past-event – Indivisible Portola Valley

In-Person Fundraiser with Randy Villegas! Flip CA-22! (past event)

Time: Sat Aug 22, 5pm to 7pm
Location: Mountain View (address provided upon RSVP)

Meet exciting candidate Randy Villegas in person and help him flip U.S. House District CA-22 in the Central Valley, one of the few true toss-up races in the country! This district will be won or lost by just a few hundred or a few thousand votes. Every dollar you donate and every action you take could help get one of those few votes we need!

We have the best chance in years to flip CA-22. Prop 50 moved the race from “Lean Republican” to “Toss-Up”. And Randy’s Republican opponent Rep. David Valadao has voted twice to endanger health care for millions, including most recently for the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” That vote ripped health care away from over 65,000 people in his district alone (⅔ of his constituents) and gutted food assistance for more than 60,000 households. Valadao has already lost this seat once before, in the 2018 midterms of Trump’s first term, when he voted to take health care away from the people in this district the first time. But the bad news is that Valadao has millions on hand, while Randy came out of the June primary with very little in the bank.

Randy will join us in person to talk about the race, how he fights for working families, and what he’ll do to protect our democracy and bring accountable, people-first leadership to Washington. He wants to answer to his constituents, not special interests. So he refuses to accept money from Corporate PACs. Randy is relying on our support!

Suggested minimum donation: $100 (more very welcome!) (We won’t turn anyone away. Please give what you can, even below the suggested amount.) All donations go directly to Randy’s campaign. Sponsor the event at $500+.

Whether or not you’re attending, please send the donation as soon as possible (i.e., don’t wait til the event), because Randy needs the funds immediately to counter Valadao’s giant war chest. And voters will receive their ballots in just 2 months!

Donation

Swing Left

Keep KGO-TV on the air (past event)

Add your comment by July 29

Support our local ABC affiliate. Tell the FCC to keep KGO-TV on the air!

We have until Wednesday, July 29 (three weeks from today!) to submit a public comment to the FCC to support ABC and our local affiliate, KGO. We must stand up to Trump’s efforts to control media and quell free speech!

You can include these kinds of statements — plus anything that makes this meaningful and hyper-local for you.

We are located in the Bay Area of California. We believe that local news and community coverage provided by ABC affiliate KGO is incredibly important to our well being. It has been and continues to be of great value to Bay Area residents. KGO coverage of all things local — like weather, fire danger, wildfire updates — are literally lifelines.

We support renewing the broadcast licenses for ABC and its local affiliates including KGO. Please renew these licenses without any interruption.

Make your comment here

Meet the Authors of “On Courage” (past event)

Wednesday, July 29 | 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
First Presbyterian Church
1140 Cowper Street, Palo Alto

(Bruce R. will video this with ProBonoPhoto – the video(s) are posted on the book’s post.)

On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear is a new, best-selling book that’s made for this moment—and a book written for all of us who are trying to defend democracy in these perilous, promising times. Join us for a special gathering with Julia Angwin, a Pulitzer Prize winner and a native Palo Altan, and Ami Fields-Meyer, a former policy advisor to Kamala Harris. Angwin and Fields-Meyer will be in conversation with IPA+ leader and former human rights activist David Waksberg..

A Q&A session and a book signing will follow the conversation. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. Snacks and beverages will be provided. Feel free to bring a brown bag lunch.

See the Event on IPA+ site

On Courage

Swing Left Peninsula’s Midterms Update with Robert Hubbell (past event)

Saturday, July 25, 12pm to 2pm
Location: Northern Mountain View (DVC Headquarters)

Join us in-person to learn how you can help ensure victory in the midterms.

Our special guest, Robert Hubbell, is the author of Today’s Edition on Substack. Like he does for his over 80,000 daily readers, Robert will give us a reflection on current events through the lens of hope and purpose (followed by Q&A)!

The Swing Left Peninsula team will also provide the latest on the growing list of swingable House and Senate seats … and nearby actions you can take to ensure victory. You’ll find out about our continuing focus on conversations with voters, the importance of letters targeting down-ballot races, and how to make high-impact donations. Best of all, you’ll meet like-minded people and our all-volunteer leadership.

