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“Run everywhere.”—David Pepper
Like our guest from Ep86, Audrey Peterman, Desia Batiste also has a close relationship with the land.
“I come from a rural community, from a family of farmers, and I have always been connected with the land,” said Dee. “I always start the day by posting a photo of nature on social media. That is a tribute to my mother.”
She said she spent ten years working in Germany when she was in the service, and always loved how the four seasons reminded her of Tennessee’s weather.
“But that is no longer, because of climate change,” she said.
She, like me and Audrey, got into activism initially through environmental concerns, and here we are.
“If we don’t have a democracy, I can’t advocate for climate or anything,” said Dee. “My predominant focus is to get our democracy back on track.”
It was in Bette Dangerous Speakasy that she met David Pepper, who was talking about Blue Ohio. She tracked down David and told him they needed that in her state, and voila! Blue Tennessee just celebrated its launch!
Here is RadPod’s interview with Dee:
I decided to do a deeper dive for Bette Dangerous, and get to know the person behind the activism.
Desia Batiste is a veteran and podcast host of Advocacy Arena and she is on the advisory board of Blue Tennessee. Her goal is to increase civic engagement. In a life of service and activism, her professional career has consisted of administrative work in varied industries including for state and local lawmakers. She has also worked as a poll worker and assisted with local campaigns.
Here are some links:
https://bluetennessee.org/
https://everystateblue.org/
Desia hosts a weekly live forum on X (formerly twitter space) every Monday at 1pm EST/12 CST/10 PT. Recordings are available on YT here and on Spotify here.
I hope you enjoy getting to know her, and I also hope you see what an incremental difference we all make. The Bette community has made a difference in Ohio, and now we’re making a difference in Tennessee, as many of you have already donated to support Democratic candidates to run everywhere in Tennessee.
As Steve Brodner said, if we all just work a little bit harder, just exert a bit more energy, the future can be in our hands, and not those trying to snatch it away.
Please enjoy this podcast, and also this quote from John Lewis, which is Dee’s pinned tweet:
“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”—Rep. John Lewis
Onward and upward!
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Here are reports from two recent Speakeasys:
Founding Members who support me at the premium level will be invited to our monthly Founder’s Day events — please upgrade to Founding Member if you would like to join us for these special intimate occasions to meet global experts. Among them, are this meeting with Paul Conroy:
Also, a private link to an annual membership discount for older adults, those on fixed incomes or drawing disability, as well as activists and members of the media is available upon request at bettedangerous/gmail. 🥹
More info about Bette Dangerous - This magazine is written by Heidi Siegmund Cuda, an Emmy-award winning investigative reporter, author, and veteran music and nightlife columnist. She is the cohost of RADICALIZED Truth Survives, an investigative show about disinformation and is part of the Byline Media team. Thank you for your support of independent investigative journalism.
🤍 Begin each day with a grateful heart.🤍
Bette Dangerous Podcast Ep87: Creating A Blue Tennessee — A Q & A with Desia Batiste