Hey Friend - 

In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson describes a moment when Churchill’s advisor, Frederick Lindemann, expressed doubt about the British working class’s loyalty to democracy. He feared that, in a crisis, even something as small as a tea shortage could shake their faith—because they had “little stake in the good things of a free democratic community.” That it would not change their lives if they were ruled by Britain or by Germany. It’s a condescending and classist sentiment. But it also contains a warning that still rings true today: when people feel excluded from the promises of democracy, they grow vulnerable to authoritarianism.

We’re watching this play out again, this time in America. Some poor and working-class white voters, especially in rural areas, have aligned themselves with the MAGA right and its propaganda. They’ve been told their problems stem from immigration, "wokeness," or a mythical deep state. They’ve been sold a story that their skin color alone should guarantee upward mobility—and when that doesn’t happen, resentment builds. The right feeds that resentment; the left often ignores it.

If we want to win, we can’t afford to be elite. Progressive movements must remain deeply committed to Black and Brown communities, to LGBTQ+ people, to the fight for abortion access, for voting rights, and for dignity in every form. These are not negotiable. But neither is this: we must learn how to talk to—and fight for—white working-class people without centering whiteness.

We need to break through the myth that whiteness is a ladder to stability. It’s not. The billionaires dismantling public schools, crushing unions, and gutting health care don’t care what color you are. And the only way out is through collective struggle.

Democracy has to deliver for everyone. If it doesn’t, people lose faith. And history shows us what happens next.

- Dc Lozano, she/them of PowerPAC

PowerPAC is a social justice organization that strategically directs financial and human resources to local and state organizations working to deliver wins in legislative fights, ballot initiatives, and more. For years the money we've raised has, dollar for dollar, been given back to the communities we work with. We've made sure that your investments were being used to build power for our communities because too often we are underrepresented and ignored. 

PowerPAC
456 Montgomery St
Ste 1350
San Francisco, CA 94104
United States

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