American Gadfly Documentary
Released early January 2022, the “American Gadfly” documentary focuses on the political division in the U.S. More specifically, the 2020 Democratic primary campaign and how a group of teenagers attempted to push Senator Mike Gravel into the voting spotlight. The elderly but progressive candidate is featured in the documentary.
Panel Discussion
A panel discussion on Monday, March 14 featured four campaign veterans who explore how to save democracy in an authoritarian age. Panelists also spoke about what they learned from watching the “American Gadfly” documentary. Firstly, the panel features former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson. She is an activist, best-selling author, and lecturer who is known for solving complex problems. Secondly, Chief of Staff for Mike Gravel’s 2020 campaign Henry Williams is on the panel as well. He is the current Chairman of the Board of the Gravel Institute and studies mathematics and computer science at Columbia University. Third, the panel features Henry Magowan. He is a youth activist who helped lead the Gravel campaign and studies political science at Columbia University. Lastly, Skye Wallin. He is the director of the “American Gadfly” documentary and panel moderator for the discussion.
Real-world Application
The world is currently facing the expansion of authoritarian violence overseas, recently more evident in the Russian war in Ukraine. The panel explores this topic as well as how democracy is salvageable during the world’s current political system. The panel will talk of lessons learned from the late Senator Mike Gravel. Panelists will explore how social media, film, and progressive language expand the acceptance of political policies and help with the voting population. Even though these strategies’ development was during the 2020 campaigns, the topics are even more relevant today.
The “American Gadfly” documentary is on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu, Vimeo or YouTube Pay Per View. The documentary features all of the panelists who spoke on Monday. For more information, those interested can visit the “American Gadfly” website.