Notes from the Left Coast

Drummond Pike’s Blog

It’s only been a week since we called to order the 2009 Momentum Leadership Conference that began 2 and a half days of non-stop exploration by some four hundred intrepid progressive donors and leaders from across the country. And, no, Stephen Colbert never did show up, the chicken. We’ve been trying to figure out how to superimpose a flapping chicken over his overused, and decidedly undeserved, eagle. Know any video hackers out there?

More seriously, the Conference exceeded our expectations remarkably. People came, people listened, and then people engaged on a panoply of topics from climate change to the economy to the role of race in America. The idea of Momentum is to provide a venue for some of the best, most innovative, thinking emerging from the progressive community. With this in mind, I was asked many times did I think we had succeeded. My answer? It was a simple, “you tell me. Did you meet someone you didn’t know, hear about something new and exciting to you, and did you come away with a different perspective on a topic of interest to you? If the answer was yes to any of those questions, we succeeded. If the answer was yes to ALL of those, then we are happy beyond measure.”

We’re fortunate to have partnered with FORA.tv which has been diligent and quick to post the videos of the 20 minute talks. Here are three of my favorites: Larry Mishel, who heads up the Economic Policy Institute in DC, gave one of the most cogent, coherent analyses of the economic meltdown and what we need to do about it. Just brilliant. Second, Kate Kendall spoke about the freedom to marry in the most compelling way I’ve heard. Finally, Sony Kapoor held forth about the abuses in the international financial sector, and the prescriptions to the problem, in terrific form.

A special evening greeted the participants seven nights ago: Alexis McGill interviewed Congresswoman Donna Edwards and NAACCP President Ben Jealous on the challenges facing young, emerging leadership in the African American community. It was a frank, earthy conversation that had the room buzzing.

We are now beginning to think about the next round. I hope you will suggest speakers, topics, ideas, and tools that you think we should feature at Momentum 2010. Email me at drummond@tides.org or post a comment here.