Events

Reboot Ideas Presents Five Years Since Charlottesville: Democracy at Stake

Five Years Since Charlottesville: Democracy at Stake

With Amy Spitalnick (Integrity First for America) and Ilyse Hogue (The Lie That Binds)

August 10, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. PT // 8:00 p.m. ET
Free Online Program

Multiracial democracy in the United States and the freedom to live as American Jews are inextricably linked. Unfortunately, they both hang precariously in the balance. Fueled by antisemitism, racism, and white supremacy, neo-Nazis attacked Charlottesville in August 2017. Five years later, the fight against this violent bigotry continues, with extremism increasingly normalized in our politics and society, from the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe, to attacks on marginalized communities and rising political violence.

Join Amy Spitalnick, executive director of Integrity First for America, which successfully sued the Charlottesville neo-Nazis with Ilyse Hogue, author of bestselling book The Lie That Binds, President of Purpose, former President of NARAL Pro-Choice America, who will uncover and connect the dots between the assault on our democracy and our rights, how we can fight back, and what it means to live as both Americans and Jews.

Presenters:

Amy Spitalnick is the Executive Director of Integrity First for America, a civil rights nonprofit organization dedicated to holding those accountable who threaten long standing principles of our democracy. IFA recently won its groundbreaking lawsuit against the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and hate groups responsible for the Unite the Right violence, securing multi-million dollar judgments on behalf of Charlottesville community members who were injured. Under Amy’s leadership, IFA has become a powerful national voice in the fight against extremism – and its Charlottesville case has emerged as a model for accountability.

Amy has extensive experience in government, politics, and advocacy, including as Communications Director and Senior Policy Advisor to the New York Attorney General and Communications Advisor and Spokesperson for the New York City Mayor. She has also worked for a number of federal, state, and local officials, campaigns, and advocacy organizations, including as J Street’s first Press Secretary.

Amy frequently appears in national media and has been awarded a number of fellowships and honors, including being named a Women inPower Fellow at the 92nd Street Y, a Truman National Security Project Fellow, and a City & State 40 Under 40 Rising Star. Amy graduated from Tufts University.

Ilyse Hogue, President of Purpose, is a fierce advocate for justice and a leader, innovator and coalition builder across American and global progressive movements. A trained ecologist, she approaches social change from a systems perspective, looking to identify gaps and points of leverage at which to intervene. Ilyse most recently served eight-years as President of NARAL Pro-Choice America, during which she helped transform the legacy organization into a modern-day organizing and political powerhouse. In 2020, she co-authored the best-selling book, The Lie That Binds, on the history of the radical right, its authoritarian aims, and its reliance on white supremacy, misogyny and disinformation and produced the companion podcast featuring Loretta Ross, Wendy Davis, Stacey Abrams, Dahlia Litwick, Vanita Gupta and more. Prior to NARAL, Ilyse worked for MoveOn.org, Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, Media Matters for America, and the Friends of Democracy PAC.

Partners:

Reboot logoReboot is an arts and culture non-profit that reimagines and reinforces Jewish thought and traditions. As a premier research and development platform for the Jewish world, we catalyze our Reboot Network of preeminent creators, artists, entrepreneurs and activists to produce experiences and products that evolve the Jewish conversation and transform society.

Integrity First for America (IFA) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to holding those accountable who threaten longstanding principles of our democracy — including our country’s commitment to civil rights and equal justice. IFA spearheaded the landmark federal lawsuit against the two dozen neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and hate groups responsible for the August 2017 violence in Charlottesville.