Hello, I'm Zeke, and welcome to The Zekely Podcast. Let's talk, Pennsylvania. The guest I have today is a Southwest Philadelphia native who has spent decades working to organize voter turnout and engagement. He's an artist, agricultural activist, and the current political director of Working Families Party in Pennsylvania. Thank you so much for being here, Steph Drain.

I’m Zeke, a doctor, a Pennsylvanian and unapologetic supporter of Democratic values. You might have seen me on social media working my ass off for Democrats and meeting some pretty amazing people along the way - like President Barack Obama and Governor Josh Shapiro.

For years, I’ve knocked thousands of doors all over Pennsylvania and poured my heart and soul into supporting candidates and causes that make a difference—from local school board races to national elections. The personal is political, and I take every election in Pennsylvania personally.

Where the mainstream media has failed you, I will give you truth and independence. You’ll hear from Democratic leaders, candidates, and change-makers who are working to improve the health of the Commonwealth, and it won’t be boring as hell.

No matter where you are, I’ll meet you with hope and a plan to make your community better one day at a time. Welcome to the Zekely Podcast. Let’s talk Pennsylvania.

Hey, thanks for having me,

Absolutely. You know, I do research on all my guests. and you are a Philly legend, when it comes to grassroots activism. I mean, day in and day out, people like you grind it out against the machines of injustice. And that to me is just always inspirational.

I'm grateful for that. Thank you.

Absolutely. We're gonna play some games, have some fun and learn all about you. Are ready? All right.

Yeah, that's true.

So Steph, as I said, you are the political director of Working Families Party in Pennsylvania. So w I want to know, what's your strategy going into the midterms?

our strategy is simple flip Republican controlled seats in key districts and and and not just flip them with any old Democrat, right? Like we have seen time and time again that when you elect progressives, especially in Pennsylvania, they tend to have more staying power. And so we want to elect really progressive, Democrats across the Commonwealth, if it's Bob Brooks,

Firefighter, head of the firefighters union, you know, an all-around working class champion. you know, we really are interested in challenging you know, Republicans in in places where they've neglected voters, right? Like Brian McKinsey is not you know, of the working class or for the working class. And so we won't allow him or any other Republican to coast to

That's awesome. And you're looking for Democrats up and down the ballot, right? I mean, I I know you also support Brad Chambers. I mean, he's running for state house. You know, I l I love Brad. He was on my show.

Absolutely.

Brad is amazing.

so and we need the trifecta this year, right, Steph? I mean, this could be the year that more than 30 years we've been suffering in the state senate. This this could be it. And so I'm super excited that Working Families Party is doing their part.

Yeah.

Yes.

to help get more Democrats elected up and down the ballot this November third.

Steph, I understand you're a cat dad. Is that is that true?

I ⁓ have done over the last couple years I like house and if you had animals I've done so with a couple of lizards and a couple of cats. So currently I am

Okay.

No.

But no dogs. You're you're like a you're like

a gecko cat, no dog person.

I mean I think how much space the dogs need, like the kind of dogs that I'm interested in, you know, need a couple acres to run around. You know, I like Dobermans and I like pits. ⁓ so I don't wanna keep my dog cramped in in the small apartment.

True.

no, that makes sense.

Well

we're gonna play a game called Exploding Kittens. Okay, have you ever have you ever played that card game before?

Okay.

I think I have it somewhere.

it's such a great game. I play with my kids all the time. So you know the goal of the game is to be the last one standing essentially and eliminate everyone else. And you have that diffuse card in case an exploding kitten comes up, right? Okay, so I I'm gonna ask ⁓ you some questions, okay? And you're gonna have a couple cards, all right? So you can have a favor, attack, skip, or see the future card, which is just like from exploding kittens, right?

Ha ha ha.

Mm-hmm.

so the first one is bungee jumping. Okay, so so which card would you choose? Would you attack that? Would you skip it, see the future, or ask for a favor on the bungee jump?

Okay.

I'm skipping it.

Yeah, I'm gonna skip that too. I've never, you know, skydiving, bungee jumping. I like being on the ground, except when I'm flying to exotic places, obviously. But yeah, I'm not a a a thrill seeker.

