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Built By Us Media spotlights movement makers and shakers across North Carolina. Hosts Kai and Joselle sit down with organizers, activists, and working-class people who are fighting for justice, building power, and making sure our voices aren't just heard, but centered.
Every episode connects you with someone who's putting in work for liberation, and gives you the tools to join them. Because the North Carolina we deserve is being built by us.
Learn more at democracync.org!
Joselle Torres, Communications Manager at Democracy NC, is dedicated to building grassroots advocacy that transforms statewide policy, cultivating conversations that center Black, Latine, Indigenous, Asian & Pacific Islander, differently-abled, and LGBTQAI+ communities.
Learn more at democracync.org!
Kai McNeil, Digital Communications Associate at Democracy NC, is a storyteller committed to amplifying voices that too often go unheard. His work centers on impactful non-fiction narratives that illuminate societal issues and inspire meaningful change. Through compelling storytelling rooted in social justice, he raises awareness and creates pathways for understanding—bridging the gap between information and action.
Learn more at democracync.org!
Beatrice is a Jersey-born turned NC movement worker keeping it real from Raleigh to your screen. She talks power, policy, and all the stuff they don’t want us to say out loud.
Dawn Blagrove is an attorney and a proud graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and North Carolina Central School of Law. She has emerged as a leading voice in North Carolina, demanding an end to mass incarceration and the dismantling of systemic and institutional racism. Her experience as a post-conviction attorney, combined with her undergraduate training in Secondary Education, fuel her passion for educating youth and the public about abolishing the carceral system as Executive Director of Emancipate NC.
Dr. Jovita Lee is the program director for North Carolina Black Alliance, making history as the youngest incoming director in the organization’s history. She also serves as Policy Director for Advance Carolina and convener of the North Carolina Black and Brown Policy Network. As a testament to her impact, she was awarded the 2024 Steve Wing International Environmental Justice Award. Dr. Lee serves on the boards for NC Budget and Tax Center, North Carolina For the People and Spiritual Learners. She is also a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
Julia joined Democracy NC in September 2021 after more than a decade of focusing on the intersection of communications, advocacy, and social justice work in North Carolina.
Linda has been active in the Winston-Salem community since the early ’70s, working as a union organizer and Special Voter Registration Commissioner. She co-founded the Winston-Salem Voting Rights Coalition, a grassroots organization of non-profit, nonpartisan community groups, that has registered thousands of voters and engaged them in electoral reforms such as early voting, same-day registration, and campaign finance reform.
