10 Yes, It’s Possible to (Gracefully) Talk Politics at Work
by Raina Brands
Several years ago, ABC News released a music video by Will.I.Am aimed at increasing the voter turnout for the 2008 U.S. presidential election.1 The video, “Yes We Can,” quickly went viral and became a rallying call for those supporting Barack Obama’s campaign.
Two of my coworkers had very different reactions to the video. Emma stepped into my office at the end of a long day and breathlessly described how she’d been listening to the song on repeat. It had inspired her to seriously consider quitting her job to campaign for Obama full-time. The next day, I saw another coworker, Logan, arguing passionately with Emma about the video. “It’s all editing and music,” he yelled. ...
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