You're Being Called ... Into Action

Freedom Writers 5/10/25

Hello, Freedom Writers!

In Today’s Post:

• You’re Being Called … Into Action - Notes from this morning’s Swing Blue Alliance ‘Frontline Update’ call

• Order Postcards to VA Voters - Freedom Writers 5/25/25 Distribution Event

• INFO SHEETS - For Your Information

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Hello, Freedom Writers!

This morning, I had the honor of being one of 4 speakers who give presentations at Swing Blue Alliance’s Frontline Update meeting. My presentation was about the CAD (the Coordinated Action Dispatch) which is another project I do a lot of work on.

After the presentation, the panel answered questions from the audience. One of the topics was the following: while many people feel comfortable writing postcards and contacting their elected officials, i.e., taking action “in quiet ways,” they hesitate about ‘crossing the line’ to attend a protest.

The panel had several reactions to this. According to the research of Erica Chenoweth and others, all of the successful responses to democracies under siege have involved a large nonviolent protest component. According to this research, it isn’t until at least 3.5% of the population participate in these protests for the tides to really start turning. The good news is that protests ARE very effective at changing the dialog and reclaiming democratic power. The bad news is that MANY more people will need to cross that difficult line in order for us to succeed here in the United States. We’re not at ⅗% yet.

But there’s more to it than just the political outcome. The reason why 3.5% works is because that’s when a ‘critical mass’ cultural shift occurs. As many of us already know, participating in a protest is a powerful community experience. It heals our broken hearts. It fills us with hope that we’re really as alone as we thought. There really ARE many others who share our values. That, all by itself, is therapeutic.

Action really is the antidote to despair.

Our country is at a critical crossroads. We DON’T want to be the first generation in the history of the United States to lose our democracy, but that means we’re all going to have to stretch a little bit.

WE ARE BEING CALLED to protect our democracy, just as previous generations were called to protect it for us. The only question is:

Will enough of us be ready heed that call?

Let’s get to work and find out. Check out the links below for lots of great ways to take action today!

If you missed this morning’s meeting, start by Watching the recording.

Then, here are some links for you to follow up on the topics covered in the meeting:

Upcoming Creative Resistance Events - Kate Merritt-O’Toole, Swing Blue Alliance, Protest Alliance Coordinator

• May 15: Brainstorm session for signs, street theatre, and joyful resistance

• June 14: No Kings x Boston Pride for the People

• Swing Blue Alliance Event Calendar

• Mobilize.us

• The People We Dissent on Substack

• Political Revolution Events

Visibility Brigades - Dana Glazer

Born out of a Paramus, NJ overpass in 2020, the Visibility Brigades are now a powerful tool for weekly engagement, visibility, and morale.

• Join a workshop and learn how to host your own

• Get toolkits, best practices, and more

Coordinated Action Dispatch (CAD) - Erin Freed, Freedom Writers, Rise Up Western Mass Indivisible (RUWMI) and Indivisible Massachusetts Coalition (IMC)

Want to turn overwhelm into action? CAD is your curated weekly guide to high-impact political activism.

• Join the mailing list

• Submit action ideas

• May 7th Dispatch

BVOCAL – Boston Voices of Community and Labor - Lisa Gallatin

From the City Hall steps to mall flash mobs, this growing protest chorus is showing how music uplifts and energizes movements. New members welcome—no auditions needed!

• Learn about the organization

Save the date: National choral flash mob this fall—contact us if you’re part of a chorus that wants in!

For more information about Swing Blue Alliance who hosted this call, click HERE.

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Order Postcards to VA Voters - Freedom Writers 5/25/25 Distribution Event

The Freedom Writers is partnering with the group, Postcards4VA, to write postcards to voters in VA.

• Distribution Date: 5/25/25

• Join us! Click HERE to Order your Postcard Packets.

• The campaign: The awesome ‘chainsaw art’ at the top of this post will be on the postcards we write on 5/25/25. Here’s the description of the campaign from Postcards4VA …

"We are now onto Part 2 of our tremendously popular Wake Up Virginia postcard campaign. This campaign is to write to women (40-90 years old) who lean Democrat or Republican (you don't register for party in Virginia so we say "lean") and haven't voted in the last elections. Our goal is to wake these women up with our postcards and get them to pay attention to what is happening around them.

They didn't feel a need to vote in previous elections. We are giving them a reason to vote now.

For Part 2, we are sending a new postcard design (see above) with the same strong symbolism and same strong messaging to the same addresses. This campaign runs from May - June and you mail as you write."

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INFO SHEETS - For Your Information

If you’re new to the Freedom Writers, WELCOME! Check out these INFO SHEETS with lots of great background information:

• INFO SHEET: Get Started - Taking Action with Indivisible - Get the most up-to-date information about what is happening in your area through a local Indivisible group!

• INFO SHEET: Keeping Your Cool Under the Trump Regime - Access reliable, free news when it counts the most!

• INFO SHEET: How to Contact Your Elected Officials - Find out why we act the way we act.

• Three AOC Videos About the Importance of Phone Calls Now - Don’t let the MAGAts win the calling our elected officials game.

• 5 Calls App - Set Up Instructions - This beautiful instruction sheet was written by 3 people who are all over 70 years old. If they can do it, you can do it.

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