Howdy Y’all,
I am back from the Annual Socialism Conference in Chicago this weekend, and deeply appreciate that several of you came to the session I moderated. It felt good to hear the shout-outs during the discussion period…
I am honored to be bringing long-time peace and justice organizer Jodie Evans to our show this Monday, July 14 at 3pm pacific, 6pm eastern. Jodie is the the co-founder of Code Pink. Immediately below my signature is an essay about Jodie and and Code Pink.
A friendly reminder that we broadcast live every Monday at 3pm pacific, 6pm eastern on the Democracy at Work YouTube channel. You can join the conversation and make live comments on YouTube by clicking here
I encourage you to join us live if possible, which will allow you to make comments on YouTube. If not, remember that you can always access the recording (both video and audio) by becoming a subscriber on the Redneck Gone Green Youtube channel by clicking here.
Onward to the world we deserve,
David Cobb (he/him)
The Redneck Gone Green
Why I put my pronouns in my signature
🌸 Jodie Evans: Anti-Imperialist Voice for Peace
Jodie Evans, a co-founder and co-director of Code Pink: Women for Peace and has been a visionary force in anti-war and social justice movements for decades. From war zones to board rooms, she builds bridges between grassroots activism and global diplomacy, and fearlessly calls out the hypocrisy of the warmongers using smart, strategic nonviolent civil disobedience.
CODEPINK is about taking action where it truly matters. They channel community grassroots democracy to where the power players are making (awful) decisions and make them listen. Wherever there is injustice, Code Pink is there. And you can tell because they will be proudly rocking bold pink colors!
Founding Code Pink & Anti-War Campaigns
2002 Inception: Amidst preparations for the Iraq invasion, Jodie and Medea Benjamin established Code Pink to channel feminist, anti-militarist activism into direct action
Early Visibility: Code Pink staged naked “PEACE” human banners against Bush-era war rhetoric and organized first delegations to Iraq in 2003—bringing U.S. military families face to face with Iraqi civilians.
Strategic Civil Disobedience & Advocacy
Jodie has co-organized and led multiple impactful protests, disrupting Sarah Palin’s RNC speech (2008), executing a “citizen’s arrest” of Karl Rove (2010), and targeting Koch-funded venues—all grounded in smart, strategic nonviolent resistance.
Ground the Drones (2009): Code Pink launched its drone campaign, drawing public scrutiny to U.S. drone warfare’s lethal impact on civilians
Vigil for Veterans: They held sustained vigils at Walter Reed Medical Center, successfully advocating for improved veteran care
Global Solidarity & Diplomatic Outreach
Jodie has been part of many peace delegations to conflict zones—Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Palestine—and protested at Guantánamo, embodying solidarity through presence In 2015, she joined 30 women crossing the Korean DMZ to promote peace.
Code Pink’s (Many) Ongoing Projects
3. Latin America “Good Neighbor Policy”
6. Building a Local Peace Economy
9. Divest from the War Machine
Cultural & Educational Tools
Jodie and CodePink consistently amplifiy dissent through media and art:
Documentary Production: She produced The Square, This Changes Everything, and The Brainwashing of My Dad—films that challenge empire and promote environmental justice.
Authorship & Curriculum: Co-editor of Twilight of Empire and Stop the Next War Now, she contributes to Beautiful Trouble, a practical activism toolkit.
Governance & Institutional Influence
Evans seamlessly connects activism to institution building:
As Director of Administration under Governor Jerry Brown, she fought for wind and solar advances and campaign finance reforms.
She serves on boards including Rainforest Action Network, Drug Policy Alliance, Institute for Policy Studies, and Women’s Media Center—leveraging institutional resources for radical causes.
Anti-Imperialist Vision & Ethical Consistency
Evans defines peace activism as true patriotism. In her op-eds, she draws on Howard Zinn to challenge militarism:
“The most terrible things … have resulted not from disobedience, but from obedience.” — Howard Zinn
She describes peace advocacy as global solidarity rather than U.S. state resistance, and urges activists to remember the Global South’s foundational role in anti-war victories.
From her early “primal scream” at the White House to coordinating international delegations, Jodie Evans epitomizes the best of anti-imperialist activism: bold, creative, intersectional, and deeply grounded in solidarity.
Through disruptive direct actions, global delegations, media productions, and institutional engagement, Jodie and Code Pink consistently amplify marginalized voices and hold power accountable. Their work is more than protest—it is a serious policy challenge to empire, reallocating resources from war toward life, justice, and planetary resilience.
As Jodie often reminds us, peace is not passive compliance—it is the highest form of active dissent grounded in our shared humanity.
Thanks for having me on! Excited to talk about cultivating a local peace economy while the empire dies.