I don't see the ⁓ the purpose in paying to jump off a bridge.

No. No. Yeah, it's not it's not my thing.

I have enough adrenaline coursing through my veins already. Okay, here's another one. A bowl of guacamole. What are you gonna do that? Yeah, yeah. I love guacamole is such a staple in my house. I love making it, just the whole process of mashing it up, it's therapeutic. And do you put onions in your guac? I put a little onions in mine.

Okay.

⁓ attack easily.

I put onions and this is an interesting thing. I put eggs in my guacamole as well. I boil them, then I chop them up. Yeah.

Eggs like you like chopped like chopped up eggs?

That's interesting. I'm gonna have to try that. Like with the yolk, everything. The yolk in there too, not just the whites. I like it. This this is great. This is great information. I'm gonna try it. That's awesome. Okay, I have a couple more for you. Getting a tattoo.

Tomato. Yep. Mm-hmm. Yep. You should try it.

I have a bunch of I mean you can see a couple of them. I have a bunch of them already, so I would ⁓ I would attack it, you know. ⁓ more tattoos the merrier.

Yeah, I see that.

You would attack that. See, for me, I'd want yeah, I I'd want to see the future personally. Cause I I can't I can't think

I can't think of anything really I love that much. I'd want to get tattooed on myself. But maybe if I could see it 20 years from now, depending on where I choose, I'd be like, yeah, that still looks cool. So yeah, I I I yeah, I see the future. Okay, here's the last one. Hanging a coat rack.

I think that's a good strategy.

actually really enjoy building furniture, so I'll I'll attack that too. You know, I'm like

Yeah. You'd attack that too.

Well, I might have to ask you for a favor because I am I'm so I'm a doctor and I know my skill set and I've when I last time I tried to hang a coat rack, I got one side in and then the Molly just fell down into the drywall and I it it just was like hanging there vertically on the wall and I had to call a friend over to fix it. So I probably have to ask for a favor on.

Okay.

Ha ha ha.

Well, thanks for playing Exploding Kittens with me. And I do hope that eventually you get some more kittens in your place, man. It seems like you you're good at it.

Yeah.

Steph, you are the president of Reinhardt Street Community Farm and Kitchen, which consists of approximately 30 parcels of formerly vacant land which had been abandoned and used for illegal dumping. And I understand that these parcels, which have been transformed ⁓ into sustainable food for the community, was once at risk, right, by land speculators.

Yeah.

what was your involvement in trying to to keep them away from that process?

At the time ⁓ the ward leader was not interested in us taking over the land. I think that he had a contract with the horticultural society and so we kind of ran into a wall with him because what we were doing wasn't legal. But we recognize that like you know the neighbor

That the farms are in, I grew up in, and these lots have been vacant for you know longer than I've been alive.

and you know, ultimately through the efforts of

member Kendra Brooks.

And you know, Councilmember Jenny Gaultier and the support of several other council members, the city purchased a bunch of the

from the US bank, because a bunch of the land had bank liens on them. And so, you know, we were able to grow without fear of having our

Annexed or or snatched up. And so now we're in this interesting process where half of the land that we're growing on is in pretty safe or stable condition, and the other half is either still privately owned

you know tax delinquent and owned by some you know some some some bank-like entity. And so

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

We're trying to detangle some of the titles and get in contact with folks who own the land so that we can acquire and purchase it for the community.

I mean, it's such a great initiative that you've done and it really sounds like it matters who your elected officials are at the local level, right? Because you've had to you've had to politic a lot probably over the last decade to just maintain these gardens, which are giving back to the community. I mean, giving people access to to really healthy foods. So I I just think it's great that you are, you know, a president of this organization, that you're protecting these green spaces in Philadelphia.

Absolutely. Absolutely.

And just again showcases the importance of local politics and that you should pay attention who you elect, because had there been a different composition of local county officials, they might have said, Not our problem. The banks can do whatever they want, private equity is gonna come in and then you'd be in a completely different place. So strong work and I hope that you can grow for many decades to come.

for that. I mean and and you're right, there have been several administrations prior to the current one and none of them have prioritized you know, green space and

food sovereignty for community members. Yeah, I think a third or it's either a third or a fifth of residents of Philadelphia live within a food desert. And so, you know, that was my experience growing up. And it's the same experience for a bunch of the members of the community that I come from.

it's it's really

given access expanded access to safe and healthy foods for a bunch of

I love it. I love

it. Again, every election is the most important election.

