Albert Socolov’s introduction to political activism was at age 15, speaking on New York City street corners to raise money for the loyalists during the Spanish Civil War. After college and four years in the army during World War II, during which he participated in the Normandy landings, Al entered NYU Law School, where he was a founding member of the NYU Student Division of the National Lawyers Guild.

Allison Tupper’s political activism began with running a recycling center in the West Village, registering voters for McGovern, and fighting Westway. Who remembers neighborhood recycling or McGovern or Westway?

Carolyn Jackson worked in Cleveland with America Coming Together in 2004 to defeat George Bush, and joining ACT NOW when she returned to NYC proved therapeutic. Since then, she has spent a lot of hours phonebanking, canvassing and hanging out on street corners passing out literature on behalf of progressive candidates.

Ethel Sussman, red-diaper baby, feels as if she’s been involved in politics for her entire life, having been deeply affected as a child by the Rosenberg case and the McCarthy period. She did both organizing and civil rights work in the 60s . . .

Greg Kirschenbaum’s experience with local politics started in the summer of 2006 when he worked as a volunteer coordinator on a State Assembly campaign. Previous to joining ACT NOW, he served as Secretary for Manhattan Young Democrats, where he worked with ACT NOW in 2008 to elect President Barack Obama.

Paul Weidner, toward the end of a successful life-long career as a stage and theater director, and at the beginning of a so-far very short career as a novelist (Memoirs of a Dwarf, Terrace Books, in fine bookstores everywhere), got so fed up with the Bushies that he joined America Coming . . .

Robert’s recent stint in activism began by flying to Florida in 2004 during the final days of that presidential campaign volunteering at the early polling stations, phone banking and doing election day poll watching. By 2006, he found ACT NOW and was taking trains, buses and automobiles to PA and CT to canvass for congressional candidates.

Sasha Wolf began working with America Coming Together in the fall of 2004, and eagerly stayed on when ACT NOW became a Political Action Committee in its own right.

Unwilling to take it any more, Alex Hult went to Cincinnati in the fall of 2004 to work with America Coming Together. Intending to stay only for the weekend, he found himself there through Election Day organizing volunteers. Convinced of the efficacy of door-to-door canvassing, he joined up with Act Now in the summer of 2006.

Brooke’s involvement with ACT NOW can be viewed as an inspirational or cautionary tale depending on your point of view. Looking to do more than simply vote in 2004 Brooke found ACT NOW and one glorious bus trip on the Jersey Turnpike and an afternoon spent knocking on doors was all it took.

Gene Hill’s roots in politics go back many generations. A descendant of New Mexico’s early governors (when Spain and Mexico ruled) and grandson of that state’s Democratic Party chairman from the FDR era, Gene acquired his earliest political experience serving on the student senate (and then as entertainment chairman) of the University of New Mexico.

In 2004, Meema Spadola and Jack Stoller got married. Later that year they traveled to Fort Lauderdale to try to swing Florida for John Kerry. At least something went right that year.

Nathan McNeil worked with some of the Act New York crowd during the 2004 election cycle, and spent that Election Day weekend running around Philadelphia with posters and canvassing sheets. He continued to work with ACT NOW during the 2006 election season, and joined the Leadership Group shortly thereafter.