Social Activism in the Age of Trump: What To Do and What We Are Doing

Breakin' 2018: Democratic Boogaloo

how many people did you have to call to get a dozen engaged responses?

I didn't keep track tbh. I dunno, 75 maybe? I got a lot of numbers where there was just no answer, or the number was disconnected etc. I only talked to a couple people who said they were busy and didn't have time/weren't interested. I did it for 3 hrs and didn't *67 my calls (so that call recipients could see my number on caller ID), which might have helped.

A couple people actually texted me/called me back afterwards asking for more info which was surprising. (Unfortunately since by then I was home and didn't have any info in front of me I was probably not as helpful as I could have been). The number of people who were like "oh yeah, I HATE that guy" was refreshing.

12/75 massively higher hit ratio than anything I've gotten lately which is a hopeful sign that maybe the phone lists are getting better

it did make me realize that a big part of these kinds of exercises is whittling down the lists/targeting the right people. I'm not even sure where the list I had came from - it didn't have e-mails, and it included people of all ages registered to both parties + independents/decline to state. My first thought was voter rolls, but it was clearly a subset I'm just not sure what criteria was used to narrow it down.

trumpcare part 3? part 4?

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/09/how-close-are-republicans-to-repealing-obamacare/540171

I reckon I'll call my senators even though they've faithfully voted for every garbage version of Trumpcare up until now. If nothing else it'll make me feel better to tell someone in their office that Graham-Cassidy is going to cost our state almost $1.1 billion in federal funding. Good luck selling that bucket of shit in 2018 and 2020 and beyond.

I liked this. On the “scream-in” & more productive cathartic expressions

https://thebaffler.com/blessed-and-brightest/dont-troll-organize

The OurDream coalition, who's been roiling the immigrant rights movement by taking more confrontational action demanding a clean DREAM Act before the end of the year, is gearing up for another set of decentralized sit-ins next week & (I'm led to suspect) a high-drama direct action in DC.

I'm hosting a few of the training webinars for the decentralized action through the weekend. Sign up if you're curious what my day job's been like for the last couple of years, or if you've got a hankering to push your representative on humane action for 800,000 young immigrants:

Friday 9PM Training
Saturday 3PM Training
Saturday 9PM Training

A call to join with Alderman Rosa of Chicago & Mister Faust of the Internet re: single payer:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/adad19a5b161dd2d8c34be5db4a05ad8

Cool

Does anyone know if these Zoom calls can be recorded?

They can be from the admin side & we often record ours then put em in the can never to be visited again. Not sure if they can be recorded from the viewer side.

A dialer to make calls on DACA: https://go.ourrevolution.com/page/content/defend-daca/

A group of DREAMers doing a civil disobedience action in Schumer's office: https://www.facebook.com/actdottv/videos/726550190868883/

Once in custody, they plan to refuse to identify themselves and remain in jail, which for them will risk deportation. This tactic, "jail solidarity," is something I did in Texas this summer during arrest with a group of undocumented people. It was, forthrightly, scary going into a solitary confinement cell having no idea when I'd be released. I can't imagine how I would have felt knowing deportation was a possibility. A few of the people involved here are friends--I'm afraid for them but moved by their courage.

that's incredible.

Whoa

I'm sorry but is that a Peace Poet just off camera?

That is fucking awesome.

Hahah IO it would not shock me to know a Peace Poet is just off camera

Btw this is the "high-drama action" I was anticipating a few posts ago

If you wanna plug in to affiliated action next week sign up for one of those webinars I'm hosting that I linked to--first one is in a little more than 90 minutes!

press conf. day 4 of their being held, and they've begun a hunger strike:

https://www.facebook.com/seedproject/videos/1757558414546262/?hc_ref=ARSTgThRq93HipwbypOJ0vIEkcEwjhskyZcGTZ6DlJcbyv4KUg2PdP14ykI1uLtwaxo

xxp There was some monotonous and not very good singing going on so I just assumed.

