Stepping Into Truth: Conversations on Race, Gender, and Social Justice

 Talking Everything You Probably Didn't Know (and need to) about ID with Kat Calvin

Season 2 Episode 15

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Kat Calvin

In this episode I talk with Kat Calvin, founder of Project ID and Spread the Vote about why her organization focuses on getting ID for the millions of Americans who don't have any.

This goes so far beyond what I was expecting when I got into this conversation. I had no idea about some of the things people can't access without identification. Things that make just doing daily life really hard.

Have a listen! It's equal parts fascinating and horrifying.

 

Kat Calvin is the Founder and Executive Director of Spread The Vote and Project ID. A lawyer, activist, and social entrepreneur, Kat has built a national organization that helps Americans obtain the IDs they need for jobs, housing, and life and that also allows them to go to the polls.

Along with Spread the Vote and Project ID, Kat is an advisor to Ragtag, sits on the board of the California Women’s List, and occasionally writes stuff.

Kat is one of the 2018 Fast Company 100 Most Creative People in Business and has been a Business Insider 30 Under 30, The Grio 100, and more. Kat has been featured on PBS' To The Contrary, BET's Black History Month profiles, has been a guest commentator on Sirius XM, and has been featured in numerous print and digital outlets.

Kat attended Mount Holyoke College and the University of Michigan Law School. She is an Army brat mostly from Seattle and Sierra Vista, AZ and currently lives in Los Angeles.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Spread the Vote
Project ID
Ragtag
Free From
Indivisible

The Washington Post article on that mountaintop voter in India can be found here.

Kat’s suggestions for how to make a difference.

  1. Find one thing you’re passionate about. Find an organization that is working on that cause and get involved.

  2. Once you find them ask, “How can I help?”. Don’t go in with a preconceived idea about what they need. Ask them and then listen to what they tell you.

  3. Use Facebook/social media for good. Do a small fundraiser for the charity with something like https://charity.gofundme.com/.

Written Transcript:

If you want to share this episode with a deaf or hearing impaired person (or you just want to read it) here’s the link.

Connect with Kat:

On Twitter: @spreadthevoteus
On Instagram: @katcalvinla

Credits:

Harmonica music courtesy of a friend