SPEAKER BIOS

 

JENNA CHERNEGA

Jenna Chernega is President of the Inter Faculty Organization, which represents faculty at the seven Minnesota State campuses.  She also serves as Vice-Chair of Higher Ed Labor United.  She has previously served as the Faculty Association President at Winona State University, IFO Academic Affairs Coordinator, and Co-Chair of the IFO Government Relations Committee. Jenna has been a faculty member in the Sociology department at Winona State since 2007.

 

ERIC WARD

Eric K. Ward, Executive Vice President of Race Forward, is a nationally-recognized expert on the relationship between authoritarian movements, hate violence, and preserving inclusive democracy. He brings over three decades of leadership in community organizing and philanthropy to Race Forward, having worked with leaders from government, law enforcement, business, and civil rights groups to advance civil rights work. Eric also serves on the boards of several organizations.

An author, in-demand speaker, and media source, Eric has written multiple works and has been quoted in various widely read media outlets such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, ESPN, Black News Channel, NPR, BBC, and Rolling Stone. Additionally, Eric, who has a special interest in the use of music to advance inclusive democracy, used his singer-songwriter talents to help launch the Western States Center Inclusive Democracy Culture Lab.

In 2021, Eric became the first American recipient of the Civil Courage Price, adding to the awards and distinctions he has received throughout his career, including the Peabody-Facebook Futures Media Award.

 

ALETHIA JONES

Dr. Alethia Jones joined the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies as Distinguished Lecturer in Labor Studies in January 2023 and serves as director of Civic Engagement and Leadership Development at the Murphy Institute.

For six years, Jones directed the Education and Leadership Development Department of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest union local in the United States serving 400,000 members in five states and DC. As a member of the union’s Executive Committee, she anchored the strategy development process for the senior leadership team and led collaborations with the political, communications, and research departments to ensure aligned implementation. She led curriculum development and “Train the Trainer” processes that enabled thousands of organizers, officers, and members to lead effective power building workshops.  She oversaw the Bread and Roses partnership with Harry Belafonte, developed programs with the 1199/League Training and Education Fund, and coordinated with SEIU’s national initiatives, such as the Rockwood Leadership Program. 

Jones co-authored an award-winning movement memoir with black feminist icon and co-founder of Combahee River Collective, Barbara Smith (A’int Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith).

 

 

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This program is part of the series, "America 250:  Rebuilding Democracy for Worker Justice", part of the Civic Engagement and Leadership Development program at the Murphy Institute of the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies.

 

Series Overview

America 250:  Rebuilding Democracy for Worker Justice

Civic Engagement and Leadership Development - Spring 2026

 

As the USA nears its 250th anniversary, democracy itself feels brittle -- captured by money, hollowed by polarization, and distant from the people who make the country run. Yet beneath the fatigue, worker power and people power is stirring all over the country. Democracy is not a document but a daily discipline, practiced in the collective demand for dignity. This is a moment to think audaciously about the civic power sleeping inside everyday work. Organizing is the seedbed of a new social contract—one that links economic fairness to planetary survival and collective self-rule. We must rebuild a democratic spirit worthy of the next century. In an era of deep political and social division, we need effective strategies for building lasting, multiracial, and cross-sectoral solidarity among today’s diverse workforce who demand justice.

• What must we learn—and unlearn—from history to build an economy and society that works for all?
• Which buried stories of worker solidarity and struggle offer the most instructive blueprints for a more just future?
• Can we build solidarity strong enough to counter corporate power?

 

Fri. January 23

"Chaos, Crisis and Resistance: Lessons of 2025"

Guest Speakers:

Daniel Hunter - Expert at Choose Democracy and Freedom Trainers

Steve Phillips - founder of Democracy in Color

Nsé Ufot - acclaimed author and strategist

 

Fri. February 20    

"Bold Visions & Durable Alliances in Minnesota & Beyond"

Guest Speakers:

Rev. JaNaé Bates Imari, ISAIAH and Faith in Minnesota

Eric Ward, Race Forward and Overcoming the Wedge

 

Fri. March 20    

"Workers Strike Back:  A New Era for Democracy & Justice in New York?"

Guest Speakers:

Gabby Seay, Seay Strategies

Maria Stephan, The Horizons Project

 

Fri. April 24    

"Governing New York City: By, Of, & For Workers?"

Guest Speakers:

Fahd Ahmed, Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) and DRUM Beats

Brandon Mancilla, United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9A