Fans of grassroots politics will go for a 6-mile walk in New Hampshire on Saturday to honor and extend the legacy of a political activist from New Hampshire affectionately known as “Granny D.”
The memorial walk, an annual event now in its 15th year, honors the late Doris Haddock, who famously made her way on foot from California to Washington, D.C., arriving in the nation’s capital in 2000 — when she was 90 years old — to call for campaign finance reform.
Haddock went on to form the Coalition for Open Democracy in 2009 before her death in 2010. The nonprofit, which continues working to make the government in New Hampshire more responsive to everyday people, is hosting Saturday’s walk followed by a democracy festival in Peterborough.
Olivia Zink, the coalition’s executive director, said this year’s theme is “building a multi-generational movement.” So the festival will feature not only speakers and musicians who walked alongside Granny D, but also a rising college freshman who hosted a voter registration drive at his high school after realizing how few 18-year-olds in New Hampshire are registered to vote, she noted.
“More than ever this year our democracy is under attack,” Zink said, “and I think we need to really make sure that we’re working to create a stronger democracy, where everyone feels like their voice matters.”
The attacks are coming from many directions, Zink added, whether it’s candidates who don’t believe in American democratic institutions, people who spread misinformation or disinformation, those who use AI-generated audio and robocalls to urge voters to stay home, or the general public growing apathetic because they think their votes don’t matter.
Ultimately, the coalition is working to promote political engagement and solutions that help to ensure politicians and government leaders hear the voices of Granite Staters at the ground level, she said.
The walk will begin at 9 a.m. near Granny D’s home in Dublin and end at Putnam Park in Peterborough, where the 2024 Democracy Festival will begin at noon. The festival will offer food, free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, music, speakers, and activities.
Participants are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and their Granny D hat, if they have one.
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Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.