Democracy Out Loud #430:Mayday.

Also known as May 1. A day to register distress and take action.

“Mayday” is an internationally recognized distress signal in radio communication. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes feel a rising panic about the actions of the Administration (not to mention the NC General Assembly) and the apparent inaction of most of the US Congress.

One way to take action is to lean into huge protests this Thursday, May 1, all over the country and the world. I hope they are massive, and peaceful, and help us all feel empowered and hopeful.

You can find out about all the May 1 protests at this link. In North Carolina, there will be one in Raleigh (3:30 pm, 300 N. Salisbury St), Durham (2 pm, 211 W. Parrish St), Chapel Hill (4 pm in front of the Courthouse), Morrisville, Hillsborough, and Lewisburg.

Federal and NC state budgets are both being considered now, with devastating consequences if they are passed as planned. The Bipartisan Policy Center has provided an analysis of the 2025 Budget Resolution which has cleared both houses of Congress. It will increase the deficit by 5.7 trillion dollars due to tax cuts for the wealthy. Medicaid cuts threaten 36 million poor, sick, and disabled people. Cuts to SNAP would drastically increase food insecurity.

Please call your US Senators and House members about this budget plan and tell them to vote NO on the budget. Thom Tillis: D.C. (202) 224-6342 Raleigh (919) 856-4630 Charlotte (704) 509-9087. Ted Budd: D.C. 202-224-3154 Raleigh 984-349-5061 Wilmington 910-218-7600. Find your Representative.

You can also use 5Calls.org which will find your Representative and give you a script.

Already, 140 million Americans are poor and low-income, and 800 people a day die of poverty. Repairers of the Breach breaks down the proposed budget at this link.

Corrine sent this link of Cory Booker and Hakeem Jeffries Live on the Steps of the Capital. It is quite amazing and inspiring, food for the soul. They held a 12-hour sit-in yesterday to call attention to talk about how this is a “moral moment” for our country, especially because of the cruel budget that congressional Republicans have proposed.

Bishop Barber has been doing powerful “Moral Mondays” at the Capital for weeks now. You can see the livestreams at this link.

The Indy did a great story about the wonderful Raging Grannies, “We Need a Gentle Anger: The Triangle Raging Grannies are Protesting Through Music.” We are so proud of the many Raging Grannies who have been with us for all these years and continue to inspire us every day. Deep respect and deep gratitude to them.

The NC Progressive House Caucus will hold its first virtual town hall tomorrow, Tuesday evening at 7 pm. You can sign up at this link.

Last Tuesday, we had an honest conversation on our zoom call. I deeply appreciate that people were able to speak their truth. Gann sent this article, “Addressing the Betrayal of the Black Community and the Need for Unity against Fascism” which sums up some of it.

White people: consider taking some online or in-person training from the Racial Equity Institute if you haven’t already done this. Or spend a whole lot of time reading the books the GOP is trying to ban, the ones about Black people and Black history.

There will be a film screening at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh on May 9 at 7 pm. The film is “Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin”. You can reserve a place at this link. (Also, the movie “Bayard” is available on Netflix.)

Tomorrow, Tuesday April 29th, starting at 5:30 pm, labor, faith, and elected leaders will gather at the U.S.S.W. Hall at 2634 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd, Durham, NC, to hear workers' stories and speak out against continued attacks on the working class. Pizza and drinks will be provided, and there will be supplies for making signs for May Day. RSVP at this link.

On Wednesday, Equality NC and the ACLU will pack the gallery at the NC General Assembly, because some of the anti-trans bills (H560, H606, and H519) and anti-immigrant bills continue to move (not to mention bills aimed at programs for poor people and the homeless). The radical right-wing NC Values Coalition will be there for their Day of Action lobbying for the passage of the worst bills; they will be in front of the building at 9 am on Wednesday. (Some of us will be counter-protesting.) They are focusing several bills, notably HB 791/SB516, the so-called “Women’s safety and protection act,” an unspeakably cruel bathroom bill; it is worse than the famous HB 2. Read this excellent summary by Carolina Forward. You can come to the General Assembly in the morning or afternoon that day to show support for our trans siblings and for everyone being targeted by these bad bills. Sign up here for updates about timing from the ACLU.

If you would like to join our Legislative Response Team to track and study NC General Assembly legislation, email Mark at democracyoutloud@gmail.com.

Durham Dems Action put out another excellent newsletter today. You don’t have to live in Durham or be a Democrat to find it helpful.

Late breaking news: Bishop Barber was just arrested in the Capital Rotunda while praying during a Moral Monday, protesting the budget. I don’t know yet how many others were arrested with him. This was on social media and was verified by his team.

Everyone is invited to join us every Tuesday from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm for our regular zoom. “Doors open” at 11 am (note the change from 10:45); please come early if you are new so we can welcome you. If you need the zoom link for this or for our 7 Homecomings meditation at 10 am every Thursday, write to Jewel at DemocracyOutLoud@gmail.com and tell her a little bit about yourself and which one you want to attend.

Community truly is the antidote to fascism, and compassion truly is the most important weapon in this global and national war. We are witnessing a dizzying amount of delusion and apathy, and at the same time so much courage and commitment by brave and brilliant people. May we have faith and keep remembering that love is stronger than fear, and that truth will win in the end. The lies are simply unsustainable.

love, Karen

“To be Pope Francis now is to stand up to a regime not unlike the one he experienced as a young man in Argentina—one that is willing to disappear people and disregard democratic norms. It is to take a stand with people whose lives depend on Medicaid and SNAP, federal housing assistance and Social Security. It is to proclaim that a better way is possible and to believe, even in the darkest night, that we are closer to the dawn of a better world than most of us are willing to believe. It is to affirm that the humble way of love that he followed as he followed Christ still has the power to transform our broken world.” - William J. Barber II, Substack, “We Must Now Say, I am Pope Francis,” April 26, 2025