Event Details

Swing Left Home Page

Lightworkers Screening (past event)

Lightworkers Screening & Conversation with Robert Hubbell

Saturday, July 25, 3 – 6pm PDT
Redwood City, CA 94062

Join us for a screening of Lightworkers, a powerful new documentary that brings together 35 diverse citizens to tackle the most urgent question of our time: How do we protect our democracy from fascism? Filmmaker Bobby Roth delivers a deeply moving, socio-historic exploration of activism, courage, empathy, and collective responsibility.

We are absolutely thrilled that political commentator Robert Hubbell—the trusted independent voice behind the Today’s Edition Substack and one of the citizens featured in the film—is traveling from Los Angeles to join us for a live Q&A session immediately following the screening.

This film is a profound source of inspiration and deeply relevant to the work we are all doing. Join us to learn, connect, and get energized for the vital efforts and community actions we have ahead of us!

Schedule:

3:00 PM: Doors Open & Community Connecting 3:30 PM: Program Begins

Space is limited, so please RSVP today to secure your seat!

Specific location in Redwood City will be provided upon registration.

Lightworkers Trailer: https://www.lightworkersdoc.com/

Go Here to Sign Up

RWC Parade: Dancing for Democracy (past event)

Save the date: Saturday, July 4, 2026, 9AM

Show up at 9:00 am wearing red, white and blue. We’ll be singing, dancing (or come in your wheelchair — we’ll gladly push you), playing instruments, waving our flags & make a showing for democracy in celebrating our country’s 250th anniversary! RSVP to get directions and songs we will be singing: joannloulan@gmail.com

PArade Details

The annual Fourth of July Parade in downtown Redwood City, the largest Independence Day parade in Northern California, attracts thousands of spectators. It brings entries from across the state. Most of the budget for the Parade is used for cash awards to participants, of which many winners are from Redwood City.

The parade starts promptly at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, 2026. You will know it’s time when you hear the cannon!

Rise Up Sing Out Lyric Book

Reclaim Our Flag Day (past event)

Sunday, June 14, 2026, 10:30 -12 noon

Location: Gateway Plaza, El Camino & Castro, 790 W El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA 94040

For more information and to sign up

This Flag Day, we reclaim our flag by standing for the values it is meant to represent: freedom, diversity, justice, dignity, equality, civil rights, social progress, and solidarity.

Protest on Flag Day June 14th The Celebration of America (past event)

(NOT Orange man’s B’day)

Sunday, June 14, 11am – 12:30pm PDT
Location: 1250 Jefferson Ave, Redwood City, CA
El Camino Real & Jefferson Avenue
Redwood City, CA 94062

JOIN US ON JUNE 14TH, Corner of El Camino and Jefferson Ave, Redwood City, our regular time 11-12:30. We will dance, sing, protest, and so our celebration of Flag Day (it is OURS, not the insurrectionists!) bring yours, and we’ll have some there! THIS IS A PEACEFUL EVENT. No tolerance of violence. And if someone comes to disturb our peace, please turn your back and do not engage under any circumstances. Find someone in a blue or yellow vest to support you. This is what they want, especially during these fragile times. We are a community that is angry and scared, but leading with love and belief that we shall overcome. PLEASE JOIN! JoAnn Loulan, Judi and Charlie Kennedy.

Rise Up, Sing Out Peninsula Watch Party (past event)

Sunday, June 14, 2026, 4:30 – 7:30pm PDT

On June 14, join us for Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment — an uplifting evening of music, community, and action. Hosted by the Committee for the First Amendment (CFA), this special livestream event will feature an all-star lineup including Jane Fonda, Patti Smith, Bette Midler, Rufus Wainwright, Joy Reid, Wilson Cruz, Broadway Inspirational Voices, and more.

Together, we’ll celebrate the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment — including the freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and protest — and the people power that protects them. Communities across the country will gather for local watch parties to livestream the 90-minute concert beginning at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET.

Join us to sing along, connect with neighbors, share food and creativity, and celebrate the power we build when we come together. Whether you’re a longtime organizer or brand new to the movement, you’re invited to an evening of joy, inspiration, and collective action in support of democracy and freedom.

A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.