Hey, thank you so much for listening to this episode of The Zekely Podcast. And if you're enjoying yourself, please take a moment to rate my Podcast. Five stars would be great and leave a comment as well. And if you're watching this on YouTube, please hit follow. OK, back to the show.

Steph, as an avid gorilla gardener,

what crop are you best at? And something you're also still kind of getting the hang of?

say I can grow any like leafy green ⁓ kale I can I'm really good at growing broccoli and cabbage

Okay.

I have never grown tomatoes from seed and so I feel like that's something I don't I don't particularly like tomatoes but I like what I can make with them and so

if I had to spend some time developing my skill at growing anything it'd be tomatoes.

And there are so many varieties of tomatoes. I mean, I'm more of a heirloom tomato guy.

But yeah, I mean, I love I think it's difficult to have a a good, fresh salad. And one of my neighbors recently dropped off a huge bucket of lettuce, and it was just so great. It was just so great. I mean, it tastes so much better than the store bought lettuce. And so, I mean, just to have that access, you know, during the growing season must be amazing. But

wow.

I mean, hey, keep at it with the tomatoes, man. And and for someone who likes for someone who likes guacamole so much, I mean, you know, tomatoes kinda elevate the guac. So if you're gonna throw you know, if you're gonna throw the eggs in there, you gotta you gotta work on the tomatoes, okay?

Ha ha ha.

No, they do.

All right, we're gonna play a game called Farmer Steph. Okay, I'm gonna ask you if you'd ever be interested in farming the following. Okay. And these are real things that you can farm. All right, how about leeches? Would you ever farm leeches?

something you'd fancy. You wouldn't want to do that? You want you wouldn't want to separate a parcel aside and have a nice sterile medicinal leech building.

I mean I see the value, but I don't think I would no.

I mean we so we see them in medicine when you have a plastic surgery. So people that get these really delicate ⁓ muscle flaps ⁓ actually leeches release this blood thinner ⁓ and it helps perfuse these muscle flaps and actually keeps them alive so that's why they grow

No.

They grow leeches. They have leech farms. Yeah, it's actually pretty interesting.

right, I have a couple more for you. How about moose milk? Is that something you'd be interested in?

like the moose? Like a mammal? Like a mammal. Like milking moose.

Like the moose. L like yeah, like a mammal. Like moose milk. Would you wanna

is their milk like more calcium rich or like what's the difference between cow's milk and moose milk?

⁓

all I can say is that there's a moose milk farm in Russia and they actually don't drink the milk. They use it exclusively for medicinal purposes at the Ivan Susanin San sanatorium. So yeah, it's very interesting. But I just thought, hey, is that something you'd be interested in? No. Yeah, I don't think I'd be interested. I I'd probably be more interested in the leech farms than the moose milk. All right, I have a couple more for you.

Interesting.

No.

How about ⁓ spider goats?

Certainly.

Yeah, so it's interesting. I didn't even know this. At Utah State University, they grow goats whose milk is used for spider silk. I guess they spliced spider DNA. This isn't this is not like Spider-Man. This actually happened. So they spliced spider DNA with goats. And then when they extract the proteins from the milk, they make biosteel that ca that's used in like microsurgery, which is which is pretty awesome, right?

Interesting.

Ha ha ha.

wow.

Spider Goats gonna be hanging out at your apartment. okay, how about the last one? Swiftlet Birdness.

I'm not sure what swiftlets are, but I love birds. I do.

You like birds? So this is pretty interesting. ⁓

so they are dissolved, not the birds. Okay. The nests are dissolved into a goopy soup delicacy in East Asia. But I guess harvesting them is really difficult because it damages the bird population. So the farm the farmers have set up like these concrete like zones where they can lay the nests and collect them. ⁓ they sell for five thousand dollars a pound.

The yeah, five thousand dollars a pound. And I guess it's it's mostly made of the their saliva. so yeah, that th they I don't know. The so they these nests in Asia are selling for like five thousand dollars a pound. So would that be something you'd be interested in?

