Listen in to this interview of Dr. Naida Tushnet, a community activist whose activism spans many decades, issues, and approaches.
In our conversation, we talk about Naida’s work for peace and justice and the throughline of advocating for and organizing with marginalized communities across issues that she’s been involved in over the years and that are particularly compelling to her at this moment in history–Palestinian freedom, solutions to homelessness, and ending the ICE raids in our communities.
Naida has a deep sense of justice and desire for peace that is rooted in her life experiences and education, her heart, and her moral compass.
When Naida was awarded the Senate District 33 Wonder Woman recognition from Senator Lena Gonzalez in 2024, her bio said this: Naida C. Tushnet, Ph.D., was an educator, first as a high school teacher and, for most of her career, as an applied researcher of educational and community-based programs. Since her retirement, she has served on commissions focused on improving the quality of life for seniors, serving as Chair of the Long Beach Commission on Aging, on the executive board of the Long Beach Gray Panthers, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSULB. She also serves on the steering committees of advocacy groups such as the Long Beach Area Peace Network, Long Beach Rising, and several Long Beach Democratic clubs. She received a BA from Grinnell College, an MA from Columbia University in history, and a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis in Policy Analysis and Administration.
Since then, Naida has gone on to serve on Long Beach’s Police Oversight Commission. In the interview you’ll hear her talk about her work in Long Beach and how it connects to work beyond the local–statewide, national, and international. Her approach embodies the sentiments that “all politics is local” and “think global, act local.”
Sign the petition for the Civil and Human Rights Investment Screening Policy mentioned in the podcast here: https://www.change.org/p/tell-long-beach-city-council-adopt-the-civil-and-human-rights-investment-screening-policy
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