Sponsored by Indivisible Portola Valley & Indivisible Palo Alto Plus.

Knock on doors in Los Banos (past event)

Saturday, June 13th, 9am-1pm (carpools leave 7-7:30am)

Knock on doors in Los Banos with Swing Left Peninsula & Ground Truth

In 2024’s closest House race, Dem Adam Gray won by just 187 votes. Help hold this very vulnerable Central Valley seat (CA-13) as we work to flip the House and fight for democracy! Los Banos is a short 1.5 hours away in a fun Peninsula carpool! Advance and on-site training available.

For more information and RSVP Here

The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky (past event)

Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the eighth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy.

June 10, 2026, 1pm to 2pm PDT; Location: Zoom

Recommended by Bob B.

Click on the link below to register.

The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky

For previous webinars and the Ash Center, click below.

Ash Center

Memorial Day Potluck (past event)

Monday, May 25, 2026, 3-7pm

Indivisible friends —

IPV (Indivisible Portola Valley) is hosting its first-ever official social celebration, and neighbors from fellow Indivisible chapters are warmly invited too!

On Memorial Day, IPV’s Democracy Defenders’ Workshop (aka Cindi’s house) is officially becoming a party space. No work. No announcements. No agonizing. Just good old-fashioned camaraderie with the people who’ve made thousands of know-your-rights kits, mountains of No Kings zines, stacks of protest signs, and even JoAnn’s grumpy trump heads.

RSVP with an email to cindisearsipv@gmail.com for the location in Portola Valley.

Drop in for a few minutes or stay the whole time. Friends and families welcome! Bring a dish, bring a drink, or just bring yourself — all are welcome. RSVPs appreciated for planning purposes, but this is a decidedly low-pressure democracy.

Hope to see you on Memorial Day!

No to Proposed Gilroy ICE Facility (past event)

Community Briefing: Friday, May 22, 2026, 11 AM – 12pm

ICE is trying to move to build a facility in South County — and our community is fighting back.

Although there is no definitive information about the future use of this land, our community will be vigilant and organized to ensure ICE can not expand deportation operations in the Bay at this site.

On May 22, join us for a community briefing to get the full picture: what we know, what’s at stake, and how we stop it. This is your chance to hear directly from community leaders, ask questions, and plug into the campaign.

This facility would threaten the safety and well-being of immigrant families across the entire region. Research has consistently shown that communities located near ICE detention centers experience increased enforcement activity and higher rates of arrests—a pattern that puts immigrant families, mixed-status households, and entire neighborhoods at greater risk.

Santa Clara County is home to one of the largest immigrant populations in California. For years, county leaders and community organizations have fought to pass and defend strong sanctuary protections because they know that the safety of immigrant residents is inseparable from the safety and well-being of the whole county. A new ICE detention center in Gilroy would be a direct threat to everything those protections stand for.

Book Discussion: Outraged (past event)

Sundays, May 17 & May 31, 2026

11:00 a.m.–12:00 noon

Ladera Community Church, 3300 Alpine Rd., Portola Valley Sanctuary

Explore the myths that fuel division and outrage, and how we can come together.
Join a two‑part conversation on Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground, by social psychologist Kurt Gray, whose work examines how our perceptions of harm influence our reactions. Learn why we sometimes overreact to minor irritations or perceived threats, and why our country is so polarized.

Copies on hold at Fireside Books in Redwood City
Reading optional, Gray’s TED Talk and website offer quick overviews HERE
Come to either session or both

FUNdraiser Democratic Messaging Project (past event)

Sunday, May 17, 3 – 5pm PDT; Location: Portola Valley (Sign up to get the address)

Read about what they are doing and donate online:

blueforyou.org

FUNdraising event in person in Portola Valley 3-5. Once you sign up, you will receive the address. It’s in a home and will be very informative.

We will impact 25 US House seats, 7 Senate Seats, 10 Gubernatorial seats and state legislative candidates in 11 states.

NONE of them will have your address! (You’re welcome! ; )

We have raised 2/3 of our budget and need to raise the final 1/3. Thanks for helping us do that and saving democracy!

Help flip the House

THEY’RE COMING FOR YOUR RIGHTS

WE’RE COMING FOR THEIR SEATS

DMP is running rolling billboards through 25 US House districts.

