A letter to the Democracy Alliance community From DA President Pamela Shifman March 8, 2024 “Clearly, those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women in America. They found out though when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and won in 2022, 2023…and they will find out again, in 2024.” –President Biden in last night’s State of the Union Today, on International Women’s Day, we’ll hear a lot about the rising threats against women, girls and gender equality around the globe. And for good reason: Women are in the deadly crosshairs of authoritarian attacks on o ..read more

Originally published in The Nation on September 21, 2023 By Pamela Shifman Over the past few election cycles, many Democrats have been running scared. Back in the 2022 midterms, the issue Democrats feared most was crime. As Republican candidates released thousands of ads focusing on violent crime, the Democratic consultant class panicked. According to them, the topic was such a lost cause that the Democrats’ only options were to pander or change the subject. In the end, many Democrats who stood their ground on criminal justice, like John Fetterman and Brandon Johnson, went on to win their elec ..read more

A letter to the Democracy Alliance community From DA President Pamela Shifman February 1, 2024 There is no democracy without racial justice. This fundamental truth must be more than words. It’s a call to action—and a test. This year, as our country marks Black History Month, it also confronts the existential threat of an authoritarian future. The two are inherently connected. 2024 is the latest flashing reminder that until we do the hard work of dismantling racism, our democracy will remain unrealized. It will forever be at risk.  As a community committed to a just, multiracial democracy ..read more

By Pamela Shifman, Democracy Alliance President It’s been a tough summer. First came the one-year anniversary of Dobbs, stripping millions of bodily autonomy and fundamental rights. Then two new decisions from the Supreme Court, gutting affirmative action and undermining LGBTQ+ rights.  As progressives, we often understand these threats—and organize against them—in silos. Abortion rights. Racial justice. LGBTQ+ rights. But on the right, all of it is fueled by a common strategy: to undermine the democracy that stands in their way. Across every issue we care about, the right is rigging ..read more

By Pamela Shifman When news broke last June of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, it was confirmation that a 40-year conservative strategy to reshape the American judiciary—and society along with it—was being realized. Conservatives were playing and winning the long-game, while progressives were showing up siloed and short-sighted. One year later, we are still struggling to learn the lesson.  From the courts to culture, the common thread of the conservative strategy has been patient, long-term investment in the people, institutions, and strategy needed to win. Amid cou ..read more

Originally published by The Hill on May 1, 2023 By Pamela Shifman This year alone, over 460 bills targeting LGBTQ rights have been introduced in states across the country. Twenty-four states have now banned abortion or are likely to do so, cutting off millions from bodily autonomy and essential health care. This month, Missouri became the first state in the country to severely restrict gender-affirming care for people of all ages. What some Americans might not realize is that many of these crackdowns draw from a strikingly similar playbook used by extremists in other countries. Understanding t ..read more

Democracy Alliance Spring Conference Opening Remarks Pamela Shifman, Democracy Alliance President Charlotte, North Carolina—May 8, 2023 I’d like to begin by telling you a story about an incredible woman. Someone who showed up for democracy – almost 70 years ago. The year was 1955. The city was Montgomery, Alabama.  A bus boycott was about to launch –a boycott that would capture the attention of the country. A woman fed up with the racist indignities that were a daily fact of life for Black people stepped up and changed the course of history.  But … I’m not talking about Rosa Parks. I ..read more

Originally published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy on May 1, 2023 By  Pamela Shifman and Shekar Narasimhan Today — May 1— is celebrated as Labor Day around the world. Although the holiday commemorates a strike by Chicago workers in 1886 who demanded an eight-hour workday, it often passes largely unnoticed in the United States. And yet the importance of worker organizing has rarely been more urgent in America. Labor unions are the countervailing force the United States needs against nearly every trend eroding democracy, including rising political polarization and extremism, partisan pre ..read more

Originally published in The Chronicle of Philanthropy on June 30, 2022 By  Brook Kelly-Green  and Pamela Shifman The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, coupled with rising attacks on America’s democratic institutions, is a five-alarm fire for donors working to advance gender justice and democracy. But it also opens a window of opportunity — a galvanizing moment for donors to understand the deep connections between women’s rights and democracy and to fund coordinated strategies to match. Treating them as separate priorities threatens our progress on both. Autonomy ove ..read more

Dear Partners: Thank you again for joining us for such a meaningful conference last week. We all loved the chance to be together in person and are feeling energized by the passion and momentum of our community. Most of all, I am grateful that we had a chance to honor our founder, friend, teacher, and inspiration: Rob Stein. I personally am so grateful to have had a chance to meet Rob during my first months in this role, where he welcomed me warmly, and allowed me to benefit from his support and wise counsel. As we mourn Rob’s passing, we also celebrate his remarkable life. We find renewed pur ..read more