Advocating for Democracy and Racial Equity with Keesha Gaskins-Nathan

The R.A.C.E. Podcast

Welcome to Episode 13 of the 2nd season of The R.A.C.E. Podcast. Today I am honored to be joined by Keesha Gaskins-Nathan the Democratic Practice–United States program and the Racial Justice Initiative at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Meet Keesha Gaskins-Nathan

Keesha is a philanthropic strategist, a student of movements, a critical constitutional scholar, and a Gemini. Keesha is the director for the Democratic Practice–United States program and the Racial Justice Initiative at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Ms. Gaskins-Nathan is dedicated to advancing measures and ideas that improve democratic systems and engage democratic culture in the United States to support full and fair democratic and economic opportunity for all residents.

Keesha has worked as an organizer, lobbyist, and trial attorney. Prior to joining the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, she was senior counsel with the Brennan Center for Justice, serving as the director of the Redistricting and Representation program. Her portfolio included redistricting reform, voting rights, and elections, with a focus on voter suppression issues.

She is a Commissioner for the New York State Public Finance Board, 2022-2023 Atlantic Racial Equity Fellow, and has served as 2021-2022 Daynard Public Interest Fellow at Northeastern University School of Law, 2019 Aspen Ideas Scholar, and 2008 Feminist Leadership Fellow with the University of Minnesota, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs – Center on Women and Public Policy. She is a frequent commentator on voting rights and redistricting reform and regularly appears on numerous news and public affairs programming, including past appearances on Background Briefing, The Great Battlefield, PBS’s NewsHour, MSNBC, and Bill Moyers.

Keesha also is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs - where she teaches a course on Democracy, Movements, and Public Policy.

Listen in as Keesha shares:

• Her identifies and how they inform her work
• What inspired her to focus on racial equity and democracy in her work
• The deep alignment between her job and her work
• How she stays encouraged and the legacy she hopes to leave
• What she wants folks in this work to do, think, or feel

Learn more and connect with Keesha Gaskins-Nathan:

• Website: Rockefeller Brothers Fund
• LinkedIn

Hi listener! Please take our short Listener Survey HERE to give The R.A.C.E. Podcast team feedback on the show. We will use the feedback to inform how we approach conversations in the future. Upon completion, you will be entered in our quarterly drawing for a $100 Visa gift card! Your email address will only be used for this purpose. Thanks in advance - we appreciate your feedback.
Connect with Keecha Harris and Associates:

• Website: https://khandassociates.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/keecha-harris-and-associates/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/khandassociates
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCukpgXjuOW-ok-pHtVkSajg/featured

Connect with Keecha:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keechaharris/