Julia Roig & Merle McGee: Reimagining Civic Life

Aug 21

Julia Roig & Merle McGee: Reimagining Civic Life

In this inspiring Brave Voices episode of The PlayFull Podcast, host Kristine Michie reunites with civic leaders Julia Roig and Merle McGee for a deep, moving exploration of what it means to be brave in today’s fractured world. This isn’t just a conversation about activism—it’s a masterclass in navigating complexity, showing up authentically, and leading with radical imagination. With stories ranging from veteran-led rallies to art-fueled dialogues, listeners will find themselves reflecting, resonating, and reimagining what’s possible.

Key Takeaways:

Bravery today involves maintaining moral clarity while acknowledging the emotional and ideological diversity of others' lived realities.
Calling people in creatively, rather than calling them out, is essential to radical collaboration and sustaining civic engagement.
The Horizons Project’s work around asset-framing moves beyond promoting counter-narratives to shifting the terrain entirely—e.g., moving from “no one is illegal” to “everybody belongs.”
Everyday Democracy’s arts and democracy initiative uses art as a conduit for dialogue and civic imagination, notably through ambitious partnerships, like the one at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Julia Roig explains “relational infrastructure” and why shared storytelling is as vital as traditional strategy and action planning for organizers.
Events like the “Unite for Vets” rally model how intersectional coalitions—from labor to arts—can converge in joyful, bipartisan solidarity, picking up on a common PlayFull podcast theme around “finding the 3rd thing” that can unite.
Merle shares the importance of “pivoting on purpose” in activism, which reflects a martial arts principle from Capoeira, where resistance is dialogical and embodied.
The idea that hope cannot yet be physically located in the brain becomes a metaphor for expanding collective radical imagination.
Leaders are encouraged to "get in where you fit in" and contribute to movement work in aligned, accountable, and sustaining ways—whether through strategy, storytelling, protest, or feeding people.

"Bravery is stepping into, like, the inherent tensions of how change is going to happen in this moment." — Julia Roig

"We get bound by our own purity politic or ideological purity that doesn't allow us to fully cross bridges, to fully be in our humanity." — Merle McGee
"We don’t need to reinforce the narrative of people being illegal by being oppositional... shift the narrative terrain—say something like, everybody belongs." — Julia Roig

More about Julia Roig & Merle McGee:

Merle McGee is President & CEO of Everyday Democracy, with 25+ years fighting for justice across racial, gender, and economic lines. [LinkedIn]
Julia Roig is the Founder & Chief Network Weaver at The Horizons Project, promoting peace, justice, and democracy through narrative and restorative practices. [LinkedIn]

Connect with Kristine:

Website: https://www.impactfullinc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactfull_inc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-breese-michie/