Dr. Darrick Hamilton
Professor and Director of the Institute for the Study of Race, Power, and Political Economy at The New School
Transcript
Transcript begins.
Democracy by the people is the capability to civically engage in such a way to determine the rules, the structures, the resources, the public infrastructure that affect your life, your community’s life, and the economy overall.
Democracy is a fundamental concept for our freedom, but it’s inadequate. Freedom is grounded in power. Without a doubt, the power to elect leaders that are going to structure our society, the rules, the regulations, that’s a big part of our notion of freedom.
But without resources, democracy is inadequate. It’s not enough. The ability to vote when you’re hungry is not freedom. The ability to civilly protest when you’re unhoused is not freedom.
Freedom is about power. Freedom is about agency—economic agency and political agency. They’re inseparable.
It is through power that we determine the rules, the regulations, the distribution of resources of a society. Democracy requires resources and inclusion. Inclusion of all of us. It is inclusion, democracy, and resources that come together to facilitate a flourishing humanity.
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End of transcript.
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“The ability to vote when you’re hungry is not freedom. The ability to civilly protest when you’re unhoused is not freedom. Freedom is about power. Freedom is about agency—economic agency and political agency. They’re inseparable.”
Dr. Darrick Hamilton
Additional By The People Voices
Judge J. Michael Luttig
Judge J. Michael Luttig, lawyer and former judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, urges Americans to summon the collective courage needed to protect democracy and the American promise for future generations.
Lori McGlinchey
Lori McGlinchey, Ford’s Technology and Society director, reflects on what AI “by the people” must look like—technology designed to protect fundamental rights, minimize harm, and elevate human dignity.
Alberto Ramos
Alberto Ramos, CEO of Veterans for All Voters, reflects on what democracy means as a veteran, urging citizens to safeguard voting access and create a system that honors the principles veterans fought to uphold.
Erica Smiley
Erica Smiley, executive director of Jobs With Justice, reflects on how workers’ ability to shape economic systems and conditions upholds democracy.
Amy Spitalnick
Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, calls for an inclusive, pluralistic democracy that protects the rights of every community, fosters cross-community unity, and addresses extremism through mutual trust and partnership.
Chase Strangio
Chase Strangio, co-director of the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project, reflects on the legal system’s role and its constraints, suggesting that art serves as a pathway for envisioning a new future for the LGBTQ+ community.
Erika Wood
Ford Foundation senior program officer Erika Wood reflects on the critical need to strengthen the American democratic system to ensure full inclusion, robust participation, and true representation for all.
