Making Government Work

As we honor and work to advance the legacies of Black change-makers this Black History Month, we here at Common Cause want to take a special moment to highlight some of our Democracy Fellows – as well as the transformative work they have spearheaded at their Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

As we remember and honor the legacies of Representative John Lewis, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, and many other Black leaders – we also want to take a moment to appreciate the many Black history-makers who work right here at Common Cause. 

'No company should profit from spreading content that endangers our democracy. We are glad to see DirecTV make the right decision: to drop OANN at the end of its contract.'

“It was a long and winding road for Jessica Rosenworcel, but she stayed the course and good sense has now finally prevailed with today’s Senate vote," said Common Cause special advisor Michael Copps, himself a former acting FCC chairman and Rosenworcel's former boss when she was on his FCC staff. "Jessica faces a daunting agenda as chair but she has the experience and dedication to make historic progress leading the FCC. Past commission mistakes must be corrected and new trails blazed to provide our country with the communications ecosystem our democracy so clearly must have." Copps also put in a plug for confirming a third Democrat to the commission so Rosenworcel has a majority. "Needed now is a fifth commissioner, so that a full FCC can get on with its important mandate of protecting the public interest.”

“It was a long and winding road for Jessica Rosenworcel, but she stayed the course and good sense has now finally prevailed with today’s Senate vote. Jessica faces a daunting agenda as chair but she has the experience and dedication to make historic progress leading the FCC. Past commission mistakes must be corrected and new trails blazed to provide our country with the communications ecosystem our democracy so clearly must have. Needed now is a fifth commissioner, so that a full FCC can get on with its important mandate of protecting the public interest.” - Michael Copps, Former FCC Commissioner and Common Cause Special Adviser

The competition, designed by the Common Cause Student Action Alliance, invited youth ages 14-28 to raise their voices on any set of nine democracy issues, including access to voting, campaign finance reform, fighting against gerrymandering, and more.