Revolutionary Leadership

Hear from two leaders carrying the torch of change into the future of American politics and environmental action.  Juan Ramiro Sarmiento of Run for Something discusses how the organization reshapes the political sphere by supporting young, diverse candidates in key, down-ballot local and state elections.  Transitioning from the ballot box to the courtroom, we are joined by the formidable Talia Hernandez, whose environmental activism takes on a legal dimension as she and other committed youth take on Montana's reliance on fossil fuels. Her narrative is not just one of resistance; it's a powerful illustration of the broader fight for our planet's future.  

Revolutionary Leadership speaks to the unwavering spirit that fuels the drive for a more equitable and sustainable tomorrow; and embodies the hope that defines the ethos of our season finale.  

Tune into Radical Imagination as we dive into the stories and solutions that are fueling change. www.radicalimagination.us.

Juan Ramiro Sarmiento currently serves as the National Press Secretary for Run for Something, a progressive organization that recruits and supports young, diverse candidates for local and state office. 

Formerly, Juan Ramiro worked as Press Secretary for Young Invincibles, fighting for broad student debt cancellation. He also worked in the communications and policy arena at the local and national levels including the US House of Representatives, the Democratic National Convention Committee, and the Office of Mayor Sly James (KCMO).

A proud Jayhawk, Juan Ramiro studied political science and international relations at the University of Kansas. As a history buff, Juan Ramiro is deeply interested in US history, foreign policy, and anti-colonialism.

Taleah Hernandez is of Taíno ancestry and loves the great outdoors. During the winter months, one of her favorite activities is ice skating in the open air on Flathead Lake and Pabl o Reservoir. In the summer months, Taleah enjoys paddleboarding and sailing with her family on the lake. However, those beloved activities in nature are becoming increasingly inaccessible, with less ice for ice skating in the winter and raging wildfires filling the skies with smoke in the summer. Taleah has been harmed by increasing wildfire activity, which has forced her to prepare to evacuate her home in Polson. Wildfire smoke makes it so she can’t spend as much time outside hiking, riding horses, and paddleboarding on Flathead Lake.  

“To other young people wanting to take climate action, I would encourage them to do their research! Learn about how climate change impacts the world and their area specifically.”  

Speaker 2: (00:04)
Welcome to the Radical Imagination Podcast, where we dive into the stories and solutions that are fueling change. I'm your host, Angela Glover Blackwell. Young people today are leaning into activism and organizing in big, bold ways.

Speaker 3: (00:20)
media clip...

Speaker 2: (00:26)
They're running for office across the country and winning

Speaker 4: (00:30)
Analysts say Gen Z and millennial voters played a key role in the midterm elections to help Democrats stave off the Republican red wave

Speaker 2: (00:41)
In no small part because they're taking on issues that matter and because young voters are turning out in record numbers, I have been on the front lines of movements for social change for more than half a century, and I am blown away by the energy, courage, and generosity of the rising generation of multiracial leaders and organizers. They understand that democracy is about shared responsibilities as equals to create a future that works for all. They know what's at stake in this pivotal moment in our nation and the world. They're not waiting their turn or asking for a seat at the table. They're claiming spaces of power. In today's episode, we'll hear from two young people who are taking action in different arenas and producing transformative results. Talia Hernandez, one of the 16 young plaintiffs in the landmark climate lawsuit in Montana, and Juan Ramiro Siento, the National Press Secretary for Run for something. An organization that's recruiting and training thousands of young people, most of them people of color to run for office, run for something founded just six years ago, has already helped elect more than 800 young people to offices across the country. So let's start. Juan Ramiro, welcome the Radical Imagination. Thank

Speaker 5: (02:12)
You for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.

Speaker 2: (02:14)
For a long time, many young activists have turned sour on electoral politics and thought they could be more effective. As organizers and advocates working outside the political system, now we're seeing a shift, a diverse, fierce, brilliant cohort of young adults running for offices at all levels of government. What is the vision of Run for something in supporting these candidates, and why is it important to tap into this younger demographic?

