Sending love...and one small assignment

Let's connect, think, and plan

So if you’re anything like me, you might be feeling a lot of things.

I’m feeling heartbreak that the long litany of hate and violence did not dissuade the majority of voters. I’m feeling fear about little things like the fact that the current speaker is excited to dismantle healthcare access due to the election outcome, and big fear about my safety and moreso the safety of people I love — trans people, immigrants and refugees, poor people, queer folks, journalists, people who can get pregnant, people currently protected by unions. I’m feeling exhausted after spending most of my life fighting against things instead of fighting for things. I’m feeling deja vu—sure, from 2016, but even more so from 2004, when this time the guy who had manipulated his way into power had shown us who he was, and America increased his vote share. I’m feeling devastated about what this means for our siblings in Gaza and also cynical about whether anyone would have helped them escape the brutality they face. And I’m angry that the small wins we got for Indigenous rights and LGBTQ+ rights and workers’ rights and consumers’ rights as well as finally starting to hold billionaires responsible for abusing the tax system are going to be erased, along with any legal protections we might have hoped to gain by changing the courts.

Mostly, though, I’m feeling resigned — resigned to continue fighting, since that’s what I was going to have to do anyhow.

And my one other feeling is gratitude — gratitude that as we get serious about organizing from the ground up, and serious about re-training our communities into compassion and the capacity to have hard and meaningful conversations, that I get to do that alongside you. I published Transforming Communities just after the 2016 election because I believed in the power of regular people starting where they live and rippling out. I still believe in it, and now we’re beginning to connect, learn from each other, and build.

So here’s something I’d like to ask you to join me in:

This summer I read Anand Ghirdirdas’s book The Persuaders, and it was maybe the most encouraging book I’ve read in years. He covers methods I already knew about and in most cases have used and sometimes taught. And even so, I found myself thinking as I read it, “Oh wait; we have a roadmap to transforming our communities. We just need to broaden its use.”

I would love for you to join me in a book group discussion of the book The Persuaders on December 1 at 7pm eastern / 6pm central / 5pm mountain / 4pm pacific. PLEASE USE THIS LINK TO REGISTER. Please note that this book is available in many libraries; I both read the digital version and listened to the audiobook through the Libby app. I’m hoping this gives you enough time to at least read a portion of the book. (My favorite section was the part on Deep Canvassing.)

I mentioned that I’ll be rolling back my content now that the election is over — probably a monthly newsletter for the whole network and a monthly newsletter for paid subscribers. But I am glad we can keep working together to not only reduce harm but to build something together.

Please take time to take care of your heart. Please stay connected to people who have love and compassion to extend. And please stayed tuned for more we can do together.

peace,

Sandhya