Not to detract from the badassery and bravery currently being shown by these 7 DACA hunger strikers.

hah i do much prefer when we can carry a tune

i'm not really a fan of the flobots music but i really like this essay from one of them on the power of song for movements--it's part of why song is so crucial for seed proj & other orgs that are part of the momentum family, even when the singing leaves something to be desired.

I love to sing and I love to sing choral music, and I would go to SO MANY PROTESTS

...if they involved singing for several hours instead of walking and yelling things.

I think taking 6 songs from different traditions and teaching the parts in the crowd, one at a time, with song leaders people could follow to keep it going, would be phenomenal. Don't let churches have all the tunes!

hey hey ho ho pointless chanting has got to go

cosign

in my last org we literally started or ended every actual real business meeting with a song and maybe 75% of the time it was restorative and community building and fun and felt great

and then 25% of the time it would be the founder enthusiastically casting around for someone to start a song while we all just begrudgingly got through it so we could go do our work

lol yes no forced singing. And, my point, the songs should really be closer to something you'd listen to or sing for fun, not something you grind out for The Cause.

I mean look at churches. They're terrible, their whole schtick is terrible, most church organists and pianists are serviceable at best, and yet HYMNS. HYMNS ARE THE LIFEBLOOD. I can have a good 19th cent. hymn stuck in my head for a week and I don't even believe in that shit.

repetition is very powerful -- how many times had you heard those hymns? many times for many years. what other songs could you really say that about, esp at a formative age?
i do agree about church/gospel songs for sure.

walking and singing for me please
i'll take inspirational stuff but no popular music - i don't want to sing "we're not gonna take it" with feeling
i could stand to have a marching band playing something cool
my dad took me to one of john lewis's walks across the edmund pettus bridge in selma and i will not deny that i cried (a lot, not just repressed constipated tears/throat lump) while singing

into this idea, would give me a reason to go because honestly i hate yelling

Yeah now that you mention it there was one BLM protest when Selma, the movie, had just come out, and we walked through Harlem (iirc) while someone pulled speakers playing "Glory" and it was one of the most powerful moments I can remember having at a movement event. I also hate yelling and the performative anger & conviction that you're somehow supposed to telegraph for 5 hours straight in the cold.

Anyway a clean Dream Act, very important. One thing I don't get, maybe Hoos does, is people on my timeline saying "They called ICE :( :( :(" because once you purposefully make headlines as undocumented people getting arrested, doesn't ICE pretty much just know where to find you? Rally in support of the 7 tonight in Union Square.

i think there are a lot of people who don't enjoy yelling

it's not a future i hope for us, but i can imagine hilarious scenarios of thousands of people singing "war pigs" in unison

yeah like man in the last year i have just fuckin lost it during songs happening at high-strung moments

right after the election we got up one morning and sang "eyes on the prize" and i was just a mess

that's what this is all about imo
it helps you gather strength and also express emotion
sorry (not sorry) to be a cheese

i'd be way into being in a drum corps with some horns playing some uplifting tunes
even in the cold! idk i have the wherewithal to organize it, but i would accept an invitation for sure

once you purposefully make headlines as undocumented people getting arrested, doesn't ICE pretty much just know where to find you?

― Conic section rebellion 44 (in orbit), Monday, December 18, 2017 10:46 PM (nine minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yes and no--jail solidarity is a way to stall that process out, as is deliberately planning actions in ostensible sanctuary cities that won't cooperate with ICE.

pro-Dreamer action for NYC tonight

Event Name: #CleanDREAMActNow Rally
What: Rally
When: Tues., Dec. 19 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Sen. Chuck Schumer's Home, 9 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215

This morning, ICE detained Ravi Ragbir, Executive Director of New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City, prominent immigrant rights activist and father, despite having pending legal challenges.

