Dear John,
We are entering daunting times, and a moment that calls for deep solidarity. The incoming presidential administration has promised a campaign of mass deportations, embraced autocracy at home and abroad, and intends to hand the reins of the federal government over to the richest person in the world to slash funding for education and healthcare. We must and will show that we will not be cowed, that we will stand up for our neighbors and coworkers.
Yet as we defend our communities, we must also focus on the work that will ultimately free us from the grip of would-be strongmen and their billionaire backers: building a governing majority that believes in multiracial feminist democracy.
We will not escape authoritarianism until more people understand their pain — low wages, sky-high rents, soaring prices at the grocery store — to be the result of an economic system shaped by corporations, rather than scapegoating immigrants, trans folks, unhoused people, Black youth, and other marginalized communities. Nor can we restore faith in our public institutions until more of us have experienced firsthand how government can be a tool to advance our collective well-being instead of a puppet of wealthy elites.
This is no small task. It requires us, our movement allies, and philanthropic partners to act with courage, humility about where we need to dig deeper, a commitment to moving in unity, and a conviction that we can make real the world we dream of.
Right now, I draw hope from organizing happening across our network that illustrates how we move forward:
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Uber and Lyft drivers joining forces across cities to overcome Uber’s bully tactics and make their jobs safer.
- Renters calling out the corporate landlords behind our housing crisis and laying a policy and narrative foundation for community-controlled land and housing.
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Low-wage workers coming together across race and industry to overcome a state ban and win paid sick days and a historic $15 minimum wage in Missouri.
We are incredibly proud of all that we accomplished this year and we know it is not enough. Our movement must bring to scale these kinds of organizing projects and campaigns, so more people see their stake in the well being of everyone. In the coming year, our network will be growing our base building programs, testing new popular education and meaning-making efforts, and expanding the geographies in which we operate — and throughout, concentrating a spotlight on the corporations harming working people and our communities.
I invite you to explore our 2024 annual report, and I hope you find inspiration in the powerful work taking place in cities and states all across our country. Even as we will face headwinds federally, we can and must grow local communities’ power to govern and show what’s possible when people come together. This is how we remind each other what love in public looks like: fast food workers turning out on their day off to join ridehail drivers marching for better jobs, renters refusing to let their landlord evict their neighbor for requesting basic repairs, communities coming out to insist everyone in their city needs safe water and clean air. I believe in my bones that this public love will carry us through the dark moments, and towards our shared liberation.