Join in person FUNdraiser

we’ll have one of our trucks there to show everyone what we are doing,

California’s top governor candidates debates and interviews (past event)

Early voting starts May 4th, when ballots are delivered… please consider waiting until the last debate to make your decision…

Recommended by JoAnn L.

More Debates Scheduled

April 28 – 5:30PM Streamed CBS

May 5th–6:00 PM CNN

Candidates

R – Steve Hilton, former Fox News commentator
R – Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff
D – Tom Steyer, billionaire activist
D – Xavier Becerra, former U.S. health and human services secretary
D – Katie Porter, former U.S. representative
D – Matt Mahan, mayor of San Jose

Former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race and resigned from Congress.

Swalwell/Why?

Interviews with Candidates

KQED website, YouTube channel (30-minute videos)

Porter

Steyer

Becerra

Commonwealth Club 1-hour interviews

Becerra

Mahan

Steyer

On the Issues.org

The site is rated least biased, high credibility by https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/on-the-issues-bias/

(Note: each candidate is named on the top blue header: tiny white font. Click the name link to load info)

Immigration! Justice? (past event)

Interview and Q&A with Judge Stephen Trott & Judge Franklin Bondonno.

Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 7pm to 8:30pm

Location: Ladera Community Church, 3300 Alpine Rd, Portola Valley

Recommended by Karen Turner

This event is part of our ongoing congregational work around activism, civic engagement and constructive conversation. Hearing the judges’ perspective will help us reflect on how we can show up with courage, compassion and clarity in a time of heightened tension.

Birthright citizenship
Legal versus illegal immigration
Justice and mercy

Stephen S. Trott is an inactive Senior United States Circuit Judge.

Franklin E. Bondonno is a judge of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County.

Eyes on ICE: Train-the-Trainer – Immigrants’ Rights (past event)

Monday, April 20, 5pm to 6pm PDT

Abusive immigration enforcement poses a threat to us all but places non-citizens at particular risk. This session will equip participants to train others on core Know Your Rights topics, including the right to remain silent, the right to refuse to consent to searches, and the right to record ICE and other law enforcement officials. We will also cover best practices for reducing risks when exercising rights.

2026-03-28 NO KINGS 3 Only Love is Stronger than Hate (past event)

Time: Saturday, March 28, 2 – 4pm PDT

Location: El Camino Real and Jefferson Ave, Redwood City, CA 94062

Video by Bruce Rafnel

About this event

No Kings 3 is on March 28. Thousands will be out along El Camino across the Peninsula showing outrage at the administration, the illegal ICE actions, taking health care from millions to give tax breaks to billionaires, taking away rights from women over their own bodies, protecting pedophiles–the list goes on. Courage is contagious as we take back the House and Senate AND OUR COUNTRY!

We will meet once again at El Camino and Jefferson in Redwood City as we gather in solidarity and bask in “honk therapy” with everyone driving by joining us in strength and love.

A core principle behind all our events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values. Turn your back and do not exchange words….that’s what they want and will film you as they try to make us look violent.

Love is stronger than hate!

Photos

No Kings 3 Protests in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento on 28 March 2026

Photos and (a few) videos from the No Kings 3 protests that Pro Bono Photo has covered throughout the greater SF Bay Area. There are subfolders for locations with multiple galleries. There’s one gallery for each protest, listed alphabetically by location.

28 Mar 2026 No Kings 3 Protests – All Photos at ProBonoPhotos

Redwood City Photos – Protest and Rally, by Sonny Mencher

Redwood City Photos – by Dan Quinn

Indivisible Peninsula Bay Area Network (past event)

In the San Francisco Bay Area, there are thousands of dedicated defenders of democracy like you. On March 28, 2-4pm, many of us will be out in force along El Camino Real. Bring a friend and be counted!

Go TO the Site

Series on Polarization & Democracy with Judge Stephen Trott (past event)

Sunday, March 22, 2026

9:30 during the worship service &
11:00 a.m. Discussion and Questions

On Sunday, March 22, our congregation will welcome Judge Stephen Trott, a senior inactive member of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, to speak during worship and after a coffee break, will continue with discussion and questions at 11 a.m. He will explore the deepening polarization in our nation and the challenges it poses to a healthy democracy.

