Dr. Stephen Haycox is a distinguished professor of history emeritus, a respected author of numerous books and essays, and a columnist for the Anchorage Daily News. In 2003, he was named the Alaska Historical Society's Historian of the Year and received the Alaska Governor's Humanities Award. Before his retirement, Prof. Haycox taught history for over 40 years at the University of Alaska, where he was named a distinguished professor and was awarded the Edith R. Bullock Prize for Excellence. Steve earned his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon in 1970. His books include Frigid Embrace: Politics, Economics, and Environment in Alaska, Battleground Alaska: Fighting Federal Power in America's Last Wilderness, and the recently revised Alaska: An American Colony, which has been called “the finest history of Alaska yet produced.” He was born in the Upper Midwest and attended high school in a suburb of New York. He was a musician in the Navy and served in the Pacific.

Norm Eisen, co-founder of State Democracy Defenders Action - from his speech at the Anti-Autocracy Conference in July 2024

1. Democracy rests on the rule of law. Someone who denies the sanctity of the Constitution and serially violates our laws cannot be president.
2. Democracy cannot survive without truth, facts, science, and evidence.
3. Free and fair elections are the essence of democracy, where power resides in the people.
4. Civil discourse must resolve differences. Compromise is essential to governance.
5. A democratic government cannot operate without an independent, nonpartisan civil service; subject matter expertise is essential to good government.
6. An ethical government free from corruption and self-interest is vital to democracy.
7. The United States is indispensable for international stability, economic prosperity, and democracy. Our military takes an oath to the Constitution, not to a single leader.
8. Democracies require and ensure widespread prosperity. Technologies that deliver economic benefits for citizens require domestic calm, commitment to the rule of law, and opposition to cronyism.
9. A vibrant, independent press is essential to democracy.
10. Equality and civil rights are foundational to the American creed. Men and women are created equal.

Jory Knott is the Executive Director of the Alaska Innocence Project. A lifelong Alaskan, he earned an interdisciplinary degree in art and music at UAA, then moved to Oregon, where he composed music, wrote grants for creative projects, and apprenticed in stone masonry. He became the operations manager for a masonry company with stone-cutting operations and rock quarries across the Pacific Northwest. In 2009, he moved back to Alaska. He changed his career trajectory, teaching music and art to adults with special needs while attending UAA and pursuing legal studies with a minor in civil engagement. He interned with the Alaska Innocence Project in the fall of 2015. He helped manage the office for months while founding Executive Director Bill Oberly attended the trial of the Fairbanks Four, who were exonerated that December. Hooked on innocence work, Jory went to law school at the University of Montana, volunteering with the Montana Innocence Project. He returned to extern with AKIP during his last year of law school and has been working there full-time since his graduation.

Jory's slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9e3v5ex99629iu6d2j081/AKIP_AUUFPowerpoint.pdf?rlkey=9vho70g1u6nxih6z8il4snza9&dl=0

Forrest Dunbar - - was elected to the Alaska State Senate in 2022 as a Democrat representing District J, the East Anchorage, Campbell Park, UMED, College Gate, Airport Heights, Mountainview, and Russian Jack neighborhoods. After challenging Don Young for Alaska’s Congressional seat in 2014, Forrest served on the Anchorage Assembly from 2016 to 2023, including two stints as Assembly Chair. Forrest is a lifelong Alaskan, originally from Eagle, on the Yukon River, and a graduate of Cordova High School. Growing up, he worked as a commercial fishing deckhand, cannery worker, and wildland firefighter. He earned his bachelor’s in economics and international service from American University and then a dual master’s in public policy and a law degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and Yale Law School. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kazakhstan and is a major and Judge Advocate in the Alaska Army National Guard. Forrest is a member of Congregation Beth Sholom and was married in July of this year to Tasha Boyer.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/17kgtz0a17dka8k5qsn12/Anchorage-Unitarian-Universalist-Fellowship_11.17.24.pdf?rlkey=iqjj596648c5ia5ohmuqo97xg&dl=0