PBN proudly announced today the appointment of innovative and experienced progressive organizing leader Jason Cooper to the new position of Program Director. As the conversation about grassroots, bottom-up change becomes a defining constituent in local, regional and national politics, PBN continues to grow as a perfectly positioned organization helping ordinary people make real contributions to the political decisions that affect their lives.
“Jason brings a fresh perspective to our growing team that is based on hands-on work tested in high profile political and public education campaigns, combined with leadership, organizational and training expertise,” said PBN Director Rodney McKenzie, Jr. “Organizers in state after state are seeing the Pushback model of building progressive power from the bottom up and they want to be a part of it. PBN provides organizations that are anchoring eight state alliances, including in Alabama, California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, and New York, with critically needed financial resources, technical support, and training. Jason Cooper is a perfect match to help us meet their needs. He has worked side by side with state and local leaders across the country to build grassroots political power from the bottom up. Jason has coached and mentored staff and volunteers through 13 campaigns in 11 states and trained thousands of activists in grassroots organizing, fundraising, multiracial team building, grassroots lobbying, and developing and running winning campaigns.”
Seasoned campaigner Jason Cooper brings leadership and progressive organizing expertise to PBN team
Cooper comes to PBN most recently from his position as Deputy Director of External Relations with Young People For (YP4), a program of the People for the American Way Foundation, where he was responsible for helping to create and implement the YP4 vision, directing leadership development and education programming, and managing, with key progressive movement leaders, an extensive network of nationwide organizing partnerships. Cooper previously served as Senior Field Organizer for the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, one of the oldest and largest LGBT civil rights organizations in the country, where he recruited, coached and mentored organizing teams, including thousands of volunteers, working on a variety of issues ranging from immigration to marriage equality to affirmative action.
“I am both honored and privileged to be working alongside the individual and collective actions of people working to steer America toward social and economic justice,” said Cooper. “In communities across the country, there is the growing consensus that the status quo isn’t good enough. People are looking for ways to come together to demand that those elected to public office address the real issues that matter to them most.”
“Jason has developed the tools and experience critical to our efforts to achieve a democracy powered by the diverse skills, talents and cultures of the American people, rather than solely the wealthy and privileged,” continued McKenzie. “His vision aligns perfectly with our own of a democracy where grassroots communities, who have been historically pushed to the political margins, lead toward social change rooted in progressive values.”
“Upon the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act,” Cooper said, “Bayard Rustin wrote that ‘the goal of protest and social reform necessitated political participation–itself the mark of inclusion in a society.’ Today, as then, it is crucial that communities living on the margins of society, including people of color, women, poor and working-poor, and young people, continue to “Pushback” to help America achieve the healthy and true democracy that is its beacon to the world.”
