Julio C. Mateo

“If citizens have to think twice, have to think three times, about engaging in legal acts of opposition, you are no longer living in a democratic regime.” —KF Senior Fellow Steven Levitsky

Young men are learning to lead with empathy, and it’s changing everything.

Honoring Public Servants Who Lead with Values In classrooms, community centers, and streets across Philadelphia, five dedicated people are redefining what public service looks like. Quietly, persistently, and with remarkable integrity, they show ...

What if we celebrated public servants not for power, but for integrity?

The #IntegrityIcon campaign by Accountability Lab is doing just that—lifting up officials who lead with humility, honesty, and heart.

Kettering Foundation Appoints 15 Dayton Democracy Fellows

From educators and artists to organizers and advocates, these 15 changemakers are building a more just, inclusive democracy right here in Dayton, the Kettering Foundation’s hometown.

Montgomery County Jail Coalition: ‘Being arrested must not be a death sentence’ The family of a man who died in the custody of the Montgomery County Jail in 2023 says they won’t stop fighting for accountability for his death.

“He should be eating cake and opening presents and spending time with his family and loved ones,” Isaiah Trammell's mother said. “Instead, I’m standing out here with you in the cold, demanding change.” - via @sydneydawes.bsky.social daytondailynews.com/local/montgo...

Hear the story of a prominent Haitian journalist living in Springfield Activist and Springfield, Ohio, resident Jacques Adler Jean-Pierre is replicating the work he did in Haiti, sharing a message of hope and motivation with his community.

“I know exile has changed me, but it hasn't broken me. I believe that my voice, even in the shadows, can still resonate. My story doesn't end here. I will continue to fight, dream, and defend what is mine.”

Events Calendar Our right to know.

“Sunshine Week is a nonpartisan collaboration among groups in the journalism, civic, education, government and private sectors that shines a light on the importance of public records and open government.“

Wired is dropping paywalls for FOIA-based reporting. Others should follow As the administration does its best to hide public records from the public, Wired magazine is stepping up to help stem the secrecy

They're called public records for a reason. Starting today, WIRED will *stop paywalling* articles that are primarily based on public records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, becoming the first publication to partner with @freedom.press to offer this for our new coverage.

REDACTED: Government records are the people’s records A state law meant to protect crime victims is routinely used by police departments here and across Ohio to withhold from the public details of deadly officer-involved shootings.

“Some public officials may see it as hostile that you are asking for receipts when they say something in a public meeting. But in my experience, good public officials actually understand and encourage civic involvement and participation.”

Dayton United for Human Rights will host a Community Collaborative tomorrow, March 20, at 6pm at the Burkhardt Branch of the Dayton Metro Library.

“What does Dayton need to do to be a Human Rights City?”

#humanrights

Have questions about records requests? Ask our Sunshine Week panel YouTube video by Dayton Daily News

Today, I participated in this virtual panel about the importance of public access to government records and we all shared advice on how to access public records.

#sunshineweek

@daytondailynews.bsky.social

There's a new silent majority — and they need to be activated There is a robust pro-democracy majority in America, but it needs to be more vocal and take action to defend our shared values.

There is a robust pro-democracy majority in America, but it needs to be more vocal and take action to defend our shared values.

Have questions about records requests? Ask our Sunshine Week panel Our news organization takes its role as government watchdog very seriously - but we can’t do it alone. Citizens can request public records to learn more about how their governments and elected leaders...

Tomorrow at noon!

Sunshine Week Virtual Panel About Public Records & Open Government

You can watch it live from noon to 1pm on the Dayton Daily News YouTube channel

I’ll be one of the three panelists

@daytondailynews.bsky.social

#SunshineWeek #opengov #transparency #publicrecords #democracy

#SunshineWeek #transparency #publicrecords #opengov #democracy

REDACTED: Government records are the people’s records A state law meant to protect crime victims is routinely used by police departments here and across Ohio to withhold from the public details of deadly officer-involved shootings.

In order to fulfill our role as active participants in our democracy, we need to be able to look ‘under the hood’ and scrutinize public decisions beyond what government officials choose to share with us.
We may choose not to look under the hood, but it is absolutely critical that we are allowed to.

“Nothing discounts the old antifeminist projection of men as all-powerful more than their basic ignorance of a major facet of the political system that shapes and informs male identity and sense of self from birth until death.”
-bell hooks, The Will To Change

#patriarchy #bellhooks #thewilltochange

“Patriarchy is the single most life-threatening social disease assaulting the male body and spirit in our nation. Yet most men do not use the term “patriarchy” in everyday life. Most men never even think about patriarchy—what it means, how it’s created and sustained.”
-bell hooks, The Will to Change

“Is it possible to effectively build the kinds of communities we want online while avoiding the pitfalls that have driven people away?”

Join us for a media training webinar, co-produced by
@indigenousja.bsky.social & @gristnews.bsky.social, to learn how to craft your message, master storytelling, and communicate effectively with the media.

Register: tinyurl.com/share…
@culturalsurvival.org & Project Access Indigenous Partnerships

📍EVENT: RSVP to join our April symposium examining the risks that advanced #AI systems pose to democratic freedoms, co-hosted with the Institute's Senior AI Advisor @sethlazar.org. www.eventbrite.com/e/artificial...

“It Just Feels Like Death”: Barrage of New Rules Target Arkansas Ballot Initiatives Faced with popular initiatives to protect abortion rights and other measures they dislike, state Republicans are passing new bills that local advocates say will hollow out direct democracy.

Arkansas Republicans are pushing a wave of new laws that make it harder to put citizen-led initiatives on the ballot. Critics say the measures are designed to kill direct democracy in the state.
boltsmag.org/new-rul...

Image of Dolores Huerta, a labor organizer and a feminist activist, with a quote attributed to her reading "Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist and every minute a chance to change the world." At the bottom of the image it says ACLU and Women's History Month.

Dolores Huerta is one of the most influential labor leaders of the 20th Century.

She witnessed firsthand how many farm workers in her community suffered from low wages and poor working conditions, so she co-founded United Farm Workers to fight for the rights of farm laborers.

Introducing a New Series - 15 Years: Where We’ve Been & Where We’re Going - Participatory Budgeting Project We are excited to debut a new multimedia series sharing lessons on practicing PB from our staff, board, practitioners, and field of participants that we believe are important to reflect on now.

Started in Chicago, now we're here! We're celebrating 15 years of #participatorybudgeting in the US. 🎈

Tune in to our new series as we look back at what we've accomplished together, and what's next for PB.

Read and listen to our intro blog: www.participatorybudgeting.org/15-years-ser...

Ohio ACLU, Planned Parenthood knock Ohio House for rule changes The Ohio chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood are among an extensive list of civic organizations that take issue with recent changes to rules they say hush Ohioans' voice on policy in the Ohio House.

The Ohio chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood are among an extensive list of civic organizations that take issue with recent changes to rules they say hush Ohioans' voice on policy in the Ohio House.

Good.

Learn more about your rights when approached by ICE at
www.aclu.org/know-your-ri...

“Democracy Dies in Darkness" indeed …

Freelance writers; we hope to hear from you in 2025!

We’ve put together a guide of how to pitch us, and on what stories, and more.

“The law is intended to…cost Ohio citizens and journalists hundreds of dollars to receive police body cams or cruiser videos that are a regular tool in both holding police accountable and publicly defending their decisions.”

I fixed the article text so the intent is clearer…

Yes, it is. And yes, we do.