Finding Common Ground on Election Reform

Tuesday, June 7, 2022 – 7:30pm ET
Virtual Event

Join former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele as they come together for a free online talk exploring ways to find common ground on election reform.

Free and fair elections are at the cornerstone of our democracy, yet many Americans feel disenfranchised about their ability to cast a ballot. Rising polarization in Congress has left voting rights legislation at a standstill. Brazile and Steele explore how we address these issues and find a path forward in a special conversation guided by former CBS News Correspondent and author, Jacqueline Adams. 

This free online event is co-presented through the 92nd Street Y, New York’s Newmark Civic Life Series of pro-democracy talks and lectures, an initiative of the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact.

Newmark Civic Life Series is supported by a generous gift by

Finding Common Ground on Election Reform

With Donna Brazile and Michael Steele in Conversation with Jacqueline Adams

Tuesday June 7, 2022 – 7:30 pm Eastern

Free online event. Follow #FindCommonGround and #CommonGroundEvent on your favorite social channels to be part of the online discussion!

Register Now

When you register to receive a viewing link to this Common Ground Committee webinar, CGC may provide your email address to certain approved third party partners of CGC unless you opt-out by contacting admin@commongroundcommittee.org. We will not provide any other personal information.

Featured Speakers

Donna Brazile
Panelist

Donna Brazile is an ABC News Contributor, veteran political strategist, an adjunct professor in the Women and Gender Studies Department at Georgetown University, and the King Endowed Chair in Public Policy at Howard University. She previously served as interim Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and of the DNC’s Voting Rights Institute. She managed the Gore campaign in 2000 and has lectured at more than 237 colleges and universities on diversity, equity and inclusion; women in leadership; and restoring civility in American politics. Ms. Brazile is a USA Today contributor, a guest columnist for The Hill and the author of several books, including the NYT bestseller “Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House.”

Michael Steele
Panelist

When he was elected Lt. Governor of Maryland in 2003, Michael Steele made history as the first African American elected to statewide office; and again with his subsequent chairmanship of the Republican National Committee in 2009. Under his leadership, the RNC broke fundraising records and won 63 House seats. His ability as a communicator and commentator is showcased through his current role as a political analyst for MSNBC and as host of The Michael Steele Podcast. An author and frequent contributor to major media outlets, Mr. Steele is a graduate of Georgetown Law Center, an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership, a University of Chicago Institute of Politics Fellow, and a Senior Fellow at Brown University’s Institute for International and Public Affairs.

Jacqueline Adams
Moderator

Jacqueline Adams launched a second career as a communications strategist after more than two decades as an Emmy Award-winning CBS News correspondent. Ms. Adams covered the groundbreaking campaigns of Jesse Jackson for President and Geraldine Ferraro for Vice President before spending five years as a White House correspondent during the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations. Through her firm, J Adams: Strategic Communications, LLC, she now counsels both corporate and nonprofit clients. Ms. Adams is the author of “A Blessing: Women of Color Teaming Up to Lead, Empower and Thrive.” ​​She serves on the Board of Directors of the Harvard Business School Club of New York and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Presented by

Common Ground Committee

Common Ground Committee (CGC) is a non-partisan, citizen-led organization dedicated to fostering more progress and less division in politics. By bringing together today’s smartest thinkers to find common ground on critical issues, we inspire citizens and leaders to bring light, not heat, to public discourse. Since 2010, we’ve hosted dozens of notable panelists representing views across the political spectrum, from John Kerry and Condoleezza Rice to Michael Steele and Donna Brazile. As a partner in the democracy reform movement, we also share actionable tools to help people heal division in civil discourse. Subscribe to our podcast and try our Common Ground Scorecard to find candidates that work across the aisle.

The 92nd Street Y, New York

The 92nd Street Y, New York is a world-class cultural and community center where people all over the world connect through culture, arts, entertainment and conversation. For over 140 years, we have harnessed the power of arts and ideas to enrich, enlighten and change lives, and the power of community to repair the world. As a proudly Jewish organization, we enthusiastically welcome and reach out to people of all ages, races, faiths and backgrounds while embracing Jewish values like learning and self-improvement, the importance of family, the joy of life, and giving back to our wonderfully diverse and growing community, both locally and around the world. Learn more.