Culture is the realm of ideas, images and stories; it is where people make sense of the world and where they find meaning and forge community. History shows that when the culture changes, politics follows. Culture can reach audiences beyond the bounds of what community organizing and policy-based organizing can do. While the media is laced with myths, stereotypes and misrepresentation of grassroots movements, cultural interventions can play a key role in pushing forward stories that help shift the public debate. A growing movement of artists around the country are using cultural tools to fight economic inequality, corporations, banks and anti-migrant hate. In this session, artist-activists, writers, cultural leaders and creative institutions will discuss models for connecting artists to movements for social change.

Agitation and Inspiration: The Power of Art and Cultural Organizing

Miss this panel? No problem! Here’s what happened.

Storified by Netroots Nation · Thu, Jun 07 2012 11:03:47

Led by: Favianna Rodriguez

Panelists: Cloee Cooper, Gan Golan, Betsy Richards, Julio Salgado

The Occupy movement created a major opportunity and an imperative for progressives: Figure out what a new system, one that isn’t based solely on individual greed and a race to the bottom, might look like. In this session, we will explore how Occupy has changed the game in the fight for economic justice and how progressives might start to invest in earnest in building a real alternative economic and political system that works for us—one that is designed as a tool to help us achieve a set of societal goals including human rights and fulfillment.

Beyond Occupy: What Does a New Economic System Look Like?

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Storified by Netroots Nation · Thu, Jun 07 2012 15:19:58

Led by: Jenifer Fernandez Ancona

Panelists: Sarita Gupta, Simon Johnson, Colin Mutchler, Erica Payne

Want to know more about what’s happening in battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania? Curious about key races and major ballot initiatives coming up? Come to one of these battleground state caucuses and find out how you can get involved. Facilitators will give an overview of the landscape in each state, talk about whats’s at stake and tell you ways you can volunteer or plug in to existing efforts. NOTE: These sessions are not just for residents of those states; come if you’re interested in getting involved or learning more.

The Occupy movement has been taking homes throughout the year and plans to continue throughout the summer. What does this campaign contribute to larger progressive goals? Should the progressive movement support this work?

Occupy Goes Home: The Occupy Movement and the Foreclosure Crisis

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Storified by Netroots Nation · Thu, Jun 07 2012 16:17:44

Led by: Sarah Jaffe

Panelists: Matt Browner-Hamlin, Nick Espinosa, Rachel Falcone, Anthony Newby

Years worth of bailouts and bank regulation debates have placed a new level of political focus on the Federal Reserve. It has been a topic for the Occupy movement and those concerned with out-of-control financial institutions and the weak recovery. And in the next year, the Federal Reserve, without political pressure, could dismantle financial regulation and stop an economy about to take off. How does the left engage the Federal Reserve? This panel will dive into potential answers.

Led by: Mike Konczal

Panelists: Lisa Donner, Karl Smith, Matthew Yglesias

American public education is under concerted attack: Americans are told we are failing in international comparisons, urged to blame teachers and break their unions, turn more of our public education system over to private interests and rely ever more upon tests to make critical decision. These and other tactics are designed to delegitimize and ultimately destroy meaningful public education. Three nationally-known experts explore aspects of that attack and offer specific suggestions of how progressive supporters of public education can fight back.

What Progressives Can Do to Stop the War on Public Education

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Storified by Netroots Nation · Fri, Jun 08 2012 14:10:58

Led by: Kenneth Bernstein

Panelists: John H. Jackson, Diane Ravitch

In Rhode Island, public transit service is under perennial threat of service cuts and fare increases due to a flawed funding mechanism, the gas tax. Transit systems around the country—from Oakland to Detroit—face similar service cuts at a time when public transportation is more necessary than ever for both our economic and environmental sustainability. This panel will relate how workers, riders and even transit systems are forming coalitions in the fight to save and expand public transportation. We’ll explore the campaign in Rhode Island to Save RIPTA, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, and discuss how the successes of this local campaign can be translated to other communities nationwide.

Saving Public Transportation: A Matter of Social Justice

Storified by Netroots Nation · Fri, Jun 08 2012 17:44:53

True, need to elect transit riders MT @kenyaw Libby Kimzey agrees many lawmakers aren’t transit users & are out of touch w/riders #nn12Rebecca Saltzman

Led by: Greg LeRoy

Panelists: Abel Collins, Larry Hanley, Paul Harrington, Libby Kimzey

Over the course of the next year, the Supreme Court is poised to rule on nearly every major political issue facing the country today. By the time the current term ends in late June, the Court will issue potentially monumental decisions in the cases challenging the Affordable Care Act and Arizona’s draconian immigration law. When it reconvenes in October, the Court will consider the constitutionality of affirmative action and is likely to accept for review cases on same sex marriage, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, abortion, indefinite detention and campaign finance. The Court’s decisions in these cases will have serious implications for the fundamental freedoms we enjoy, the equality of opportunity to which we aspire and the democracy which we have built. Join our panel of experts as they discuss the cases before the Court and how we can mobilize effectively around them.

Led by: Nan Aron

Panelists: Debo Adegbile, Lani Guinier, Dahlia Lithwick

Come to the first-ever Ignite event at Netroots Nation and be inspired! At Ignite events, presenters give five-minute speeches with 20 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds. Topics vary from personal stories to practical tips to funny or inspirational big-picture ideas.

Led by: Jenifer Fernandez Ancona

This session was a big hit at Netroots Nation 2011. Our point of departure is that African-American women make up two-thirds of the black, Democratic voting bloc. Their votes are consistent but their programs are underfunded and voices routinely unheard. How can progressives expect the party to flourish without understanding this key voting block and their major influence in American culture? This session will shed light on African-American progressive women and their views on politics, policy, pop culture and scholarship to address how the Democratic party can mobilize them in 2012.

Led by: Cheryl Contee

Panelists: Kimberly 'Dr. Goddess' Ellis, Zerlina Maxwell, jenifer daniels

Can sports ownership actually shape the 2012 election? Can sports media’s dominant racial narratives influence opinion on Barack Obama? Is Tim Tebow the most influential American challenging Roe v. Wade? Baseball’s integration once influenced desegregation; Billie Jean King promoted advances in gender equality; and sports owners and local politicians perfected a “welfare for billionaires” movement that helped shape broader public policy. Today, millions of Americans learn about government abuse through a steroids trial, institutional racism and exploitation through college athletics and the consequences of unchecked power and privilege through a Penn State “scandal.” This panel will address how sports shapes our national discussion and share examples of netroots, grassroots and legislative responses. Discussion will include roles of sports owners to sports mascots, white male privilege in sports media and the progressive blogosphere’s potential to embrace sports coverage as print media previously did.

Led by: Charles Modiano

Panelists: Eden James, Eddie Moore, Jr., Diane Williams, Dave Zirin

Since the historic 2006 and 2008 election cycles, state and local blogospheres all around the country have been fragmenting and decaying to the detriment of the progressive movement. This panel will examine the challenges that surviving blogs face; discuss short-term projects that would help state and local bloggers strengthen their audience, reach and income through the rest of the 2012 cycle; and explore what can be done to sustain the Netroots community at the state and regional level long-term.

Led by: Andrew Villeneuve

Panelists: Kari Chisholm, Phillip Martin, Laura Packard, Bob Plain, Angelica Rubio