Ady Barkan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ady Barkan
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Barkan in 2019
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| Born | December 18, 1983 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Died | November 1, 2023 (aged 39) |
| Cause of death | Complications from ALS |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) Yale University (JD) |
| Occupation | Activist, attorney |
| Employer | Center for Popular Democracy |
| Known for | Fed Up, Be a Hero |
| Spouse(s) | Rachael King |
| Children | 2 |
Ady Barkan (Hebrew: עדי ברקן; December 18, 1983 – November 1, 2023) was an American lawyer and activist. He worked to make things fairer for everyone. Ady helped start the Be a Hero PAC. This group supports causes and candidates who want to improve healthcare and other important programs. He also worked for the Center for Popular Democracy, where he led a project called the Fed Up campaign.
In 2017, Ady spoke to Senator Jeff Flake on a plane. He asked the Senator to "be a hero" and vote against a new tax bill. Ady was worried the bill would cut important programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
Ady was diagnosed with ALS in 2016. ALS is a serious illness that affects how your body moves. Even with this illness, he became a very important activist. In 2019, Politico Magazine called him "the most powerful activist in America." In 2020, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ohad Barkan, who was known as Ady, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 18, 1983. His parents had moved to the U.S. from Romania and Israel. His mother, Diana Kormos Buchwald, is a professor. His father, Elazar Barkan, is also a professor.
Ady grew up in different towns in California. His family had a non-religious Jewish home. He was a citizen of both the U.S. and Israel.
In high school, Ady became interested in helping people. He joined efforts to fight against laws that were unfair to gay people. After high school, he went to Columbia College. He studied economics and graduated with honors in 2006. Then, he went to Yale Law School and became a lawyer in 2010.
Career
Early Work
Before law school, Ady worked on a political campaign. He helped a Democrat named Victoria Wells Wulsin try to win a seat in Congress. After law school, he worked in New York. He helped immigrants with their legal rights. He also worked for a judge named Shira Scheindlin.
Ady then joined the Center for Popular Democracy. He helped local leaders work together through a program called Local Progress. He helped this group grow to over 1,000 members. They helped win important changes, like paid sick leave in New York City in 2013. They also helped get a $15 minimum wage in Seattle in 2014.
Starting in 2012, Ady created the Fed Up campaign. This campaign worked with the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve is like the country's central bank. Ady wanted them to think about how their decisions affected people with low incomes. His group held protests and got their ideas included in important meetings.
Activism After ALS Diagnosis
In December 2017, Ady had a very important conversation. He was on a plane with Senator Jeff Flake. Ady asked the Senator to vote against a new tax bill. He was worried it would cut funding for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. These programs were very important for people like Ady, who had a serious illness. He asked Senator Flake to "be an American hero." Even so, Senator Flake voted for the tax cuts.
After this, Ady started the Be a Hero campaign. This group supports many causes that help people. It also supports political candidates who want to make positive changes.
In April 2019, Ady spoke to a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. He spoke about why he believed America needed "Medicare for All." This idea means that everyone would have healthcare through one system. Because of his ALS, Ady used a special device to speak. He explained how important good healthcare was for him and others.
Ady also helped lead a group called Health Care Voter. In 2016, Politico named him one of the Top 50 Political Thinkers. In 2018, he was listed as one of the 50 most influential American Jews. Many politicians, like Elizabeth Warren, spoke about Ady's fight for better healthcare.
Ady wrote a book called Eyes to the Wind. It was published in September 2019. The book shares his story of love, hope, and fighting for what's right.
A documentary film called Not Going Quietly came out in 2021. It showed Ady's activism after his ALS diagnosis. The New York Times called it a "warm and generous portrait."
In 2022, Ady spoke to the board of directors for Pfizer. Pfizer is a company that makes medicines. He asked them to make COVID-19 vaccines easier for people around the world to get.
In September 2023, Ady received an award called the "Freedom from Want" award. He got it for his work fighting for fair healthcare and economic help for everyone.
Personal Life and Death
Ady Barkan was married to Rachael King. She is an English professor. Ady and Rachael met when they were in college. They had two children: a son born in 2016 and a daughter born in 2019. They lived in Santa Barbara, California. Ady was also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
On November 1, 2023, Ady's wife announced that he had passed away. He died from problems caused by ALS. Ady was 39 years old.
