Podcast: When We're Not Working

By Gavin Leonard and Matt Ryan, August 21, 2008

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Podcast: Two Rustbelt community organizers talk about work, life, music, books, ideas, and everything in between.

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Today, we are happy to launch the very first "When We're Not Working" podcast!

We're Gavin Leonard and Matt Ryan, and we're both from the Midwest, doing community organizing in some way, shape, or form in our beloved Rustbelt. As Matt and I became addicted to podcasts, we wished there would be one out there specifically for organizers and activists.

When we're not working is often when Matt and I have the best, most honest and interesting conversations. So, "When We're Not Working" will try to be a space for all of that, as well as some web links, music, ideas, and maybe an idiosyncrasy or two. We'll share what we've been reading and thinking about. And we'll bring in some of the most inspiring activists and thinkers to expand the dialogue.

In this episode, we discuss Matt's trip to Tennessee, talk about the Highlander Center, share a little-known fact or two, and we talk about what we're reading -- from David Sirota to Dave Eggers.

In addition to Wiretap, get all future "When We are Not Working" podcasts and learn more about Matt and Gavin, at our blog - http://whenwerenotworking.wordpress.com - and feel free to email us at whenwerenotworking@gmail.com. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated! We know we have a long way to go.

Gavin Leonard is the State Director for Ohio's Center for Progressive Leadership, based in Cincinnati. He is a co-founder, current board member and former executive director of Elementz - a local hip hop-based youth center. Gavin is a frequent contributor to WireTap, and he serves on the boards of the League of Young Voters, Wiretap Magazine, and the All-Ages Movement Project.

Matt Ryan is the Cincinnati City Director of the Service Employees International Union Local 3. After organizing with SEIU in Chicago and Pittsburgh, he lead a successful three-year Justice for Janitors campaign in Cincinnati. The organizing drive secured living wages and healthcare for the first time for over 1,500 office cleaners. Matt grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from Grinnell College. Currently, he is an executive board member of the Cincinnati Central Labor Council and Hamilton County Democratic Party.