A reflection from our Director:

This week has been incredibly heartbreaking for so many of us. I’ve been trying to be present with strong emotions, especially sadness and anger. Joe Hill beseeched his comrades: “Don’t Mourn! Organize!” But of course we have to do both.

There is so much at stake right now. But if there is a silver lining, it’s that America may be about to rediscover its long-lost civic soul. Millions of people seem to grasp that we are going to have to come together to stand up and fight for what’s right. After our vigil this Wednesday night in Lancaster, PA, several individuals approached me — folks who I know haven’t been active in anything political — and with a fiery look in their eyes, said variations of, “I’m ready. I will work. I will give time. I will prioritize.”

We have a lot to figure out in the coming weeks, months, and years. We cannot afford to keep repeating mistakes that have helped to bring about the present dire situation. I wanted to share some of my own thinking about this moment: how this happened, and what it will take to win now. This is the article I just published at Waging Nonviolence:

How to win in populist times

Despite being a political outsider, Trump decimated both political parties. If progressives want to stop him now, we need to understand how populism works. READ THE ARTICLE HERE.

And what is winning? To me it ultimately means building an America that works for all of us; challenging and overcoming racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and inequality. It is making those three bold words We The People finally include everyone. It is taking important steps forward on that path. We cannot afford to step back.

In solidarity,

Jonathan Smucker