Certainly. I mean it's

I've always been interested in in farming like rarer ingredients like saffron and you know, I don't know if anyone's been able to cultivate truffles, but truffles and cordyceps, right? Like chefs, you know, pay a lot of money for really rare ingredients.

Mm.

Yeah.

there you go. Well look, Swiftlet's bird nest could be in your future. And again, not that Taylor Swift needs any more money, but I feel like there's a marketing scheme that's just like waiting to hatch.

Yeah that's right.

Steph, I read everything I could about the Working Families Party. ⁓ and I have to say it reads like the Democratic Party platform, ⁓ which which honestly I love because that's why I'm a proud Democrat. So how would you differentiate yourself from the Democratic Party?

we are a party that does not want to be aligned with with special special interests. we put people in the planet ahead of profit at every turn, and you know, we want to build up and support candidates.

Who do the same.

The Republicans have now become co-opted and are the party of the maga fascists. But the Democratic Party has, you know, there are Democrats across the spectrum who have a myriad of expressions.

You have Democratic Socialists like AOC and Bernie. You have the the the the Democrat of the more technocratic kind like Elizabeth Warren, and then you have the really

you know, sort of blue dog,

party loyalists like I would say, you know, Chuck Schumer and and

Hakeem Jeffries. And so WFP wants to lower the bar of entry to participatory democracy.

but we also want to make sure that we're not being delusional in in in helping get folks elected. but I do know that because

white supremacist propaganda and how folks have been indoctrinated in different ways. The messengers have to be different. The messengers have to look different, at least at this juncture. ⁓ but we're trying to build a working class consciousness, a multiracial working class party, that serves the many and not the few.

I like that at the core you do want to help Democrats because you know, the worst Democrat, and and I hope we can agree on this, is still better than the best Republican politician, right? Like we're we're not we're not at a place right now where Republican politicians are gonna give anything that we want to achieve, whether you're a Democrat or part of Working Working Families Party, any closer to that goal, right? If anything, for me, it feels like Working Families Party.

Is a democratic engine that wants it to run faster. Right. We we want to it we want to achieve the things in the democratic platform, which is 91 pages long. I tell people over and over again, it's online, it's free.

And so I understand what you mean by we want progressives, we want people who are part of the working class, who are the ones suffering day in and day out, to achieve those things that are in the democratic platform that maybe some of the more moderate Democrats are not moving.

quickly, you know, through the legislature. So so I understand.

Most countries,

of of comparable size and of comparable

know, some economic stature, have multiple parties because, you know, people should be able to find themselves and see themselves most closely expressed in whichever political party. And when you have these two massive parties, it's really hard to see yourself in a party that has so many, ⁓ so many competing interests.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Well stay tuned. We're gonna talk about about political parties in in America and Pennsylvania shortly.

Steph, we're gonna play another game called Brain Drain. Okay, which is kind of play on your last name a little bit. ⁓ so I want you to let me know if these are some activities that help you just turn off your brain and just chill, okay? 'Cause and and

Ha ha ha.

I'm pretty sure gardening and cooking are already there for you. I'm not going to make it that easy. Okay. So how about doing a puzzle?

But like I'm talking like classic puzzles, like where you have all the pieces, no. Yeah, I that that is like the least relaxing thing to me. My wife my wife and a few of my kids, they'll do like the thousand piece puzzles or like the five thousand piece. It gives me anxiety. Like just seeing all the pieces out there.

Ha ha ha.

What do they do with them

after they complete the puzzle? Like that's the thing that'll give me anxiety.

So sometimes they'll we'll put glue on the back of them and then I'll hang them on the wall in their rooms. And some of the puzzles are really cool. Like, you know, depending on like right now my kids watch Rick and Morty, which like a hilarious show. And so like they'll do a Rick and Morty puzzle and then we'll put glue on the back and then I'll hang it on their wall. but sometimes they'll put the puzzle together and just like, that was fun. They'll take it apart. but yeah, my favorite part of any puzzle are the corners and the the outsides, like the borders.

Yeah.

Yeah.

