The Stakes: The Moral Path to Reclaiming Democratic Power In this episode of _The Stakes,_ Kettering Senior Fellow Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II says the central challenge of this moment is helping people recover their moral vision, recognize their collective power, and move from protest to sustained organizing. Drawing on a recent 51-mile march in North Carolina, he calls for a strategy that builds long-term power among poor and low-wage voters. He frames issues such as gerrymandering, health care, wages, and voting rights as interconnected forms of policy violence and argues that so-called wedge issues fall away when people see their shared material conditions and moral commitments. He also explains that turning out to vote can actually disrupt systems designed to suppress participation. Looking ahead to the Public Theology & Public Policy Conference at Yale—which brings together scholars, clergy, and affected communities to lay out the moral stakes of the current moment—his approach emphasizes vision, rather than grievance, as the force that moves people to act.

Watch the full episode of #TheStakes: bit.ly/3NzZrPv

A perfect example of what KF Fellows @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social and @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social warned on our latest episode of #TheStakes.

In the latest episode of #TheStakes, KF Senior Fellow @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social and Research Fellow @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social join host @bradrourke.bsky.social to talk about what happens when religion, politics, and power become too closely tied together and why that can put democracy at risk.

ICYMI: In this episode of #TheStakes, @bradrourke.bsky.social speaks with @gerardoberthin.bsky.social, president of @freedomhouse.bsky.social, and @stevelevitsky.bsky.social, Kettering senior fellow and leading scholar of competitive authoritarianism. youtu.be/2G0Sc6zA8_s?...

KF Senior Fellow @stevelevitsky.bsky.social joined us on #TheStakes and made it clear: democracy dies gradually.

This kind of gradual erosion is exactly why defending democracy requires clarity, courage, and coalition before the damage becomes irreversible.

View the Freedom in the World report:

Reflecting on a recent 51-mile march in North Carolina, he calls for deeper solidarity among poor and low-wage voters.

Watch the newest episode of #TheStakes with @bradrourke.bsky.social and hear why this fight requires all of us.

" Now Trump has thrown all that away. And I don’t know how or when we can ever get it back."

(The world doesn't respect the U.S. anymore)

These are the stakes. Stop ignoring them, please. #TheStakes

#Reconstruction

substack.com/inbox/post/1...

When it comes to elections, there are many dynamics that can contribute to voter suppression.

On #TheStakes, @staceyabrams.com explains how the threat of law enforcement near voting sites can deter voter participation: https://bit.ly/3O1TOcF

Stacey Abrams on the FBI’s Fulton County Raid—and the Future of US Elections In this episode of The Stakes, Kettering Foundation Senior Fellow Stacey Abrams joins host Brad Rourke to discuss the January 28 FBI raid on the Fulton County, Georgia, election hub—and what it reveals about the state of American democracy.

Do you fall into a group whose ability to vote could be affected? Learn #TheStakes: kettering.org/stacey-abram...

After the FBI raid on the election hub in Fulton County, Georgia, we turn to trusted insight.

KF Senior Fellow @staceyabrams.com joins @bradrourke.bsky.social on #TheStakes to help make sense of all that has transpired and what this means ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Many Venezuelans believed they were living in a democracy long after they had lost fundamental rights.

On #TheStakes, Steven Levitsky draws lessons for Americans from Venezuela’s experience as we face “unchecked abuse of power.”

What’s next for Venezuela?

New on #TheStakes, host @bradrourke.bsky.social speaks with Gerardo Berthin, president of @freedomhouse.bsky.social, and Steven Levitsky, KF senior fellow and leading scholar of competitive authoritarianism, about Venezuela after Maduro.

How Political Rhetoric Breeds Violence

Last week’s ICE-related killing in Minnesota reminds us that political violence does not come out of nowhere. A democracy that works for all of us must be rooted in humanity, no matter where we stand politically. Watch the full conversation on #TheStakes: bit.ly/4pDf05S

In an episode of #TheStakes in July 2025, Minnesota State Senator @zaynabmmohamed.bsky.social warned about what happens when leaders allow lies, conspiracy, and dehumanizing rhetoric to go unchecked.

