Ady Barkan was an American lawyer and socialist activist. He was famous for being the co-founder of the Be a Hero PAC. He was also known for being a player of a pivotal role as an organizer for the Center for Popular Democracy, leading the Fed Up campaign. In a remarkable moment, he confronted Senator Jeff Flake on a plane in 2017, urging him to "be a hero" and vote against a tax bill that threatened cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Sadly, he died on 1st November 2023 at the age of 39. Barkan is survived by his wife Rachael and their two children.
American lawyer and socialist activist, Ady Barkan was the co-founder of Be a Hero PAC and led the Fed Up campaign. Furthermore, he confronted Senator Jeff Flake on a plane in 2017. He received the "Freedom from Want" award for fighting for economic security and fair healthcare in 2023. He left this world on November 1, 2023.
Ady Barkan, born on December 18, 1983, hailed from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. His birth name was Ohad Barkan. He came from immigrant parents from Romania and Israel. His mother, Diana L. Kormos-Buchwald, is a professor of the history of science at the California Institute of Technology, and his father, Elazar Barkan, is a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University. He grew up in a "secular Jewish household," first in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and later in Claremont and Pasadena, California. He held dual U.S. and Israeli nationality, and his ethnicity was mixed.
For his education, Ady attended high school in Claremont, where he became engaged in progressive activism, particularly in the fight against anti-gay rights legislation. Barkan went on to graduate cum laude from Columbia College in 2006, having studied under economists Joseph Stiglitz and Jeffrey Sachs, before earning his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2010.
Between college and law school, Ady Barkan worked on Democrat Victoria Wells Wulsin's congressional campaign in a strongly Republican area of Cincinnati, serving as communications director. After law school, he lived in New York, focusing on immigrant legal rights and clerking for Judge Shira Scheindlin on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Later, he joined the Center for Popular Democracy (CPD), where he organized local left-wing officials through the Local Progress initiative, helping secure paid sick leave in New York City and a $15 minimum wage in Seattle.
He also initiated the Fed Up campaign through CPD, advocating with the Federal Reserve for the impact of monetary policy on low-income individuals. Barkan's activism continued with the Be a Hero campaign, supporting progressive causes and candidates, and he famously confronted Senator Jeff Flake on an airplane about tax cuts. He played a key role in efforts to influence Senator Susan Collins during Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation and testified before Congress in favor of Medicare for All. Despite his battle with ALS, Barkan remained a prominent political thinker and advocate, co-chairing Health Care Voter, and publishing a memoir, "Eyes to the Wind."
His activism extended to supporting Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign, featured in the documentary "Not Going Quietly." In 2022, Barkan participated in Oxfam's campaign to make COVID-19 vaccines more accessible worldwide. In 2023, he received the "Freedom from Want" award from the Roosevelt Institute for his unwavering commitment to fighting for economic justice and a fair healthcare system in the United States.
Ady Barkan was married to his beautiful wife, Rachael King, an English professor. The couple, who initially met as undergraduates at Columbia, shared their lives in Santa Barbara, California, and were blessed with two children: a son, born in 2016, and a daughter, born in 2019. The names of their children are Carl and Willow. The family was leading a happy life before the demise of Ady.
Ady Barkan passed away at the age of 39 on November 1, 2023, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. His death cause was due to complications of ALS. His wife, in a heartfelt announcement on his X account, shared the sad news, expressing gratitude for the caregivers who supported him throughout his battle with the disease. She revealed, "I'm devastated to share the news that Ady has died from complications of ALS," and noted that he leaves behind her and their two children. She also emphasized his role as a remarkable healthcare activist, while recognizing his enduring impact and legacy.
Ady Barkan was a lawyer and socialist activist. His net worth was estimated to be between $1 million - and $5 million as of 2023. He was making his annual salary of thousands of dollars throughout his professional career. His main source of wealth was his lawyer career. He lived a cool lifestyle till his last breath.
Ady Barkan was an active member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a prominent and influential political organization in the United States. The DSA, characterized by its multi-tendency approach, advocates for democratic socialism and champions labor-oriented policies. Through his involvement with the DSA, Barkan contributed to the organization's mission and ideals, working to promote a more progressive and equitable political landscape in the United States.
Barkan founded the non-profit organization Be A Hero, which was dedicated to the fundamental mission of enhancing healthcare accessibility and quality in the United States. Through Be A Hero, Barkan initiated various advocacy and awareness campaigns, leveraging his own experiences and struggles with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) to promote a fairer and more just healthcare system. The organization played a significant role in the national dialogue surrounding healthcare reform and remained a testament to Barkan's commitment to addressing pressing healthcare issues in the USA.
Ady Barkan, who married Rachael King, became a loving father to two children; Carl and Willow: a son born in 2016 and a daughter born in 2019. However, his life took a challenging turn when he was diagnosed with the terminal neurodegenerative disease ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) in 2016, shortly after his son's birth. Despite these hardships, Barkan's unwavering advocacy and dedication to various causes led to his recognition as "the most powerful activist in America" in a 2019 headline in Politico Magazine.
In 2021, filmmaker Nicholas Bruckman crafted the documentary "Not Going Quietly," which served as a poignant and insightful exploration of Ady Barkan's life after his ALS diagnosis. The documentary portrayed Barkan's personal struggles and his remarkable advocacy efforts. It notably delved into two pivotal moments that catapulted him to national prominence: his legal battle against his insurance company and his courageous confrontation with a senator on an airplane, both of which revolved around crucial healthcare issues and underscored his unwavering determination in the face of adversity.