'Cause those are the

those are the easiest parts to find, then like anything else in between is like not relaxing at all to me. So okay, we're on the same page about that. All right, how about ASMR videos? What do you think about those?

I actually really like those. I like the like the ones that ⁓ like the pre-sleep or like if there's a a strange there's like a strange material.

Mm.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

I also like the like the mukbang videos. I think they're really fascinating.

Yeah.

Yeah, they're interesting. Do you like the whispering ASMR videos? Yeah, I like those. They put I when I'm about to go to sleep at night, I love them. It drives my wife just crazy. She'll like hear the whispering. It's like, what do you do? I know what you're looking at. Turn that off. It's like it's like a it's like a stim for her that she doesn't appreciate. So but I I love those whispering videos. We're on the same page about that. All right. How about fishing?

I do.

Yeah.

not very good but I like being on

Hm.

I love fishing.

Yeah. See for me, I it's I like a guaranteed catch. Like I don't wanna sit there for three hours and then walk away with nothing. So for me, fishing is not that much fun. Also, I don't like grabbing the fish. Like I'm always scared I'm gonna get cut by their fins or something, but regardless, I I you it's something you can do in your spare time if you like.

all right

I feel like it's sort

of the philosophy of the of the journey, not the destination.

like, well, you know.

That's true.

Yeah, I th I think some people enjoy like having a beer or something and sitting back in the weather, but I I it's not not for me. All right, I have two more for you. Building a fantasy sports bracket.

actually not really interested in sports at all. So like you had me a fantasy, like I would build a fantasy world or build a fantasy, you know, because I'm really into Dungeons and Dragons and I I like gaming, but no no sports for me.

Me neither, man.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. No sports. Do you

feel left out like I do? I feel very left out of sports because I feel like it's a it's such a connector when people talk about things. But like my I build fantasy political brackets. You know, like I I want like I want good candidates to get elected to that have power over people's lives. But when it comes to like I couldn't I couldn't tell you the starting lineup of any sports team in Pennsylvania, like whether it's the Phillies or Eagles or or the Pirate, nothing. I couldn't tell you.

Ha ha ha.

That's right.

but people are obsessed with that stuff. So yeah, you're not that's not your thing either. Yeah. All right, we're on the same page. All right, here's the last one getting a massage.

No.

Every time. Every time. It's every it's everything.

Every time. ⁓ is it's just so lovely. Just so I don't get the

it's great. I don't get them enough. And honestly, I've been getting targeted videos of the ASMR massages. Do you see those are like people have like the long nails? Yeah. There are people that have long nails and they like run their nails along your body and it looks so relaxing. Yeah. Yeah. So again, we'll have to get one together sometime, okay?

wow. I'm gonna have to get one of those.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I spent a lot of time lobbying some of the folks in the state legislature and the state senate.

we we did a bunch of ⁓ demonstrations ⁓ in front of the refinery blocking trucks from going in and out of

folks in the community

are twenty times more likely to have developed upper respiratory conditions and cancer than folks who did not live within the sort of like catchment of of of the oil refinery.

And this is also, you know, sort of like exacerbated by folks who live in South West Philly and South Philly living between two of the largest incinerators in the country, the Cavanta incinerator down in Chester, and then there's another incinerator in Camden.

you know, I think it was like it was lobbying efforts, but activating members of the community who had already felt like the refinery was a stain, on their communities. but it was a it was a it was a group effort.

I'm really grateful that you got involved with that process and that you

part of the change that your community needed at

point in time.

Wow, you're still listening. Thank you so much. I want to make sure as many people in Pennsylvania as possible get to experience The Zekely Podcast. So to help spread the word, please take a moment to rate my podcast. Five stars would be great. Leave a comment as well. And if you're watching this on YouTube, please hit follow. Enjoy the rest of the show.

Steph, I I really appreciate, I want to, you know, shed light on this, that Working Families Party is not an apathy generating party. You know, by encouraging people to vote third party during general elections or not vote at all. To me.

Ha ha.

And I'm just glad that Working Families Party is not in that group of people saying, if I don't get exactly what I want, then we're telling people to stay home and not vote. And so and so I appreciate that.

I'm, you know, I'm a registered Democrat.

