Blog
Is Every Day a Crisis?
In times of economic turmoil, organizers and activists rarely have the time to think about how to take advantage of the opportunities before us and build on our organization’s strengths.
Keep Moving Toward the Vision!
It is with great hope that I write today. Hope for a better tomorrow and for a better future. Because of the work I do I get the privilege of seeing huge wins and changes happening when people join together and follow their vision toward big transformations. We need to continue to focus on the […]
INSPIRED
In September, media reported that more money was being spent on political ads in North Carolina than any other state. It is one of six states where 9 out of 10 of all ad dollars are going to this contested presidency. Not only is the presidential race close, but the Senate, the governor’s race and […]
Time for Compassion
Like many people who grew up in poverty in this country, I was embarrassed and ashamed about my background. Not until after I had spent time in Nicaragua in the 1980s, where people understood poverty in a very different way, did I decide to “come out of the closet” as a poor person back home. […]
No Matter What Happens
As we sit here in anticipation of an election that will change our history for generations to come, I feel both excited and afraid of what could happen. The divisiveness of our country, the fear of voter suppression and possible violence sits heavily on my mind, as I’m sure it does yours. But no matter […]
Is it Just a Band-Aid?
Not all ways of working for change appeal to everyone. Some organizers disdain reform, which involves changing laws and policies. In many cases, reform means trying to protect current policies that serve the public. These are what Joanna Macy calls, “holding actions.” I know that the compromise that is so often at the heart of […]
Sometimes You Will Fall, But Most of the Time, You Will Fly
Whether or not we’re actively engaged with social justice work, most of us know what’s wrong with our world. Yet often we don’t know what we want instead. We just don’t want more of what we’re seeing every day on the news. Some of us are exploring questions of equity and social justice by working […]
Home
This is a critical moment for the environmental movement. As we watch in horror the effects of climate change – the catastrophic droughts, floods and fires – grow in severity and frequency, our ability to galvanize a broad-based response has been under attack. The Right’s onslaught on science and bedrock environmental protections is terrifying. Misinformation […]
The Toolbox You Really Need
I’ve been thinking a lot about toolboxes lately. Our local home improvement stores are busy with customers and their DIY home repairs. We are gardening more, painting more, reorganizing and unclogging. But we need more than screwdrivers and sanders. We need a toolbox for activists to fix what’s going wrong in our country today. I […]
The Unhappy Marriage of Food and Politics
Food insecurity is particularly visible among immigrants, the same people who work so hard to supply food to our tables. Undocumented immigrants are barred from most government aid, so the CARES Act has done them little good. Last month’s new “public charge” rule, set to go into effect October 15, is even discouraging legal immigrants […]
