If you're a progressive activist seeking to make economic change, delving into the role of "derivatives" or other arcane discussions likely results in blank stares. Which is why Erica Payne, founder of the Agenda Project says that progressives need to cut through the right-wing noise and talk about what's really happening to the U.S. economy. For Payne, explaining  the recession isn't complicated: "A bunch of rich privileged guys stole our money."

Some 3,000 netroots activists are headed to Providence, R.I., for the start of the annual Netroots Nation 2012 conference, where progressives of all stripes—with a big showing from the union movement—will share online and offline strategies for mobilizing at the local and national levels. The June 7-10 event features such blockbuster speakers as Rebuild the Dream co-founder Van Jones and NAACP President Benjamin Jealous and an economic keynote highlighted by Pulitzer Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler joined Rep. Debra Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.) Melissa Bradley from the Tides Foundation, Rha Goddess at The Opportunity Agenda and researcher Anat Shenker-Osorio yesterday’s at Netroots Nation plenary session.

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler joined Rep. Debra Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.) Melissa Bradley from the Tides Foundation, Rha Goddess at The Opportunity Agenda and researcher Anat Shenker-Osorio yesterday’s at Netroots Nation plenary session.

I’m at a Netroots Nation panel with some folks who have been on the front lines of state battles in Wisconsin and Missouri, along with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).  In the panel, they’re discussing their on-the-ground experiences, and how their strategies can be used by other states facing similar challenges (and, ultimately, used to build a national movement to take back the American Dream).

We’re live-tweeting AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler’s presentation at Netroots Nation in Minneapolis. In a panel on breaking down barriers to inequality, Shuler joins Melissa Bradley from the Tides Foundation, Rha Goddess at The Opportunity Agenda and researcher Anat Shenker-Osorio.

When you’re out with friends on a beautiful summer Thursday night in Minneapolis, supporting good union jobs might not be the first thing that comes to mind. At the Netroots Nation conference, we’re working to change that. One glass of beer at a time.

For the rest of the week, I’m with Tula Connell at the Netroots Nation conference in Minneapolis. You can follow the conference on Twitter at #nn11.

In many ways, the big difference between Minnesota and Wisconsin is Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Gov. Mark Dayton, who has fought tirelessly to beat back Republican attacks on workers’ rights. His victory in a very difficult electoral environment was truly incredible—especially given that, until his election, there hadn’t been a DFL governor in the state in 24 years.  

Lots more great labor involvement to report at the upcoming Netroots Nation conference June 16-19 in Minneapolis, in addition to the highlights we noted a few days ago.

Netroots Nation, the annual conference for online activists, is on next week, June 16-19, in Minneapolis. The union movement has a big presence there, as we seek to work more closely with our progressive allies in the netroots community. Here are some highlights:

• AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler is taking part in a June 17 lunch panel to talk about breaking down economic barriers that keep many Americans from moving ahead, especially young people, women and communities of color. She is joined by communications consultant Anat Shenker-Osorio and hip-hop artist Rha Goddess.