And that is the the the vehicle with which I express a great deal of my political power. and so you know again speaking back to WFP being a non-delusional third party, we've recognized that the majority of people who we're trying to engage just so happen to be Democrats and so we have to meet them where they are.

Mm-hmm.

I I just appreciate that and I'm glad that your organization is meeting this moment with seriousness.

all right, Steph, we're gonna play another game called Quit Playing Around, okay? I'm gonna say some things to you, and I just kinda wanna get your response, okay?

if someone says to you both sides are the same,

what's your what's your response to that?

I mean, I would say the same thing I said to a bunch of folks who you know, abstained during the twenty twenty four election, which is that a Trump presidency and a Kamala Harris presidency

they're not indistinguishable, right? Like I'm certain that, you know, although Kamala and I have positions that we do not

agree on that we would not have a fascist in the White House. And so the Republican Party is the party of mega fascists and white supremacists. And, you know, there may be people within the Democratic Party who have some of those some of the ideology, but they are not the great majority of that party. And so, you know, as someone who comes from you know, who grew up in poverty, who ⁓

you know, is of a marginalized community, I have to ⁓ be clear about those distinctions, right? One of the parties spells ⁓ I think doom for all who are not affluent and white and male and the other

allows for

multiple identity groups to to to coalesce and to express power together. Not perfectly, but there there's opportunity for that. So I would say that's bullshit.

Yeah, I I agree. It's total bullshit. I mean it's I I feel like you're saying you actually could have seen all this coming, right? Like where people say, I I how who could have seen all this bad shit happening? It's like, well, you know, if you pay attention, you you knew this was all gonna happen. All right.

Absolutely.

I mean they

shared the they shared the the the the mandate, right? They shared what their what their plans were ahead of ahead of Trump getting elected and

Right. Yeah.

Yeah.

It was an open book test, right? It was all there. It was open book test.

Yeah. That's a good way to put it.

If someone says politics are boring, what would you say to that?

you know, speaking back to how politics have been obfuscated and and and up you know obscured to to

working class everyday people who don't engage in politics very explicitly, like you know, someone like me or somebody who is you know works for the Democratic

People have felt so much apathy because politics have felt so far away from them. They've been so disconnected from their elected leaders and you know, part of them is intentional. And I would say that like there's probably no decision that you're gonna make in your life that does not have some political ramification.

you know, folks d deferring when they have children is is is be is is because of our political climate.

Folks deciding whether or not they're gonna go to school or or or having those decisions be made for them. I would say that like politics are for you and politics are happening to you and in the more powerful position or at least a more powerful perspective is to not allow the politics to happen to you, but to to push against the systems that that that that hold you down, but also to to to get involved locally and and be a part of a community organization or a party like.

WFP, you know, to really have some agency in in your life because the politics are going to happen to you or they're going to happen regardless of whether or not you engage.

That's right. I love it. I love your answers to all these ⁓ these prompts. I mean, look, it's obviously comes from a huge privilege vantage point to say that politics don't affect me, right? But but as you said, you know, engaging and being proactive in politics is better than being reactive, right? So so we should be proactive. Democracy works best when you get involved, just like Austin Davis says. so we should all get involved every day in our local and state politics.

Steph Kendra Brooks is the first working families party member elected to Philadelphia Council in history. And I often hear people complain about the two-party system in America. But let's let's have a discussion about what it takes to start a political party in America. But let's just focus on Pennsylvania. Okay, and you probably know this already. ⁓ but there are two stages, right? There's creating a political body, and then there's being recognized as a political party under under Pennsylvania state law. So it's all politics. It's all

Just a numbers game, right? So right now, Working Families Party is more of a political body, correct? Right. So you you have to basically get a certain number of signatures, and then there's a filing fee, right? So you have to get, you know, depending on what you're running for, could be a couple hundred, could be a thousand, and then you pay a fee, and then if officially you're a political body, working families party, right? Or any type of party, really. But then to be recognized as a political party under PA law, ⁓ you have to get at least

Yes.