Speaker 5: (02:41)
I think it's important for us to set some context, and so I'll start with the problem that we see run for Something recognizes that the progressive movement systematically failed to invest in state and local elections, resulting in a weak pipeline of talent and huge swaths of the country in which many voters never actually met a Democrat running for office. So our theory of change here at Run for something is that running good, young, exciting, diverse candidates for local office and running them everywhere. In the long term, we'll be able to make the structural changes necessary for Progressive to hold power. And uh, we'll continue to cultivate amazing new leaders who can run for congress, executive office, and even president.

Speaker 2: (03:21)
So run for something is lifting up candidates who have been traditionally locked out of politics. Who are they? And give us some historical context as to why they've been excluded and how run for something is fighting against those barriers.

Speaker 5: (03:34)
Right now, America's government is run as a gerontocracy and young people are wildly underrepresented. 30 of the 50 US governors are 60 years old or older. Meanwhile, more than half of all Americans are millennials or younger. Age is only one metric of diversity, of course, but it is a shortcut to account for race, gender, class, and sexual orientation. But this failure of representation has meant that the people predominantly in charge baby boomers, most of them who are white men, have perpetuated a system that has privilege them. And so run for something solves this problem by electing young, diverse progressives who are members of the communities that they serve. Since they're closer to the problems, they're closer to solutions.

Speaker 2: (04:23)
What are some of the structures that have favored people who are older?

Speaker 5: (04:27)
For example, running for office takes a lot of social, political, and economic capital, and young people or people that have been historically marginalized in this country don't have access to those things. Older folks who have more money have networks and find themselves already entrenched in government don't have to worry about those things. And then young people going to college for them, it's a lot more difficult and more expensive than it was 50 years ago. Housing is incredibly expensive as well. You often don't hold a job when you are running for office. And so those things come into play whether you have the financial background and stability to be able to run.

Speaker 2: (05:09)
Yeah, that's really interesting. So that these social and professional circles that older people have access to and the financial and economic burdens on young people really are pretty serious barriers. So what is Run for Something doing to fight against these barriers?

Speaker 5: (05:29)
We are helping young people across the country run for office. We are helping them from the beginning, from pre-filing all the way to election day. No matter how competitive their race is, we have the structures in place in a number of states to be able to support them financially. We have increased our number of staff across the board to be able to have those intimate relationships with the people that want to run for office, and we connect them to a network of alumni that are on the ground that have stayed and sustained that infrastructure to be able to assist them and be a mentor and a voice of support, because running for office can be a very isolating thing. And so we find that our candidates enjoy that aspect of our support.

Speaker 2: (06:18)
After the 2016 election, we saw a progressive wave across local and state governments with some historic wins. This is also around the time that run for something was formed. Can you talk about the organization and what it was thinking in that moment and how run for something is engaging with the moment?

Speaker 5: (06:39)
We recognized that there was a problem and that people were angry about the way that the country was changing and not for the better feeling like we have less rights, that it's harder to make ends meet, that social mobility and economic mobility are harder to achieve. We wanted to harness that energy of young people to changing things because at the end of the day, the people that are in charge of our government and our budgets really shaped the material reality on the ground. And so for us, going full force into recruiting young, diverse candidates for state and local office, including school boards and county clerks all the way up to the State House

Speaker 2: (07:20)
And getting young, vibrant candidates who really are trying to improve our overall society is certainly important. The other part of this dilemma though, requires voters who will get out and vote for them. What are the issues that are driving young voters?

Speaker 5: (07:36)
Climate change is, for example, one that is hard to ignore nowadays, as you can tell with the heat waves that we have seen and the different changes in the climate that we're experiencing, that's top of mind for what a future for them might look like and what we are inheriting from this previous class of government elected officials. And then another one would be bread and butter issues like your housing, the cost of food education. So those are some of the things that we find that people are concerned about. And then more salient, especially as of late, has been your civil rights, your ability to make choices about your own body, to be able to love who you love, to be able to have the care that you need in a private setting with your own physician. Those are things that people see an encroaching of far right ideology into those spaces. And then things as simple as being able to read whatever book it is that you want to read. We see an effort to erase, for example, LGBTQ plus people from schools, essentially by running extreme candidates, banning books, and even banning the discussion of diversity and equity efforts across the country.

Speaker 2: (08:59)
Run for something has helped to let candidates all across the country. What are some of run for something success stories and have any of these selections inspired significant policy change?

