Unrig Summit: democracy movement takes flight in Nashville | Opinion – The Tennessean

More than 2,000 unlikely allies from across the political spectrum from all 50 states are meeting at Music City Center this Friday through Sunday at what’s being called the ‘SXSW of Politics’ to ‘Unrig the System’.

Unrig Summit brings together a strange bedfellows group of speakers and activists from politics, entertainment, and media for a solutions-oriented event to solve America’s growing political crisis.

As polarization and corruption grips a hopelessly gridlocked political system, there is a beacon of hope in the states.

A movement is on the rise to transform how candidates run for office, how we vote for them, and how politicians govern while in office.

Music City is the place to launch this effort to appeal to 11 million

Reforms are being won to change the incentives so those in our government represent the will of the people, not just special interests and extremists.

Dozens of state and local reforms have passed in recent years — more than anytime in modern history — to combat gerrymandering, stop political bribery, end secret money, and fix our broken elections.

The leaders of those efforts will be at Unrig Summit, planning their next campaigns, and organizing to grow their movement to 11 million Americans.

Why that number? When a political movement mobilizes 3.5 percent of the population, that’s when it wins nationally. The democracy movement is gathering to take flight from the Music City to achieve that goal.

Their plan is detailed by Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence in a new short film titled “Unbreaking America.” Lawrence will be speaking at the summit this week in Nashville.

Nashville is just the right springboard for American democracy. From the Tennessean creating an environment for healthy discourse with Civility Tennessee, to the broad and diverse local leaders setting aside their differences to focus on solutions to the structural challenges in our government and elections.

More: Jennifer Lawrence, Howard Schultz coming to Music City for ‘SXSW of politics’

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Speakers and participants represent a wide spectrum of views

Speakers at Unrig Summit include U.S. Reps. Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville, and Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, former U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Chattanooga, and former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Penny White. Nashville Mayor David Briley, Nashville Metro Council Member Fabian Bedne, and Metropolitan Nashville Criminal Court Clerk Howard Gentry, Jr. will join the conversation.

We will recognize Odessa Kelly with Stand Up Nashville, for her successful activism as a champion for the people for better wages and more affordable housing.

Local organizations participating include the Beacon Center, Nashville chapter of Better Angels, Equity Alliance, Family Voices of Tennessee, Ranked Choice Tennessee, Safe Tennessee Project, Stand Up Nashville, Think TN, the Tennessee chapter of the Sierra Club, the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition and more.

We are grateful to these Tennessee leaders and organizations and the more than 200 volunteers along with professors, staff and students from local universities, local musicians, hotels, restaurants, law enforcement, and businesses who are all essential for the summit’s success.

Unrig Summit is founded on the notion that government should work for you and your family, not just a handful of special interests and lobbyists. That’s what unites conservatives, liberals, and independents. It’s time to fix the root cause of the dysfunction that defines American politics in 2019; to put country over party to unrig our broken system, together.

Josh Silver is co-founder and director of RepresentUs, the nation’s leading right-left anti-corruption group. Follow them on Twitter: @RepresentUs.

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