2% of the largest statewide vote total cast for any elected candidate and receive at least two percent of the largest vote total in at least 10 counties. Okay, so once that threshold is met, officially you are a political party under Pennsylvania Election Code. So for anyone who's like, ugh, I just why can't we just have more parties? It's a lot of work. I mean, it's a lot of work to become a political party because you have to have a sense of

I just want to showcase that Working Families Party is putting in the work. You have, I think, what, 18 states now that are that have recognized working families party ⁓ political bodies.

I think that's right.

So so for anyone who says, I want more political parties, okay, step up and do the work, right? Because working families party is doing the work and try to be recognized.

On not just a state but a national platform, but it does take people getting involved.

the Republican Party and the Democratic Party have, you know, com compared to any other parties in the country, have unlimited resources.

they are the sort of for lack of a better term, like they are the incumbent parties. Folks have been voting on the Democrat and Republican Party lines for, you know, hundreds of years at this point.

Mm-hmm.

And so like there's going to take you know decades of of of work, of of advocacy and political education for folks to recognize that all Democrats aren't equal and you know if we

want the most democratic expression, if we want the most sort of participatory system, then we need a system that doesn't force people into a political binary. And so I think there's just a lot of work that has to happen, but building political parties is not easy. But I think that ultimately if we want a more engaged electorate, we do need to expand beyond the two-party system.

right, we're gonna play another game called Time to Party. Okay, so it's in honor of Pride Month. Okay. ⁓ we are going to make the LGBTQ plus community into a political party. You and me, right now, here on the Zekly Podcast, okay? All right, so so I feel like we have to condense the name a little bit. Okay, I like Working Families Party. You've got, you know, independent, libertarian. So what would be a good like

shorter name for the LGBTQ ⁓ political party. What do you think?

It was a queer party.

We got

the queer party. I like that 'cause it's kind of reclaiming reclaiming the the name. I was or I I was thinking

And I think queer

queer is expansive too, right? Like it's ⁓ it's kinda ambiguous and you know, 'cause you could be gender queer, you could be sexually queer, and you know, queer is sort of an umbrella or catch-in term for a bunch of other, you know, a bunch of expressions.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

I love it. I'm down. Okay, we got the queer party. Okay, we already have a flag, okay, but but what's the animal going to be?

think about like the feather boas and so I think

Mm-hmm.

a peacock is interesting

Peacock.

I like that. I like that a lot. Yeah. Okay, I'm down with that. I'm down. By the way, what's the backstory with the working families party mascot? It's a wolf, right? Wh where where did that where did that come from?

Yeah.

You know, I was not a part of the decision making process or in the room when they were talking about it, but I think the wolf funny story, I thought it was a fox initially because it's orange and I'm like, foxes are clever and you know, kind of kinda like

Okay.

Mm-hmm.

you know, like really resourceful and because we're up against this like larger machine the fox is sort of the fox is always winning through like, you know, cunning and strategy. But wolves are pack animals and so the you know, the the reason why we use the wolf is because we think about ourselves as being a part of a of a

Yeah.

party that like moves information. And so the more people we organize, the larger our pack becomes. But it's about, you know, wolves are social and so it's about developing developing ourselves through through these social mechanisms. And ⁓ you know, like the wolf is only as strong as the pack is and so the party is only as strong as the people are.

Mm.

Mm-hmm.

I love it. No, I I love that that's that symbolism. It's great. Okay, back back to our building of a party, but I like it. Peacocks. Okay. who's going to be the first chair of the party?

Ooh, I think

I'm gonna see if we I'm gonna see if we're thinking of the same person. 'Cause I have I have someone

Is this

is this nationally or in Pennsylvania?

Could be either or. But I I mean I I I have some. I I'm gonna give it away a little bit. Mine would be from Pennsylvania.

Is it Malcolm?

You got him, man. Malcolm Kenyatta. He's all he's all I think he'd be the best first chair of the ⁓ the queer party. I think he'd be good, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah. He's amazing. I mean he he's already the vi he's the vice chair of the DNC, right? So it just makes sense that he should just jump right over there.

That's actually that's actually really good. Yeah, that's actually really good. Yeah.

okay, here's the last one. I I think that every party should have an anthem, personally. Okay. I think I think music touches people in a way that just, you know, brings out emotions. So who would you recommend would sing the anthem?

Or compose it I guess, but like who who you think would would come up with that melody for the queer party?

