American People Are Fighting Back Beautifully
Look what's going on now!
I truly believe that inspiration feeds inspiration, and that the more we share of ourselves in the world, the more others are inclined to do the same. Right now, we have some pretty amazing folks using their ideas to strengthen our civic base.
None of this takes more than a person with an idea, taking a leap and believing they can make a difference. I hope they lift you up and feed your fighting soul this week!
Across the country: take your broken heart, and turn it into art.
Starting today, artists across the country are displaying their take on resistance in a wide array of forms and venues. On November 21st and 22nd, the Fall of Freedom event brings together art displays that are “independently organized, yet united by the shared value of standing against fascism.”
The weekend’s actions include a film by Shepard Fairey, sing-alongs, projections on buildings, gallery displays, roundtable discussions, book readings, and loads more.
Find out what’s going on near you on the official website here.
South Dakota partners build civic strength.
Coming up on Monday, November 24th, South Dakota nonpartisan partners will host a series of events across the state that are meant to connect residents with people in their state who act as liaisons for civic action.
Event coordinator Julia Hellwege said that the series is meant to convey that understanding government and participating in it are civic duties. She said, “If we’re concerned about the things happening to us, the best thing to do is to be involved in the process.”
To learn more about events and where they are happening, click here.
Another opportunity for young South Dakotans to become engaged in the political process is through the state’s annual “I Voted” sticker competition. The competition is open now to K-12 students, and it runs through February 1, 2026.
For more details, click here.
Singing protests at city council meeting
During Fayetteville, Arkansas’s November 18th city council meeting, residents showed up to protest the destruction of a beloved wildland for the construction of a new school. Two residents chose to share their concerns via song, performing an original composition that gave voice to the value of the woods and fear of losing them.
It turns out these two performers are no amateurs and are beloved educators in their community. Their unique protest was celebrated online by those who clearly knew them and treasured their perspective.
If this kind of public comment becomes a trend, I am very much here for it. I love them. Watch the whole song here.
South Carolinian neighbors protect their wetlands.
This month, the AP featured a very cool ongoing project in Charleston, South Carolina, headed up by three friends who really just wanted a closer relationship with nature in their suburban neighborhood. After adopting a nearby forgotten marshland, their efforts to connect themselves and their families with the natural environment blossomed into a wider effort adopted by the surrounding community.
They founded a nonprofit organization called the M.A.R.S.H. project that now employs a wide array of civic action to protect and improve the environment.
Just this week, a local gym hosted a cleanup that boasted 400 volunteers who removed 1,025 pounds of trash from streets surrounding the wetland. It was rife with community bonding and collective action for the greater good.
Keep it growing, everyone!
I hope these beautiful Americans spark the same hope and lightness in you as they do me. Go forward with a spring in your step and a spark in your imagination as you think of the possibilities ahead.
With love and hope for the future,
Stephanie
What is going on where you live that inspires you?
Fantastic work 👍🏻✌🏻
The regime keeps trying, they’ll keep on ‘flooding the zone’ hoping things will pass unnoticed. But there are apparantly many many Americans awake enough. Respect for the resistance, where so many people are willing to play their part. No heroes needed, only many many ordinary people doing what they can, with what they have, where they are re-imagining and re-claiming a decent and fair society for all!