Ady Barkan

At the Center for Popular Democracy, Ady founded and ran the Local Progress network and the Fed Up campaign to demand accountability from government officials.

Since the onset of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in 2016, Ady has focused his work on the importance of ensuring that everyone gets the health care they need.

“Be a Hero” started after a viral video captured his conversation with then-Senator Jeff Flake on an airplane. Ady asked the senator to vote against Trump tax bill because of the profound impact the law would have on health care coverage. Since then Ady has mobilized thousands of people into active participation in American democracy and has become a leading voice in the struggle for Medicare For All.

His compelling book, “Eyes to the Wind, A Memoir of Love and Death, Hope and Resistance,” recounts both his growth as a social justice activist and the changes to his life and activism brought on by ALS.

We’re honoring Ady for his tenacity, his commitment to organizing people directly affected by injustice and his willingness to use his personal experience to move people to action.