Judge Trott has ruled on immigration cases, criminal cases and issues affecting the court system, where the pursuit of justice depends on trust, fairness, and a shared commitment to the common good. He will explain the balance on the courts, including the Supreme Court and how rulings are reached and enforced.

This event is part of our ongoing congregational work around activism, civic engagement, and constructive conversation. As people of faith, we are called not only to understand the world around us but also to participate in its healing. Judge Trott’s perspective will help us reflect on how we can show up with courage, compassion, and clarity in a time of heightened tension.

All are welcome—invite a friend. Let’s gather with open hearts and a shared commitment to justice, dialogue, and hope.

Bay Area Against Detention Camps (past event)

Photos for this Protest

Photos are from probonophoto.org photographers at this event were Sonny Mencher and Ed Ebert.

Protest! Saturday, February 28th, from 11am -12:30pm, RWC
Corner of Jefferson and El Camino!

It’s hard to believe we’re living in a country that is buying warehouses to actually house HUMANS! Their plan is to house 10 million people without Due Process! They are going to use warehouses that are not meant for humans. To deal with that, they are going to put in porta-potties (NOT actual bathrooms) and with NO RUNNING WATER, so they will truck in water–which is a long-term risk for disease.

We must do what we can to protest these human animal stalls where millions of humans will be held against their will without the ability to contest their incarceration.

Join a National Day of Action Against ICE Detention Centers on Saturday, February 28.

We will meet at El Camino and Jefferson in Redwood City from 11-12:30. Bring your signs: MELT ICE, STOP PUTTING HUMANS IN WAREHOUSES, EVERYONE DESERVES DUE PROCESS and whatever makes you feel empowered!

2025-06-14 No Kings Day – Palo Alto (past event)

View Slideshow

2026-02-13 Portola Valley: Work Party for Making “Know Your Rights” Kits (past event)

Indivisible Portola Valley has made about 5000 Know Your Rights Kits and aims to make 3000 more at this work party at a private residence.

These photos or videos may be downloaded and used freely for non-commercial purposes or by bona fide media services, provided that the photographer and Pro Bono Photo are credited whenever they are used. (ProBonoPhoto.org/PHOTOGRAPHER’S NAME). The photographer retains copyright to the photos or videos. This is a CC-NC-BY-4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

The photographer at this event was Sonny Mencher.

For more information about Pro Bono Photo photographers, see http://www.ProBonoPhoto.org/Who-We-Are.

View Slideshow

2026-02-08 Santa Clara: ICE Protest at the Super Bowl (past event)

A protest of the actions of ICE and the Trump administration more generally, held near Levi Stadium while the Super Bowl game was taking place there.

These photos or videos may be downloaded and used freely for non-commercial purposes or by bona fide media services, provided that the photographer and Pro Bono Photo are credited whenever they are used (ProBonoPhoto.org/PHOTOGRAPHER’S NAME). The photographer retains copyright to the photos or videos. This is a CC-NC-BY-4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

The photographers at this event were Sammy Braxton-Haney, John Weekes, and Nate Love.

https://www.probonophoto.org/2026/8Feb26SantaClara-ICESuperbowl

2026-02-08 Redwood City: Protest ICE before the Super Bowl (past event)

A protest of ICE timed for the morning of the Super Bowl. Redwood City, corner of Jefferson Ave. and El Camino Real.

The photographers at this event were Sonny Mencher and Don Rasmussen.

https://www.probonophoto.org/2026/8Feb26RC-ICESuperbowl

Old Event Notice: Protest ICE Before SuperBowl

Sunday, February 8, 11am – 12:30pm PST
Location: El Camino and Jefferson Ave

Signup On Mobilize

This will be a protest in Redwood City at El Camino and Jefferson Ave to support all cities–especially Minneapolis–that are standing up to ICE. Honoring those who were killed: Alex Pretti & Renee Good and their families and friends. Another man shot in Arizona on the 27th and currently not named is in critical condition. And 6 who died in immigration detention just since Jan 1st! Honoring others who were arrested illegally and sent to secret jails where their families cannot find them…. There are rumors that ICE is coming to our area during Super Bowl as they want to punish us AND are losing their minds that Bad Bunny is the half time act and will sing in Spanish…so we need to be ready and show our power to stand up. If ICE is here by then we will have updates and more to do. I’ll be updating this information.

