Sharon, the daughter of Japanese-Americans interned during World War 11, chose to try and make a difference for the marginalized no matter where she worked. Sharon tells great stories about her early activism in the 60’s, integrating Seattle public television, rescuing Pacifica Radio, working for the Clinton administration, and most recently, supporting undocumented young immigrants. Mike and Sharon also talk about how Sharon convinced Mike’s wife to get arrested, and Sharon’s attempt to get appointed to the City Council. It’s fun to hear how Sharon’s mix of resolve, diplomacy and well-timed provocation helped build a meaningful career.
Mike McGinn
Organizer, Climate Activist, Former Mayor
I started this podcast in 2014 because I wanted to highlight people I met when I was Mayor of Seattle. I hoped that hearing stories from people on the front lines of social change - how they got started, what they cared about - would inspire others to take action. If you go through the archives you'll find interviews with some some great people.
We're on hiatus right now, but I'm pretty sure we're coming back! And we did our best to make the prior episodes "evergreen" - not tied to topical events - so give one a try and see what you think.
A little background - the title is derived from the teachings of Marshall Ganz. Change ultimately comes from people sharing their stories to build a shared narrative of the world they want to see.
I hope you'll check out some of the prior shows, and, even better, get involved yourself in trying to change things for the better.