We are returning to Omaha’s Livestock Exchange Ballroom this year – and we’re eager for you to join us!
April 13, 2023
5:30 to 7 pm CDT
4920 S. 30th St., Omaha
Heavy hors d’oeuvres provided
Our 2023 keynote speaker
Recognized by TIME as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World 2019 and a nominee for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, Desmond Meade empowers and civically re-engages communities to reshape local, state, and national criminal justice policies. In 2018, as executive director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, Meade led the successful passage of Amendment 4, a grassroots initiative that restored voting rights to over 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. Amendment 4 was the single largest expansion of voting rights in the country in half a century and brought an end to 150 years of a Jim Crow-era law in Florida. He is married and has five children.
RSVP TODAY!
'Let My People Vote'
Let My People Vote is the personal story of Desmond Meade’s life, his activism, and the movement he spearheaded to restore voting rights to returning citizens who had served their terms. Meade survived a tough childhood only to find himself with a felony conviction. Pulling his life together, he graduated summa cum laude from college, graduated from law school, and married. But because of his conviction, he was not even allowed to sit for the bar exam in Florida. When his wife ran for state office, he was filled with pride, but not permitted to vote for her.
Meade takes us on a journey from his time in homeless shelters to the exhilarating, joyful night in 2018 when Amendment 4 passed with 65 percent of the vote. Meade’s story and his commitment to a fully enfranchised nation will prove to readers that one person really can make a difference.
Civic Nebraska News
Strengthening Democracy: Rick Galusha
March 27, 2023
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The co-founder of the Omaha Free Speech Society, Bellevue U. scholar, and champion of civil discourse is our 2023 Civic Catalyst.
Strengthening Democracy: Eric Garcia-Mendez
March 24, 2023
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The organizer, advocate, and change-maker, who has led the elevation and development of local leaders from communities across Grand Island, is our 2023 Community Builder.
‘Voices and Votes’: Coming to a Nebraska town near you
March 22, 2023
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Throughout the year, we’ll be providing special resources to communities where the exhibition will be on display – including Howells, Kearney, Belvidere, Wahoo, Gering, and Omaha.
Costly, less accurate elections: we oppose LB457 & LB808
March 22, 2023
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On March 22, 2023, Civic Nebraska submitted written opposition to LB457 and LB808. The bills would impose invasive constant video surveillance of voters and require hand counts of ballots, respectively. Here’s our testimony on each of these bad bills.
