The Netroots Nation Salon Series, launched in August 2008, provides year-round opportunities for members of the progressive community to gather locally in their communities. Some events are focused primarily on networking; others allow attendees to hear from and interact with local electeds, policy experts, progressive authors and political and tech leaders.
Below is a list of events we held in the 2008-2009 period.
A premier screening of The Garden
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Harris Theater, 809 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
Join us for a special premiere screening of this Oscar-nominated documentary. Plus, get a sneak preview of Netroots Nation, the grassroots event of the year, to be held in Pittsburgh this summer.
Proceeds benefit PA VOICE and the Black Political Empowerment Project, which will provide scholarships for local activists to attend Netroots Nation. Donate $10 to attend or step up as a benefactor and donate $50. Reserve your tickets in advance at http://www.netrootsnation.org/garden
“The Garden” lays out how backroom deals, land developing, green politics, money and corruption intersect with working class families who rely on a 14-acre, communal garden in South Central L.A. for their livelihood. This film raises challenging questions about liberty, equality, and justice for the most vulnerable.
Netroots Nation DC: A grassroots fundraiser
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Mott House, 122 Maryland Ave NE, Washington, DC
The evening will feature special guest Senator Russ Feingold and others to be announced. Join activists, organizers and on-lookers, as we drink, laugh and carouse liberally to celebrate the blogging community and prepare for the Netroots Nation in Pittsburgh
Free food, cheap drinks, lively conversation & progressive camaraderie!
Donate $35 to attend, step up as a benefactor and donate $50 or join our host committee with a $100 donation. Reserve your tickets in advance here.
Netroots Nation Chicago
Pushing a Progressive Agenda in the Obama Administration
Saturday, May 16
With a Democratic president, House and Senate, we have a historic opportunity for progressive change. But how do liberals and progressives make sure their voice is heard? This panel discussed constructive ways of pushing a progressive agenda and holding our elected officials' feet to the fire. Panelists included:
Veronica Arreola, Viva La Feminista
Greg Palast, BBC, author of Armed Madhouse
Rick Perlstein, author of Nixonland, Before The Storm
Matthew Filipowicz, Huffington Post, Headzup.tv
Ed Yohnka, ACLU-IL, Director of Communications And Public Policy
View photos on Flickr.
Netroots Nation DC
Can the Netroots help make the Employee Free Choice Act law?
Friday, May 8
One of initiatives progressives have laid out as a priority for the Obama administration and this Congress is the Employee Free Choice Act. But this battle will not just be fought in corridors of power in Washington—far-reaching PR campaigns are already underway on both sides. What role will the Netroots play in passing the Employee Free Chioce Act in 2009? How can unions and their allies beat back the fear-mongering coming from the corporate interests, and what role is there for online activism in that fight? What messaging tools will be employed by pro-employee choice groups, and how can the Netroots stand up to the GOP echo-chamber?
Panelists include:
Christopher Hayes (moderator), Washington DC editor of The Nation
Stewart Acuff, organizing director at AFL-CIO
Rebecca Wasserman, government relations manager for American Rights at Work
Michael Whitney, online organizer at SEIU
Laura Clawson, Contributing Editor at Daily Kos
A New Era: Celebrating New California Leaders. April 24, 2009, Sacramento, CA
Join Netroots Nation and Kamala Harris for an evening of progressive comeraderie in celebration of the 2009 California Democratic Party Convention, with special guests Jim Dean and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. View photos of the event here.
Cohosted by Citizen Hope, Commonweal Institute, Courage Campaign, Democracy for America and New Leaders Council
Change happened. Now what? April 24, 2009, Sacramento, CA
A discussion about the future of online politics in the Obama era
With the election of Barack Obama, we Democrats find ourselves in a very particular historical moment. Voters, activists and political commentators of all stripes have been impacted by the newly emerging, but often poorly understood, landscape of online politics. What lessons can be taken from the history-making 2008 election cycle? And how can we apply them to California politics and state-wide organizing? This panel was part of official program of the 2009 California Democratic Party Convention.
Panelists: Paul Delehanty (moderator), California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, NCLR New Media Manager Kety Esquivel, Green for All CEO Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins and author/Progressive Strategies CEO Mike Lux
Bay Area New Media Summit + Celebration. April 17, 2009 San Francisco, CA
Technology played a pivotal role in the 2008 election and has forever changed the political landscape. We heard some of the Bay Area's leading technology and civic leaders discuss how new media is changing not only politics and democracy—but society and business, too. You learned how to use new media to promote your cause or organization, and you celebrated the accomplishments of Netroots activists and Bay Area innovators who pioneered these groundbreaking online organizing techniques. Full details about the agenda can be found here.
Netroots Nation in Your Neighborhood. February 28, 2009 (Denver, CO)
Election night was the culmination of months, and sometimes years of effort, to elect progressive candidates. Now that the votes are counted, how do we translate the enthusiasm of the 2008 campaign volunteers into advocating and working for progressive policies at the state and national level? Netroots activists explored this topic at the first ever Netroots Nation in Your Neighborhood. It’s everything you love about the annual national conference--insightful panels, networking opportunities and fascinating presentations--all in a handy, local, one-day package. Check out the agenda for the event here. Audio and write-ups on the event are available here.
Netroots Nation Los Angeles: Civil Rights 2.0. February 11, 2009
In the Obama era, where politics intertwines with technology, how are traditional groups bridging the gap to recruit and lead a new generation of activists online? Moderator Cheryl Contee of Jack & Jill politics lead a discussion with NAACP Youth & College Division National Director Stefanie Brown and the California NAACP Youth & College Division President Sean Dugar. On the eve of the organization celebrating its 100 years of creating change and working to advance civil rights, how will it shift gears to continue to meet the issues and challenges of the 21st century? Watch the video of the event here.
Netroots Nation DC: Internet Advocacy Roundtable at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. January 21, 2009
New media tools and online organizing have proved to be the future of political campaigning, but what of governance? Now that the election's over, many are asking: What's next? Join Netroots Nation, the Internet Advocacy Roundtable, and Think Progress for a panel discussion on the role of the Netroots and technology in the next four years. The panel is free to the public. A networking hour and book signing with Mike Lux will followed the event. Watch the video of the event here.
Netroots Nation San Francisco: December 18
Technology visionary Lawrence Lessig discussed his non-partisan reform initiative, Change Congress, at a salon held at the World Affairs Council. Lessig led an engaging discussion about putting the people back into the People's House, then participated in a Q&A session moderated by Cheryl Contee of Jack & Jill Politics. View archived video of the event here. View or purchase photos of the event here.
Netroots Nation Boston: October 22
More than 200 guests gathered at Tufts University to hear Massachusetts Senator John Kerry discuss “The Closing Argument” in the foreign policy debate of 2008. A Netroots reception followed the lecture.
Netroots Nation New York: October 15
Bloggers gathered at New York's Core Club for a debate watch party.
Netroots Nation San Francisco: October 14
Grassroots activists and environmental leaders gathered at the newly opened Academy of Sciences in support of Van Jones' new book, "The Green Collar Economy." Guests heard from Jones, the founder and president of Green For All, and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom as they discussed real solutions for improving our economy and the environment. View or purchase photos from the event here.
Netroots Nation San Francisco: August 20
Guests gathered at the House of Shields to celebrate the release of Markos Moulitsas Zúniga's new book, "Taking on the System: Rules for Radical Change in a Digital Era." Watch the video recap here.