The Stakes | Kelley Robinson: Telling the Inclusive American Story As political attacks on LGBTQ+ people intensify, Human Rights Campaign President and Kettering Senior Fellow Kelley Robinson argues that storytelling remains one of our most powerful democratic tools. In this episode of _The Stakes,_ she describes the American Dreams Tour, a national effort traveling through red and purple states to surface the lived experience of LGBTQ+ people and their allies. Robinson explains why personal stories told in living rooms, churches, schools, and town halls cut through misinformation, build empathy, and translate the growing size of the LGBTQ+ community into real power. Robinson traces how this kitchen-table movement connects today’s struggle for LGBTQ+ equality to the broader fight for inclusive democracy. Reclaiming patriotism, expanding allyship, and allowing people to feel safe to be who they are, she argues, are essential steps toward ensuring that every person can share in the American promise.

On #TheStakes, @bradrourke.bsky.social talks with Robinson about what this moment demands and why doing the work to protect democracy will define the year ahead. bit.ly/48YCFHo

Storytelling is a powerful tool; it can both strengthen and save democracy.

New on #TheStakes, @bradrourke.bsky.social sits down with @hrc.org President and #KetteringFoundation Senior Fellow @kelleyjrobinson.bsky.social.

Around the globe, power is concentrating in the hands of strongmen.

In this new episode of #TheStakes, @bradrourke.bsky.social invites political scientist and KF Research Fellow Erica Frantz to explain how this shift endangers democracy everywhere and what history can teach us about fighting back.

White Rose was a non-violent, intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany. They handed out leaflets and disputed Nazi ideology. They were arrested, put through show trials, and imprisoned or executed. #Antifa #AntiFascism #TheStakes #2ndAmendment

White Rose - Wikipedia

White Rose was a non-violent, intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany. They handed out leaflets and disputed Nazi ideology. They were arrested, put through show trials, and imprisoned or executed. #Antifa #AntiFascism #TheStakes #2ndAmendment

White Rose - Wikipedia

White Rose was a non-violent, intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany. They handed out leaflets and disputed Nazi ideology. They were arrested, put through show trials, and imprisoned or executed. #Antifa #AntiFascism #TheStakes #2ndAmendment

Guest Shannon Hiller, executive director of Princeton’s Bridging Divides Initiative, joins us to explain why communities must resist treating violence as the new normal—and how citizens can take action.

️ 🎙 New episode of #TheStakes with host @bradrourke.bsky.social is out now!

bit.ly/4203msJ

Trump says folks are saying, “Maybe we’d like a dictator” from the Oval Office today.

#senecaproject #seneca #trump #donaldtrump #thestakes

We have TWO special guests tonight on #TheStakes! We’ll start with
Congressional Candidate for NY-17 Cait Conley.

Then, we have Ilyse Houge, co-founder of The All American & democracy strategist.

We’re live across platforms at 7:30 pm ET. See you there!

www.youtube.com/live/9Gxgpmr...

🎙️ New episode of #TheStakes from the #KetteringFoundation is out now!
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youtu.be/JB1LWbFzLso

Investigative Reporter Vicky Ward on Epstein & Ghislaine Maxwell | The Stakes LIVE at 7:30 PM ET YouTube video by The Seneca Project

Watch The Seneca Project's deep dive into Ghislaine Maxwell, with Investigative Reporter Vicky Ward. #Epstein

#TheSenecaProject #TheStakes
#TaraSetmayer #MichelleKinney

www.youtube.com/live/McUCE2y...

In the latest episode of #TheStakes, host @bradrourke.bsky.social sits down with #KetteringFoundation Research Fellow @devawo.bsky.social to explore how today’s protest movements are reshaping democracy from the ground up—building local power, civic imagination, and new forms of community.

Seneca Project on YouTube.

Got laid off last month so need to chill on donations for a little while. Love y'all though, an avid subscriber to your channel.
#TheStakes

🎙️ New episode of #TheStakes: How Political Rhetoric Breeds Violence. Host @bradrourke.bsky.social talks w/MN State Senator @zaynabmmohamed.bsky.social—who appeared on a hit list—and @umassamherst.bsky.social professor Alexander Theodoridis about the rising tide of political violence in America.

Redirecting...

Regimes like this thrive on complacency. The second you throw your hands up and say “what else can we do?” is the moment they win. We have to stay loud. Resist. Organize. There are more of us than them. #protest #july4th #autocracy #thestakes #senecaprojectus www.facebook.com/share/r/16aA...

🇺🇦 What does democracy look like in a war zone? In a new episode of #TheStakes, host @bradrourke.bsky.social speaks with KF Senior Fellow and retired Ohio Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor and KF board member and Tufts professor @peterlevine.bsky.social youtu.be/GOkB6EezxWc