Laura Dawn

Laura Dawn (born January 1, 1970 in Pleasantville, Iowa) is a political activist and singer/songwriter. She has been the Cultural Director for MoveOn.org and the MoveOn PAC since March 2004.

Musical Work

In 1999, Laura Dawn released her first album "Believer" [ [http://wm06.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hcftxqr0ldje allmusic ((( Believer > Overview ))) ] ] on Extasy International Records, an offshoot of the Extasy label in Japan created by X Japan drummer Yoshiki. According to Laura Dawn's MySpace profile [ [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=19257108 MySpace.com - Laura Dawn - BROOKLYN, New York - www.myspace.com/laura_dawn ] ] , the label folded while she was working on her second album, which was never completed. She appears on Moby's album "Hotel", and she toured the world with him for 7 months in 2005.

Work with MoveOn

Laura co-conceived and co-created the Bush in 30 Seconds Ad Contest, co-organized the online contest and national media campaign, and produced Bush in 30 Seconds LIVE. [ [http://www.bushin30seconds.org/aboutus.html Bush in 30 Seconds ] ] She has created national campaigns and organized artists, musicians, & filmmakers extensively for MoveOn & all MoveOn PAC projects, such as the Bake Sale for Democracy, the Fahrenheit 9/11 Campaign, the Virtual Garage Sale, the "50 Million Women Count" media campaign, the MoveOn CD with Barsuk Records, the Kerry Kit, the Vote for Change Tour, a benefit concert for Voices for Working Families that raised $750,000 dollars for African-American voter outreach in one night, and most notably the "10 Weeks: Don't Get Mad, Get Even!" Ad Campaign and live event. [ [http://pol.moveon.org/10weeks/bios.html MoveOn.org Political Action: Democracy in Action ] ]

Laura was the executive producer for all of the celebrity directed commercials for the 10 Weeks Campaign, conceiving and creating the campaign and working on every aspect from the initial outreach to directors, writers, and actors, to the conception, execution, and airing of each commercial. She also organized the national press outreach on the campaign and produced the "10 Weeks: Don't Get Mad, Get Even!" live event which garnered national press coverage. Laura organized 13 Super Rallies in 13 swing state cities that took place in a day of 100 rallies the Saturday before the 2004 election, utilizing celebrity appearances and rock concerts to promote higher ground volunteer turn out.

Hurricane Katrina

Most recently, Laura compiled and edited the book "It Takes a Nation: How Strangers Became Family in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina", the story of MoveOn.org Civic Action's Hurricane Housing program, featuring a foreword by Barack Obama. Using the innovative online organizing techniques that MoveOn.org is famous for, MoveOn Civic Action members housed over 30,000 evacuees in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Bibliography

* Dawn, Laura. ed. "It Takes a Nation: How Strangers Became Family in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina" ISBN 1932771867

External links

* [http://www.lauradawn.net/main.html Official Website]

References

* http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/01/13/moveon/index.html
* http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0704-01.htm
* http://www.laweekly.com/general/features/tempest-from-a-teapot/1452/