I mean I'm a I'm a Zoomer and so I want a younger queer artist. I probably

Okay.

gonna say Lil Nas X. yeah, that's yeah, maybe. I mean like Beyonce but like I think even though I don't know if Beyonce is queer or not, I think Renaissance is like is going to be the queer album of the at least the the

Lil Nas X? man, that's that it that that cuts. That'd be great.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

the last decade. So I I would say having Beyonce do it would be like renaissance could be like I I don't know. I would say Beyonce, fuck it.

Mm-hmm.

I think we're I think we're gonna blend

it together. We're gonna we're gonna like Nas, Lil N Lil Nas X and Beyonds are gonna come together and make the the queer political Parties anthem. I love it.

well happy pride, Steph.

Navy Brian.

Steph, what gives you hope?

I mean, it's always the young people, right? Like

young people are on the forefront of every revolution that has ever happened, right? Young people are you know, I think some combination of not being jaded and beaten down. ⁓ but also like there's a sort of animating they have this like animating thing that I think a lot of older folks don't have and and and so they don't they don't get stuck in the in the fear But I think young people give me hope.

Dr. Reverend, you know, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King said this like really well that like the moral arc is long but it bends towards justice. Like I believe that the circumstances with which, you know, folks in in this country ⁓ are living in and under, even though we have a really fucked up and terrible economy and you know, things are uncertain, you know, my ancestors were enslaved in this country and black folk in this country in particular have spent more time in bondage. ⁓

you know, more time under state surveillance, more time trapped than we have being able to be to to be fully free. And so I think that, you know, my ancestors, you know, against their will were brought to this country, but I think through the expression of their hope and the and the profound love that they had for

their their progeny like

there were several generations of black people who who were born and died in slavery,

like the foreknowledge to understand that at some point in in in our in our in our timeline that we would be free and so I think that

Mm-hmm.

we are trending towards a much better world a much better future the climate crisis is is really scary scary and daunting but the things that were acceptable in America fifty years ago are no longer acceptable the things like the just I've seen the political conscience grow

and working class people, you know, like the the push against data centers, the push against

⁓ the push against mass incarceration. And so I do think that you know we're moving towards a brighter future. And I have hope that, you know, the people are not going to accept the the worst circumstances and people are are are

Empowering themselves and being empowered.

I appreciate that. Look, as long as people like you exist, Steph, I'm gonna keep having hope too. Because it's people like you that that keep that mission going. And and we need to have more people like you. And and I think we would achieve a lot more a lot quicker if that if that were the case.

Steph, my last question for you is what are your plans to get you through these next few years? Because it's been rough, man. It's been rough in America as you as you've been stating.

I mean, you know, like continue to fight, you know, against the the the MAGA Republicans. That's my favorite pastime.

Yeah.

you know, but I think like I wanna expand community and I want more young people to engage in politics.

I actually think

part of it is building a culture and a community around the political project, right? WFP has a political culture. you know, we have branding, we have swag, ⁓ but we do have an expansive community of people who love and care about each other. ⁓ and so, you know, the thing I'm gonna be doing during the day is like building the fucking party, right? As as as our fearless leader, our executive director Maurice Mitchell says that we gotta build the fucking party.

So I'm gonna be building a fucking party over the years. ⁓ you know, and I'm also gonna be taking some time to tend my garden and to tend to myself as a living thing and take rest when I need to and refuel when I need to, but you know, I'm I'm ready

Love it.

Well, Steph Drain, political director in Pennsylvania of Working Families Party.

I'm glad we're on the same team, man. I mean, because because this this is gonna be our year. We need the trifecta in Pennsylvania. We're supporting the same candidates. I'm sick and tired of not moving forward quickly enough in Pennsylvania. And the people holding us back are Republican politicians in the state senate. So thank you for everything that you're doing with WFP.

look, the growing season is upon us. So I I hope you enjoy the lettuce and the greenery. Keep working on your tomatoes, okay, Steph?

I will. Thank you for having me. It's been it's been wonderful.

Absolutely.

Well, thank you so much for joining me here on The Zekely Podcast. Stay hopeful and get involved. And until next time, let's keep building a stronger Pennsylvania together.