Fighting for America: How We Win 2026 (past event)

Saturday, February 7, 10am – 12pm PST

The 2026 midterm elections are our best chance to restore basic checks and balances—real accountability, separation of powers, and transparency in government. If Democrats can retake the House and win key Senate seats, we’ll have a crucial line of defense against Trump’s ongoing efforts to erode democratic norms, damage the economy, and strip away rights.

At Fighting for America: How We Win 2026, you’ll hear from people already in the trenches about what’s at stake in 2026, what can realistically be won, and what it will take to get there. You’ll leave with concrete, practical actions you can take—right here in California—to help build the power we need for a better future for all of us.

Signup on Mobilize

2026-02-07 ICE Out for Good Protest (past event)

See the Photos

Saturday, February 7, 3 – 4:30pm PST

Location: Gateway Plaza, 790 W El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA 94040

We will peacefully gather to stand up to this MAGA regime of bullies for billionaires that is destroying lives and undermining our country. We will demand that ICE be defunded and dismantled as a secret, masked police force that terrorizes people—especially people of color—across the country.

We will gather to speak the truth and demand accountability and justice for the ongoing pattern of ICE violence and abuse.

We will:
– Call for ICE to leave our communities
– Build public pressure
– Create space for grief, solidarity, and collective action

We will share Know Your Rights cards, information on how to report ICE activity, and educational leaflet on how ICE has become a building block of authoritarianism so you can spread the word.

Please join us and bring your friends and neighbors. We need to be in the streets, showing how crucial it is that we defend democracy.

Organized by It’s Blue Turn and Together We Will Palo Alto/Mountain View

A core principle behind all Indivisible events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.

2026-01-17 – NO WAR ON VENEZUELA (past event)

The photographer at this event was Sonny Mencher. The photographer retains copyright to the photos or videos. This is a CC-NC-BY-4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

https://www.probonophoto.org/2026/17Jan26RedwoodCityNoWar

View Slideshow

17 Jan 2026 -No War -Redwood City,(ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)

Time

Saturday, January 17

11am – 12:30pm PST

Location

El Camino at Jefferson

1250 Jefferson Ave, Redwood City, CA 94062

ICE OUT FOR GOOD (past event)

SAT JAN 10TH /REDWOOD CITY 11-12:30

Murder in Minn/2 shot in Portland/35 died in custody

SIGN UP for Redwood City El Camino and Jefferson 11-12:30

PLEASE JOIN TO SAVE LIVES

Anti Ice packets will be passed out.

to mourn Renee Good murdered in Minneapolis, 2 people shot in Portland, 35 people who have died in custody, children separated from their parents, people kidnapped off the streets with no reason, thousands held in inhumane conditions.

Central Valley Matters Fundraiser – December 4, 2025 (past event)

Signup

Saving Our Democracy (past event)

Oct 23, 2025 5:30-10pm

Working 32 years as the US Congresswoman for our district–Anna Eshoo will share her wisdom for our fraught times. She (among countless other programs) brought electric trains to the Peninsula, fought for AI regulations before we even knew what AI was, established the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a new agency dedicated to biomedical research. The Senate in August ’25 voted to keep it funded–a break from Trump and RFK Jr who wanted it defunded. It gives grants for high-impact health research & development.

Additional speakers

**JoAnn Loulan** member Indivisible Portola Valley, co-founder of Democratic Messaging Project & Local Majority. Activist for 53 years.

**Genavieve Koenigshofer** youth activist, Executive Director GENup, encouraging students take charge of their education.

COMMUNITY organizations will be there for you to join & support

YES on 50, Swing Left, Indivisibles, Feminist Majority, Vote Riders, Its Blue Turn, Central Valley Matters, Democratic Messaging Project, learn how to register people to vote & many more

Link for $20 tickets

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saving-democracy-a-community-conversation-tickets-1677311797739

(address and agenda on registration—doors 5:30—Speakers 7:00)

Reimagining Democracy (past event)

Day: Tuesdays

Dates: Oct 7—Nov 11

Time: 4:00—5:00 pm (PT)

Location: Online

Cost: FREE

Additional Info:: All sessions will be recorded and available for viewing at a later date.

