Making plans rooted in the truth

Dear John, 

“Do we have the power we need to win the world we want?” 

That’s the question we asked ourselves in 2022, as TakeAction Minnesota members and staff took a hard look at our organizational strategy and charted a new path forward. The answer was – and still is – a resounding “no.” We are proud of what we have won together over the years, and we know we need more.  

Right now, the stakes are too high to waste time making plans that aren’t rooted in the truth. So, we got radical (which comes from the Latin word for “root”), and we recommitted to a theory of change that recognizes that relationships are the source of our collective power. In 2023, TakeAction launched work towards a strategic objective focused on base building and rooted in organizing fundamentals. 

A year in, we’re well on our way! Our staff and members are forging relationships and growing the leadership of everyday Minnesotans to act, campaign, and vote together toward our north star: delivering on the unfulfilled promise of American democracy, where our government is shaped by us, and our economy works for us. 

We’re building: 

• strong teams of leaders launching campaigns around the state, including Duluth Tenants Union, MN United Parents, Twin Cities United Performers, Youth Organizers, and our Political Committee;  
• a bloc of thirty thousand voters ready to cast our ballots together in primary and general elections; and
• power-building alignment with twenty labor unions and community organizations towards a Green New Deal for care, stability, and repair. 

As we organize, we’re holding this quote from Dr. Angela Davis in our hearts: "You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time." These words are not an instruction to pretend things are better than they are. Rather, they are a reminder to take ourselves and our vision for the world seriously – and act, with courage, to achieve it. 

Facing the truth is a radically hopeful act. It set us on a path toward investing even more deeply in the community we need to meet this moment. We’re proud and eager to invite you to be part of it: 

💸 Become a sustaining member during our Spring Member Drive, which kicked off this month. (Make sure to click “make me a monthly sustainer”!) 

🎉 Join us at our Annual Fundraiser on June 13. Register now or contribute.  

One last thing! I (Elianne) am thrilled to announce that Amanda and I are now Co-Executive Directors of TakeAction. Leading together with our community, there’s so much we’re determined to win.  

In solidarity, 

Elianne Farhat and Amanda Otero 
Co-Executive Directors