Choose to Challenge... A Conversation with Aisha C. Mills, Political Commentator (SPECIAL EPISODE)
The “Choose to Challenge” theme for International Women’s Day and Women’s History month challenges us, men and women alike, to confront biases, question stereotypes, and celebrate the achievements of women around the world.Change comes from challenge and a challenged world is an alert world. But, implementing strategies that will make those changes a reality takes a lot of work.Join the discussion with Aisha C. Mills, Political Commentator, as she discusses the challenges women face and the ways change can be affected in our communities.
Guest
Aisha C. Mills
Aisha is a seasoned political strategist and social impact advisor with twenty-years of experience working to ensure that our democracy is responsive to, reflective of, and led by the diverse communities that are the fabric of our nation. A nationally respected voice on Democratic politics, she is a political commentator on MSNBC and CNN, and is the author of dozens of policy reports and political and cultural analyses published in a range of media outlets. She has been recognized as one of “The Out 100”; The Root 100" top African American influencers; and a top "40 Under Forty" LGBT leader by The Advocate Magazine. Aisha was recently an IOP Fellow (Sp’19) at Harvard Kennedy School where she hosted a weekly seminar on identity politics and the rise of the “New American Majority” of people of color who will soon be the majority of the population. Previously, she was the first African American woman to lead a national LGBTQ organization in her role as president & CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund and Institute. Prior to Victory, she served as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, the largest progressive think tank in the country. Aisha has also advised and helped to elect dozens of Members of Congress as executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, regional finance director at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and fundraiser to several candidates. The most southern Jersey girl you’ll ever meet, Aisha was raised in New Jersey by her grandparents who left South Carolina in the 1950s as part of the great migration of African Americans fleeing the Jim Crow south.
Host
Michael Zeldin
Michael Zeldin is a well-known and highly-regarded TV and radio analyst/commentator.He has covered many high-profile matters, including the Clinton impeachment proceedings, the Gore v. Bush court challenges, Special Counsel Robert Muller’s investigation of interference in the 2016 presidential election, and the Trump impeachment proceedings. In 2019, Michael was a Resident Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he taught a study group on Independent Investigations of Presidents.Previously, Michael was a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as Deputy Independent/ Independent Counsel, investigating allegations of tampering with presidential candidate Bill Clinton’s passport files, and as Deputy Chief Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee, October Surprise Task Force, investigating the handling of the American hostage situation in Iran.Michael is a prolific writer and has published Op-ed pieces for CNN.com, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Hill, The Washington Times, and The Washington Post.