Speaker 5: (09:10)
So since 2017, our team has recruited over 130,000 young people who want to run for office that have entered the pipeline. We have endorsed over 2,500 candidates across all 50 states and DC and elected more than 800 people since our time while winning over more than 1000 elections. 50% of our folks identify as women or non-binary leaders. More than 50% identify as people of color and 20% identify as L-G-B-T-Q-I-A folks, and everyone is under the age of 40. So those are some of our success they hear since 2017. But in terms of policy, once they get in there, we see them doing the work. Representative Brianna Titone in Colorado, the first trans woman to run for office and win a seat in the Colorado General Assembly, took on unified school District board President, Dr. Ravi Sha. An alumni is leading on a proposed for 180 million bond to improve and update facilities and classrooms, a funding proposal that's been languishing for years. Minnesota rep Esther Abahe led on a transformative tenants rights legislation, including everything from banning landlords, from requiring pets to be declawed and de vocalized to require a reasonable notice before a landlord enters a unit. And so time and again, we have seen when we elect young people and diverse leaders to office, they fight for the things that they care about that are reflective of their communities and frankly, make everybody's lives better.

Speaker 2: (10:40)
Juan Ramiro, you are working on strengthening democratic participation in the midst of the nation, dealing with critical issues from the United States being labeled a backsliding democracy to attacks on voting rights to rights being rolled back for Black Brown and L-G-B-T-Q-I-A people, as well as for women and other marginalized groups. And yet you seem so hopeful. What fuels that hope?

Speaker 5: (11:06)
I am a student of history. I love history. I always think about how democracy's an active situation. You have to constantly fight for it. And if you read our history, you find that that has always been the case. That it's a constant battle between those who want to make a multiracial democracy here in America and the promise of this country a reality in fighting for it in their own era. And a lot of movements are coalescing through the energy of the people wanting to revert to make this a more fair and just society. Yes, this moment is pivotal and it is dangerous and democracy's at stake and our livelihoods and our way of life is at stake. But we had a lot of things that were worse conditions for people that had more of an excuse to be not hopeful, and yet they remained, yet they pressed ahead. They registered those voters when their lives were in danger. We can do that as well.

Speaker 2: (12:17)
Juan Romero, thank you for the work you and your colleagues are doing, and thank you for talking with us.

Speaker 5: (12:23)
Absolutely. It's been a pleasure. Thank you so much.

Speaker 2: (12:31)
Juan Ramiro Sarto is the National Press Secretary for Run For something. Coming up on radical imagination, we hear from how young people have taken on our most pressing issue, the climate crisis stay with us more when we come back as we look to the future. It is the youth who are taking initiative to protect their planet In Montana, 16 children and young adults sued the state for its role in the climate crisis and won the teens alleged that the state's continued support for fossil fuels violates their right to a clean and healthy environment, is guaranteed in Montana's constitution. It was the first youth-led climate trial in the United States, but it won't be the last. It has been called the strongest decision on climate change ever issued by any court. I spoke to Talia Hernandez, one of the 16 young plaintiffs involved in the case just before the judge ruled in their favor. Talia is currently a sophomore at Montana State University. She's majoring in animal science and minoring in Hispanic studies. Talia Hernandez, welcome to Radical Imagination.

Speaker 6: (14:08)
Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here.

Speaker 2: (14:11)
Talia, where did your interest in climate and the environment start?

Speaker 6: (14:14)
Well, I really think of it as kind of a bit of a family legacy. My father has been involved with environmental work for as long as I can remember. He's been involved with the Cabinet Resource Group, which is a group that focuses on protecting the cabinet wilderness, which is in Montana from, you know, mining, all sorts of things like that. And so I've seen him, you know, in that role since I was a child. And I've also seen my older sister and my older brother grow up and take an interest in those roles as well. And so when this opportunity to be involved in climate work arose, I just thought of it as continuing being a steward for the environment like all of my family has been.

Speaker 2: (15:04)
You've lived in Montana all your life. How have you personally experienced the effects of the climate crisis where you live?

