Kara Eastman (she/her) is a woman of many passions, but aside from punk rock nearly all of them involve making lives better for people who unduly suffer under the effects of untamed late-stage capitalism, the for-profit health industry, the lack or disregard of environmental regulations, or media centralized in the hands of the ultra-wealthy. After a career of activism, she shows no signs of slowing down! Read on to learn more about the work of the indefatigable Kara Eastman!

Where are you based?
I live in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood in Chicago (my hometown). I moved back here in 2021 for a job, but also because my family is here and my husband’s band (a punk rock band called Horace Pinker) is based here.

What inspired you to get involved in activism and politics?
I have spent my career in nonprofits and politics. I have an MSW from Loyola University of Chicago because I knew from a young age that I wanted to dedicate my work to improving lives in whatever way I could. I was raised by a single mom who struggled with mental illness, physical illness, and poverty. She taught me to fight. She was always very proud of my work but particularly proud when I was elected to the board of Metropolitan Community College and when I launched my first congressional campaign. She unfortunately passed away during that first House run in the primary in 2017. My daughter is an artist and feisty like my mom, and today she inspires me to continue fighting.

In 2018 and 2020 you ran for Congress in Omaha, with the backing of Justice Democrats. How did you receive their endorsement, and why did you decide to run?
My platform aligned with that of Justice Democrats especially around getting money out of politics and combating climate chaos. I did not accept corporate PAC money in my campaign and managed to raise enough to be very competitive. I decided to run for Congress after my mom was diagnosed with cancer for the 5th time and was prescribed a pill for $2500 that she could not afford. I wanted (and still want) to change our healthcare system to a universal system for everyone.

You are part of the Young Turks! How is it working for this news outlet?
I did not know this when I was running for Congress but Cenk Uygur, the founder and CEO of TYT, actually started Justice Democrats. TYT is the largest online news network and a completely independent voice at a time when mainstream media is beholden to the political parties and corporations. I love working at TYT because, as the Community Director, I get to interact with our incredible audience to create social change. I also was provided the opportunity to launch a division of TYT called Rad Ads (www.adsthatarerad.com) that makes eye-popping ads for political and social causes. TYT has allowed me to channel my passions and creativity in unique ways.

We love how you are passionate about many causes, but what you did with the Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance is very powerful! Can you tell us a little bit about Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance, how it got started, and how it grew?
I was hired to start Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance when I moved to Omaha in 2006. The organization began as a lead poisoning prevention organization, and I expanded it to center around a more holistic mission providing green, safe, and healthy housing. The organization grew out of Omaha’s designation as an EPA Superfund site as a result of lead contamination in the soil around residential homes in the eastern part of the city. I worked to galvanize Nebraska politicians to help fight the government agencies involved to create a more comprehensive approach to combating lead poisoning of children in the city. At the time, this meant that Democrats and Republicans were working together to ensure the safety of children in our community. It was actually a beautiful (and unique) thing. It grew through local and national partnerships, diverse funding, and assembling the best team possible.

Can you tell us about your work at the Rainbow House, Extra Hands for ALS, and Friendship Shelter?
Rainbow House was a domestic violence shelter for women and children in Chicago. I was the program director overseeing all programming. When I started, the only service the shelter offered was art therapy. In fewer than two years, I implemented programs including counseling, job training and placement, group therapy, children’s services, and housing assistance. I began working at Extra Hands for ALS after my best friend’s husband was diagnosed with the disease. When I started, we were serving two patients in St Louis with volunteer help, and in four years we served hundreds of patients with thousands of volunteers in five cities across the country. At Friendship Shelter I oversaw all aspects of running the homeless shelter and transitional housing program. Looking back, I learned so much from having the honor to get to know the people these organizations served.

You clearly have a soft spot for start-up nonprofits focusing on social and health issues, and even started up your own consulting firm to help them. What is it about this work that is so meaningful for you?
My forte is in solving problems and connecting people to create sustainable solutions. I work hard, and my work is ingrained in who I am. Thus, at the end of the day it’s important to me that I have helped make the world a better place for someone. Strong nonprofit organizations are behind the scenes forces for good in our country, but are often underfunded and under-appreciated. This is evidenced by the annoying conversations around how much a nonprofit spends on programming vs. administrative costs. It’s a false way of evaluating an organization since most of the nonprofits out there are people-powered and could not function without talented, well-paid people doing the work. I have tried to focus my work on strengthening and building these groups.

You are also active in both the Test Positive Awareness Network (TPAN) as its CEO and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) as a board member. What inspired you to raise AIDS awareness?
With the development of drug therapies and educational campaigns, AIDS is no longer top of mind for most people. However, there are still communities that are disproportionately impacted. I was hired as the CEO of TPAN to be a change agent and merged the organization with a very large national HIV-focused organization. This means that people throughout Chicago and beyond who are living with HIV will have comprehensive services that they need and deserve. I worked myself out of a job at TPAN and then joined the board of AFC because there is still work to do. We can end the AIDS epidemic in my lifetime with the political and social will to do so.

Do you have any other upcoming projects or efforts you are working on?
Currently I am focused on starting a populist revolution. One of the things I learned in my campaigns is that the vast majority of the country agrees on most things; it is actually the political parties and mainstream media that divide us. TYT’s Populist Plank is the beginning of this movement. We have a petition that contains six policies that over 80% of the country supports, regardless of party affiliation. Imagine if we could create a voting block focused on ensuring these things are passed and executed. Just getting money out of politics would be a game changer for working people in our country (and put an end to those annoying emails and texts we all get).

A lot of activists are saying that the left needs to take as much time as it needs to rest and reset after the win of Trump in November. Do you agree? How should progressives be handling the next four years?
I think that is bullshit! We need to unite and act NOW. We need to combine all the forces on the left and invite some parts of the right to come together and create a long-term strategy to win. We do not have time to rest while the planet is being destroyed, people are drowning in medical bills, and private equity firms are buying up all of our homes. There is simply too much work to do.

It has been a crazy past few years, how do you stay positive?
What’s been crazy about it??? LOL

I am an optimist by nature. I stay positive by focusing on my work and trying things that people say have been done before but in new ways. My sense of humor does not always land with everyone, but it keeps me smiling nonetheless.

What is your motto in life?
I have many — but I stole two of them from films like Auntie Mame - “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death” and Say Anything “I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career.” We have also taught our daughter that “lying, cheating, and stealing are not the Eastman way.”

Where can we find out more about you?
I am not on personal social media much, but I use LinkedIn. I would also love for everyone to check out www.TYT.com and become a member to support truly independent news.

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