Everywhere we look, a wave of resistance is rising. What will it take to win?
Everywhere we look, a wave of resistance is rising. My heart is full as I think of every one of you who is standing up right now to reclaim our democracy.
From Senator Cory Booker, who spoke through the night to Congress, to the Wisconsin voters who defeated Elon Musk’s bid to buy their Supreme Court, and the millions of people who joined Hands Off! protests nationwide to reject cuts to Social Security and Medicaid, we see signs of Resistance all around us!
Each of these acts takes courage, and is proof that you and I, ordinary people, have the power to stop authoritarians from taking over our society. Democracy is, at its heart, our right to imagine and build a better future for us all. We will not let anyone take away that right.
Yet what will it take for the Resistance to win?
The answer is we must organize. Good organizing, which empowers people to improve their lives through collective action, has been the key to every successful social movement in the history of this country - from the abolition of slavery to winning the 40-hour workweek, voting rights for women, the end of racial segregation and the right to marry who you love.
So yes, every person in this country must join the Resistance. Flood the streets, call your Members of Congress, and donate to organizations who defend rights and demand change. Then organize. For organizers, this moment offers us an opportunity to go deeper, develop leaders and build the long-term infrastructure we need to win.
“Good organizing,” one of my mentors once told me, “Is like surfing. We learn to observe the sea and anticipate good waves, so we can swiftly ride them.”
So even as we fill the streets and media with images of protest, we must also build our shared capacity to act together as a movement. We must build effective formations that not only help us win, but ensure that we sustain and build on those wins.
The good news is grassroots community organizing is a rich tradition that is alive and well, all around us. There are local groups in every state, many of which were founded by giants of the struggles for civil rights, womens’ rights, environmental, labor and gender equality. Organizers across our network have years of experience helping people identify what’s wrong where they live and take steps together to achieve change.
People’s Action has dedicated itself to identifying and innovating upon the best lessons of community organizing from these leaders and movements, and then sharing them with as many people as we can through our national training program. We have distilled many of these lessons into our latest report, The Antidote to Authoritarianism, and also share these skills with our member groups so they can start their own training programs on the ground.
If you’re a serious organizer, you know this is harvest time. Every good organizer wants to develop those around them, so the power of this work can continue long after they are gone, imprisoned or exiled. These are harsh, but real, possibilities we must now consider if the Trump administration follows through on its threats to single out and punish those it views as enemies.
So what can you do? This may be your first time raising your voice, or you may be a seasoned organizer. Either way, don’t build alone: join others. Find the People’s Action affiliate nearest to you, and get involved in their campaigns and training opportunities. Join one of our upcoming free trainings, to learn the fundamental skills of community organizing. And wherever you are in the country, join our national volunteer team to make calls into key districts to talk with constituents about what’s at stake right with the deep and harmful cuts to essential services and tax breaks for millionaires that have been proposed, while we can still stop them.
As I said in my last article, this fight is not about who you voted for - it’s about who gets to live with freedom and dignity. And it has only just begun: this is a long-term fight that will take every one of us. So let’s make sure we do all that we can to lift each other up, so we can all be as equipped and motivated as we can to take action together.