Speaker 6: (15:12)
I've noticed some prominent impacts. The brunt of what I've noticed has been in the summers. When I was younger, we'd have this smoky summer occasionally, and I'd see my friend's parents and sometimes my dad leave to go fight fires. Um, but as I grew older and as I got into high school, I just noticed more and more smoky summers. And eventually we had a couple summers where the fires were pretty close to the valley where I lived. We had one fire near Finley Point, which is, um, kind of a lake or a beach input spot near my house. And it was pretty scary because that fire had evacuated people who lived further down from where I was. But when I was driving to my house, there was a policeman in the middle of the highway and he wouldn't let you pass by unless you lived on a property past that point. So there was a fire that was kind of threatening that we would have to evacuate from our home.

Speaker 2: (16:26)
You were 16 years old when you and other children and teens sued Montana. Why is it important that it's the younger generation who were the face of this lawsuit?

Speaker 6: (16:36)
I think it's important that my generation, the younger generation, are the face of this lawsuit because we recognize that we are going to have to deal with the burden of climate change. And we know that we need to start combating it right now. And I think this is more of an urgent cause for us than anyone else, because we are going to be living with the consequences of climate change. Our parents will certainly see some of it, but we still have our lives to live. We have another 80 years left on this earth, and we want those to be really good years.

Speaker 2: (17:17)
Now this is a suit against state officials. How have Montana officials contributed to the climate crisis, especially when it comes to fossil fuels?

Speaker 6: (17:27)
As one of our expert witnesses testified in court, they hadn't witnessed Montana deny a single fossil fuel permit or permit for developing anything relating to fossil fuels. So the state has certainly contributed to the climate crisis by not looking for other less dangerous methods.

Speaker 2: (17:52)
And so the trial happened in June of this year. Tell us about that and what's expected to happen next.

Speaker 6: (18:00)
The trial was such a momentous experience. I think I can speak for all of the plaintiffs when I say that it was unlike anything we've experienced before. It was really powerful to watch my fellow plaintiffs take the stand and give their testimony because they have some amazing stories, really heart wrenching, and they're such strong speakers. And you know, it's really cool to see your peers protecting and fighting for the environment. And I know that we all shared the excitement of going into the courts and you know, we got to laugh with each other. We got to cry with one another. It was really a bonding experience

Speaker 2: (18:44)
That's exciting. And it must feel powerful perhaps to be a plaintiff in a lawsuit asking for such a big result. When people talk about using their agency and really leaning into their power, I think this is the kind of thing people often dream about when they see things that they think are unjust happening in society. How can this lawsuit serve as a roadmap for other young activists across the country when it comes to organizing around the climate crisis? Have you seen lessons that you think we ought to be lifting up?

Speaker 6: (19:18)
I think that the most important things to focus on are the people fighting back. You know, people aren't gonna sit by and watch this happen. One of the most important lessons is that we keep going. That we don't stop in the face of adversity and that we continue to fight the fight that we know is right.

Speaker 2: (19:42)
Climate change is an issue that despite its urgency, many people feel hopeless about. But the fact that you have been involved in the action to sue your state shows that you're not one of those people. What keeps you hopeful about fighting the global crisis?

Speaker 6: (19:58)
What keeps me hopeful is probably the energy of the people around me. It's, it's a really inspiring thing to see your peers, your parents, your family, your friends, everyone around you, hoping that we can create a better world.

Speaker 2: (20:17)
Lia, thank you for talking with us.

Speaker 6: (20:19)
Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 2: (20:25)
Talia Hernandez is an activist and a student at Montana State University.

Speaker 2: (20:37)
In this season of radical imagination, I have concluded every interview by asking guests about hope. So it is fitting to end season five by talking with and about the people who give me hope, the new generation leading the nation toward a thriving, radically inclusive, multiracial democracy. In addition to the many qualities and skills that make them so effective to today's, young activists are extraordinarily generous when they push for what they need to be successful. A stable climate safety from violence, the right to learn the nation's whole true history and read the books they want. They're advocating for things the entire nation needs to flourish. Many young people like Juan Romero and Talia see themselves as part of a lineage of liberation. They're inspired by their activist ancestors, including those from the Civil Rights Movement, but they are working hard to build a better, fairer, and more just society for the generations coming after them. That fills me not only with hope, but with Joy.