When They Come For One of Us…
Introduction
The first 100 days of the MAGA regime have been chaotic, frightening, and surreal. The cruelty and mindless destructiveness has been shocking, and the damage that has been done will have lasting consequences. At the same time, the regime’s shock and awe tactics are fostering connections across an enormous variety of Americans – federal workers, disabled and retired people who rely on basic needs programs, people who do care work, people who refuse to look the other way when their trans or undocumented neighbors or co-workers are threatened, elected officials who insist the rule of law carries more weight than the whims of a petty tyrant…The list is long.
Our power, which comes from unity across differences and commitment to the ideal of a diverse and robust civil society, is growing. People are gathering again and again across the country to protest government overreach, defend due process, and protect democracy. Solidarity is also spreading among institutions, including a growing number of foundations, colleges and universities , and nonprofit organizations that are taking a stand together to say an attack on one is an attack on all.
We take courage from this growing solidarity. And while we are fighting to protect our current social safety net, we are also building on the energy of this moment to organize a movement driven by a bigger vision, one based in abundance, equity, and democracy.
PROGRAM PULSE
Washington, DC: A Front Line in the Fight Against Authoritarianism
In the fight against authoritarianism in the United States, the nation’s capital has a special role to play. The world is watching to see if Washington, DC, home to around 700,000 residents, a majority of whom are people of color, will allow its autonomy to be threatened, its economy to be sabotaged, and its streets to be used as a stage for authoritarian theater. Free DC , a fiscally sponsored project of Community Change and Community Change Action, is building on DC’s rich history of fighting for self- determination and liberation from federal control and connecting the community’s decades-long fight for statehood with the effort to slow and ultimately reverse the damage of the MAGA regime. They are organizing thousands of people in every part of the District to rise in solidarity and build the power it will take to win lasting dignity for DC communities. As part of this effort, on April 16, Free DC held a program for DC Emancipation Day . Approximately 200 people gathered at Metropolitan AME Church to discuss challenges facing DC’s communities and the thousands of federal workers who live in the region, as well as to celebrate leaders of the DC statehood movement. In the long run, Free DC is laying the groundwork to win DC admission as the 51st state, so residents can enjoy equal political participation in Congress and greater agency to meet their communities’ needs for safety, housing, transportation, clean water and healthful food, dignified work, and good health. Community Change and Community Change Action are proud to provide a movement home for Free DC and a dozen other fiscally sponsored projects that help make the broader progressive ecosystem more nimble and responsive to the crises we face today.
Saving the Pressure on Legislators
In the first half of April, while Republicans in Congress kicked off a budget process that envisions massive cuts to Medicaid, food aid, child care, and other essential programs, Community Change Action worked to slow them down and build opposition momentum. On April 8, on the heels of the first nationwide Hands Off demonstrations, Community Change Action brought 141 grassroots advocates from 40 of our partner groups to Washington, DC, for a day of action that included 120 meetings with federal legislators to urge them not to make cuts to lifesaving programs to benefit billionaires. Following Lobby Day, our partners stayed on for our Movement Building Training, where they built relationships, sharpened organizing skills, and strategized to grow the power of directly impacted communities. They left feeling energized, connected, and ready to take to build more power in their home states. When legislators went home for recess, we kept the pressure on, helping our state-based partners organize rallies and actions in Colorado, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and South Dakota. Legislators are feeling the pressure: a group of Republicans signed a letteropposing cuts to Medicaid. While we keep the spotlight on the budget process, we are also building a movement to protect – and improve – health care through our Medicaid Union , an emerging people-powered movement uniting Medicaid enrollees, caregivers, and allies to protect and expand health care for everyone.
Building a Base for Guaranteed Income
Community Change has launched a new campaign in Chicago, where we envision building a base of residents who are willing to fight for a permanent guaranteed income for working families and poor folks across Illinois. Our campaign focus is in Cook County, where a program focused on formerly incarcerated people demonstrated the effectiveness of a guaranteed income in helping recipients rebuild their lives. We are working with Chicago-based partners Equity and Transformation, the Workers’ Center for Racial Justice, and Economic Security Illinois to design a direct base-building test using traditional and digital organizing tactics to reach a broad universe of eligible households. This is part of our long-term work to build a mass.
Before You Go:
- In Black Americans Are Not Surprised, Community Change board member Christina Greer speaks to why Black Americans are frightened and worried – but not surprised – by what is happening in the country today.
- Child care is a public good that requires public funding. When providers aren’t compensated fairly, everyone is worse off, including children and parents. Don’t miss our fourth annual Day Without Child Care , when we remind policymakers and the public that providers are essential workers at the heart of our economy.
- We are fighting to protect our safety net system from deep cuts, but the system already has far too many cracks that people can fall through. As Changewire Fellow Bobbi Dempsey describes in Income Limits for Safety Net Programs are a Catch-22, earning just a little extra income can make recipients ineligible for essential services.
