One of the most interesting books that I read in graduate school was The Quickening of America: Rebuilding Our Nation, Rebuilding Our Lives by Paul Martin Du Bois. It’s a wonderful guide that helps individuals and communities evaluate and understand how leadership and personal involvement does make a difference. Individual leadership and investment in our families, work environments, civic and community organizations, and governments promotes positive social change. Du Bois calls upon all individuals to engage with others, at a grassroots level, to advance a greater good. He writes about democracy at the personal level.
Jesse Chen, co-founder and CEO of Powerline and a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa Society Board of Directors, is a great advocate for one might call everyday and personal democracy. His company has developed an app to facilitate the work of what one might call “community organizers,” and Jesse has long been recognized for interest in advancing the democratic process in our country – even since his days a member of the Sigma Circle at the University of Maryland College Park.
Earlier this year, Jesse had the opportunity to share his observations and thoughts on democracy at Loyola University Marymount’s TEDx event. According to the introduction for his speech, Jesse “revisions a ‘new power’ infrastructure for democracy that will challenge leaders of organizations, communities, and governments to more authentically represent their constituents.” It’s a great topic for further discussion by members of our circles and with other leaders in our communities.