Call ICE:
NYC ICE Field Office Director: 212-238-4530
NYC ICE Field Office: 212-264-4213
ICE Office of Policy: 202-732-4292

Script: “Hello, my name is_____, and I am requesting that ICE release Ravi Ragbir, A Number: 044-248-862. Ravi was detained today in New York City. Ravi is a husband, father, and cherished community leader, and we need him here in the United States. I respectfully ask you to release him from detention and grant him a new stay of removal. Thank you.”

Sunrise is a group of good young people doing some of the most important work going this year. This speaking tour is intended to absorb new members that will be the footsoldiers first in bird-dogging efforts through the summer town halls, and then form part of the volunteer base for climate champion candidates across the country. Having a Sunrise leader speak in your community--at your church, your campus, your community center--is just the first step in their longer haul plan, and I'm really excited to be a part of it. You can sign up at the link below.

Sunrise is building an army of young people to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. We unite to make climate change an urgent priority across this country, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people. In February, we’re sending teams of Sunrise Speakers on tour to host community events about climate change, why it’s happening, and what we can do together right now to make 2018 a watershed moment in the fight to stop climate change.

Our presentation covers the impacts of climate change today, why it’s happening, and share what young people across the United States are doing to stop climate change and strengthen our communities in the process. For high school audiences, our presentation meets Next Generation Science Standards and will leave students with tangible next steps to make climate change a visible and urgent issue in their community.

If you are interested in hosting an event, fill out the form below and we will be in touch!

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/host-a-sunrise-event-this-spring-2?link_id=1&can_id=c92e434a820194b0a5d86c4da21346cf&source=email-9-speakers-5-states-12000-young-people-2&email_referrer=email_288097&email_subject=9-speakers-5-states-12000-young-people

Women ‘s marches and events this weekend

The right hates politically active college students—especially those of color—above all b/c it’s the only time in many peoples lives they’re not 60k in debt and arent paranoid of their bosses and can ask deeper questions about society e.g. the ultimate sin in capitalism.

— Adam H. Johnson (@adamjohnsonNYC) February 20, 2018

DSA Refoundation makes their pitch for not endorsing Nixon and co.

https://medium.com/@NBKNoOnNixon/the-case-against-endorsing-cynthia-nixon-and-jumaane-williams-21a94bbb7b18

imo this is good

*reflexively tightens message board armor*

The Medium piece makes many extremely good arguments -- agree.

Even more in-depth stuff from Ackerman on electoral strategy and the peculiarities of US electoral politics

https://jacobinmag.com/2018/07/electoral-rules-third-party-ballot-line-ocasio-cortez-dsa

I really appreciate Ackerman contending with the realities of first past the post voting and the degree to which the two parties have a structurally enforced monopoly on power at the federal level--not enough people who think about the viability of "third parties" take these structural problems into account. I also think he's right that we need a party-like structure, but I'm with Refoundation in believing it's got to be a party in the "mass" sense of the term; what he describes here for his (uh) party-like sounds more like Corbyn's Momentum or even Bernie's Our Rev, a membership org with a line whose main political gesture is working to hold its ostensible elected champions to account. As my gf likes to say "that's what Our Rev is for."

Do you know of any existing models to base such a party on (or at least derive inspiration)?

The Labor Party in the US provides an interesting and relatively recent example:

https://socialistrevolution.org/the-fight-for-socialism-and-the-lessons-of-the-labor-party

Ultimately what I think is to be done is build an organization capable of doing what Ackerman describes _along with_ a primary capacity of mass action, study, agitation, and organizing--which is to say, something like a fusion of DSA and Our Rev, whether through a strategic popular front alliance or a literal fusion.

Also a good historical dive on the distinctions between the two here: https://rtuc.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/the-concept-of-a-mass-party/

oh duh also Syriza

they and others are favorably cited here: http://socialistnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Socialists-and-the-Mass-Organisations-Ver-2.pdf