OKPOLICY.ORG
Together Oklahoma, the grassroots advocacy program for the Oklahoma Policy Institute, will host a virtual and in-person event on Nov. 30 designed to support and empower advocates statewide featuring a keynote address by a nationally renowned speaker.
People Have the Power: Preserving Democracy Through Participation will be livestreamed starting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 30, via the Together Oklahoma website (TogetherOK.org) and the OK Policy website (okpolicy.org) and the organizations’ social media channels.
Frederick Isasi, Executive Director of Families USA (FUSA) – one of the country’s leading nonpartisan, nonprofit health care advocacy organizations – will deliver the keynote speech. With decades of experience in health care, public policy, and law, Isasi is an expert on the social issues and solutions related to improving policies and health outcomes. Isasi frequently provides Congressional testimony on health policy issues and is a sought-after national speaker on state innovation, health systems, behavioral health, social determinants of health, and equity issues.
“The future of our nation rests on our ability to work together from the good of all; we must be able to see past partisanship and politics, and ensure that every family in our nation has a real shot at a better future,” Isasi said. “I’m grateful that Together Oklahoma is holding this important event to shine a light on the critical work being done and how more people can get involved.”
Isasi was selected as FUSA’s second-ever executive director in January 2017 because of his lifelong commitment to achieving high-quality, affordable health care for all. His passion for health care reform stems from growing up in North Carolina as the son of Cuban immigrants. He saw firsthand the barriers to health care that affected his low income neighbors, people of color, people with language barriers, and rural communities.
Before joining FUSA, Isasi served in high-level advisory and leadership positions for various entities, including the District of Columbia Primary Care Association, National Governors Association’s Center for Best Practices, and two New Mexico Senate committees. He has also served on a myriad of panels and boards at institutions such as the National Academy of Medicine, the Brookings Institution, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, Duke University’s Margolis Center for Health Policy, Catalyst for Payment Reform, the Health Care Payment Learning & Action Network and Bipartisan Policy Center.
TOK will host in-person watch parties that are free and open to the public. The events are currently planned in Ada, Ardmore, Bartlesville, Enid, Guthrie, Idabel, McAlester, Muskogee, Norman, Sapulpa, and Tahlequah. Other watch parties may be added. For a complete list of locations and more details, visit TogetherOK.org/Events.
Following his speech, OK Policy’s Outreach and Legislative Director Angela Monson will moderate a panel discussion to highlight building political power. The panel is made up of the event’s co-sponsors, which are the ACLU of Oklahoma, the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma, the Poor People’s Campaign – Oklahoma, and Rank the Vote Oklahoma.
Panelists will discuss effective tactics and strategies of civic engagement to make positive changes for all Oklahomans. Panelists are scheduled to include:
- Tamya Cox-Toure, Executive Director of the ACLU of Oklahoma,
- Stephanie Henson, Board Member for the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma,
- Marianne Smith, Tri-Chair for the Poor People’s Campaign – Oklahoma, and
- Mark Davies, Executive Committee Member for Rank the Vote Oklahoma.
Panelists will also share ways that viewers can learn more about the work of each of their organizations and how to get involved. Other topics include fair and open access to voting, the power of the ballot, the power of collective action, and other social justice issues.
Together OK, a program of OK Policy, is a nonpartisan coalition of citizens working together to secure a robust future for our state. The organization seeks to provide grassroots education and training to help Oklahomans self-advocate for policy changes that can promote a prosperous future for themselves and their neighbors.
For more information about this event and statewide community watch parties, visit TogetherOK.org/Events.