Status: Get Tickets

As part of its free public programming, Stanford Continuing Studies is proud to present the second annual Reimagining Democracy, a weekly speaker series produced with the Office of Community Engagement and the Stanford Democracy Hub, featuring leading scholars from centers and initiatives across campus that include:Center for Revitalizing American Institutions (RAI), Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL), ePluribus Stanford Initiative, Freeman Spogli Institution for International Studies, Hoover Institution, Stanford Center for Law and History, Stanford Civic, Liberal, and Global Education (COLLEGE) Program, Stanford Constitutional Law Center, Stanford Journalism Program, Stanford Civics Initiative, and Stanford Constitutional Law Center

This six-part series, hosted by Dean Debra Satz and Professor Larry Diamond, brings together leading Stanford scholars to help us understand the moment: from the questions we’re asking ourselves about democratic decline to the ideas we have for democratic resilience and restoration.

Note: You only have to register once to receive the weekly Zoom link and reminders.

SCHEDULE & SPEAKERS

Session 1: Democracy in Crisis?
October 7, 2025

Francis Fukuyama, Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Director of the Ford Dorsey Master’s in International Policy, and Professor, by courtesy, of Political Science

Session 2: Constitutional Crisis?
October 14, 2025

Bernadette Meyler, Carl and Sheila Spaeth Professor of Law, Associate Dean for Research and Intellectual Life and Professor, by courtesy, of English and of Comparative Literature

Jud Campbell, Professor of Law and Helen L. Crocker Faculty Scholar, Stanford Law School

Session 3: Media in Crisis?
October 21, 2025

James T. Hamilton, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Hearst Professor of Communication Director, Stanford Journalism Program

Janine Zacharia, Lecturer, Communication

Session 4: Restoring Our Political Parties
October 28, 2025

Didi Kuo, Center Fellow at the Freeman-Spogli Institute for International Studies

Session 5: Restoring the Civic Purpose of Higher Education
November 4, 2025

Dan Edelstein, William H. Bonsall Professor of French and Professor, by courtesy, of History and of Political Science

Session 6: Restoring Faith in Our American Institutions
November 11, 2025

Condoleezza Rice, Tad and Dianne Taube Director of the Hoover Institution and the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy

SERIES HOSTS:

Larry Diamond is William L. Clayton Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), and a Bass University Fellow in Undergraduate Education at Stanford University. His research focuses on global trends affecting freedom and democracy, and US and international policies to advance democracy and counter authoritarian influence. He was the founding co-editor of the Journal of Democracy, and he remains a consultant to the National Endowment for Democracy. Among his books is Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency. His new co-edited book (with Sumit Ganguly and Dinsha Mistree) is The Troubling State of India’s Democracy.

Debra Satz serves as Stanford University’s Vernon R. and Lysbeth Warren Anderson Dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences, and is Professor of Philosophy, Political Science, and the Marta Sutton Weeks Professor of Ethics in Society. From 2008-2014, she also served as the faculty director of the Bowen McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society. Her research focuses on the meaning of equality and the role of markets in a democratic society. Among her many notable publications and teaching accomplishments, Satz recently co-authored Economic Analysis, Moral Philosophy and Public Policy (2016); received the Walter J. Gores Award (2004), Stanford’s highest teaching honor; was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2018); and piloted and co-led a new widely-attended course on “Democracy and Disagreement.”

2025-10-18 – No Kings 2 (past event)

For videos, see no-kings/ posts for Oct. 18, 2025

Join Indivisible Portola Valley and Indivisible Palo Alto

Gather at 855 El Camino on both sides of El Camino—Town & Country Shopping Center AND the Stanford side cross street Embarcadero!
At 12:30 we will start our parade down BOTH sides of Embarcadero (on the sidewalk) to Rinconada Park for the Democracy Fair!

On June 14th we had 5000 folks–let’s represent the people who can’t be there and let people know WE ARE NOT GIVING UP! That’s what the administration wants-WE DISSENT! Costumes! Signs! Families!