also serve as a way for them to capture a glimpse of what their Dad meant to so many. 

https://www.tribute.co/jake-brewer/

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CtK'ers and Brewer Fellows In The News

Brewer Fellows in the News

Nick Troiano, How Coronavirus Could Help Heal Our Democracy, Real Clear Politics, May 2020

Cynthia Richie Terrell, RepresentWomen report on PACs & Donors and op-ed in The Hill: We're still not giving women equal opportunity to run and win

Amber McReynolds, When Women Vote Panel at the Bipartisan Policy Center

Sarah Longwell: Featured on CNN and in the New Yorker, writing in The Bulwark

Added bonus: Amber McReynolds, Cynthia Richie Terrell, and CtK team member, Jen Simon, got together for a panel on women's suffrage

Announcing! The Brewer Fellowship to Unite America

Dear Karassers,

As the United States faces more uncertain times, inspired leadership is more necessary than ever.

To help develop exactly these leaders, CtK partnered with the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (WW) thanks to support from the Unite America Fund (UAF) to launch the Brewer Fellowship to Unite America.

The fellowship will bring together leaders from across the political spectrum and continue Jake's legacy.

You all know that my son, Jake, was a political organizer and social activist who served as senior policy adviser to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Obama Administration. Throughout his life, he continually dismantled political, cultural and religious barriers in order to create unlikely coalitions to tackle intractable social problems. I could not be more proud that this effort is coming to fruition this summer. 

We launch this week with seventeen amazing fellows who have dedicated their work to supporting and defending our democracy! We're proud to have them as part of the inaugural cohort of the Brewer Fellowship to Unite America.

I'm so proud that Cultivate the Karass and Jake's legacy will continue through this incredible program. 

Warmly,
Lori

Brewer 2020 Fellows whole class 6.18EDIT copy.jpg

Loyal Antagonist Series Continues with Katie Harbath

We know the world is shaped by countervailing viewpoints. We know that loyal antagonism is the key to solutions-driven work. And we know that your engagement is what drives better decisions for our democracy. Join us!

JUST ADDED!

Moderating Speech Online
with Katie Harbath, Facebook's Public Policy Director
Thursday, June 4, 2020 @ 5:30pm

Find out more about this week's program here!

Just added to our Loyal Antagonist Series!

Join CtK Alum, Katie Harbath, Facebook's Public Policy Director, for a riveting and timely discussion about moderating speech online. 

The last week has brought back to the forefront questions about what principles we should expect of companies in today's society - especially when making decisions around content and speech. As a follow up to an earlier discussion we did for the Loyal Antagonist series Katie Harbath will facilitate a discussion on this issue.

The Loyal Antagonist Series

We’re taking Virtual Campfire to the next level!

We know the world is shaped by countervailing viewpoints. We know that loyal antagonism is the key to solutions-driven work. And we know that your engagement is what drives better decisions for our democracy. With that in mind, CtK is excited to unveil a new weekly Loyal Antagonist Series.

Each Thursday at 5:30pm Eastern, we’re hosting a few 1 hour webinar featuring CtK Alums sharing their expertise. Check out the schedule.

April 30, 2020 Building Resilience with Lori Brewer Collins

If there is one thing that we can all use in this moment, it is resiliency. Lori Brewer Collins is not only a certified executive coach, she's also an expert virtual facilitator. Her new, interactive program is designed to build virtual intimacy and deeply engage all participants. Used to sitting and listening to experts talk to each other about subjects? This is not that. And the subject matter couldn't be more timely. Lori will teach you how to build resiliency to move through this, and any, crisis. 

May 7, 2020 | 2020 Elections and Beyond with Katie Harbath

Our discussion will focus on what do we need to be doing now during the 2020 election and in the years following to ensure elections in 2024 go more smoothly, are more transparent and protecting the democratic process. Specifically, we'll discuss four topics that are affecting elections today:

  1. Election infrastructure - vote by mail, keeping voting safe in a time of COVID, ensuring enough poll workers, etc

  2. Campaign finance/political and issue ads

  3. Handling accusations of sexual misconduct allegations during elections

  4. Mis/disinformation - foreign and domestic as well as when it intersects with health information

May 14, 2020 | Approaches to Climate Change with Rainey Center’s Sarah E. Hunt and R Street’s Eli Lehrer

Upcoming!

June 11, 2020 | Paid Family Leave with Katie Bethell Founder of Paid Leave US