Democracy Out Loud 428:Peaceful. Persistent. Power.

Let's keep it going.

Apr 09, 2025

If you were not at one of the 1400 peaceful, joyful, and determined protests on Saturday, I hope you will watch Rachel Maddow’s recap at this link. Five MILLION people protested the coup, and this powerful fusion movement brought together pro-Palestinian activists, people supporting Ukraine, and people determined to fight cuts to VA benefits, health care, Social Security, immigrant rights, reproductive rights, and so much else. Everyone was there, and it was quite beautiful. This was a huge win for all of us who showed up, some at their very first protest, some afraid, many tired or in pain, but all completely determined to fight for democracy and freedom for all.

(Below, Durham on Saturday. photo by Jenny Warburg, used by permission)

Today we packed the gallery at the North Carolina General Assembly in anticipation of the vote on the anti-DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) bill. Speaker Hall kept us all waiting nearly a half hour before he gaveled in and then immediately said that HB 171 would not be considered until tomorrow. Having watched this many times before, I am sure it was because he did not want to bring this shameful bill to such a large and diverse and dignified crowd.

This is why we have to go back tomorrow, Wednesday, by 12:30 pm, because NC HB 171 is on the calendar in the House at 1 pm and the other anti-DEI bill (NC S558) will be voted on in the Senate at 4 pm. You can get the details and sign up at this link. I hope to see you there.

The fight against diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) is exactly that, and much more. On the federal level, it has meant erasing Harriet Tubman and Medgar Evers and many other of our greatest leaders from federal websites. MAGA is erasing and rewriting our history. They are targeting our country’s most important museum, the African American History Museum and a great cultural treasure, the Kennedy Center. (see Trump’s Executive Order from March 27, 2025), all in the name of erasing DEI. These efforts are sinister and ugly and we must fight them. Being a powerful presence tomorrow at the General Assembly is an important way to do that.

So much is going on right now, and we are mostly overwhelmed and some of us are afraid, but we have so much power. We need to keep using it and building it by showing up, organizing (reaching out, building relationships) and mobilizing (getting a lot of people in the same strategic place at the same strategic time like we did on April 5).

The next national mobilization is on April 19. I have no details yet, but please save the date.

What we know is that the Republicans in the General Assembly, and Trump, and Musk, and the billionaires who benefit from massive tax cuts and recessions will not stop taking away our right to live in freedom and dignity until we stop them. They will not stop building the concentration camps and bombing the people and deporting immigrants until we stop them.

We can stop them.

Durham Representatives and Senators in the NC General Assembly are having a town hall tomorrow. You can register at this link.