where wellbeing meets politics

The White White House
Since 2017, we’ve been building a community of support on Patreon, a monthly membership featuring early access to new podcast episodes, online meet-ups, radical meditations, and action toolkits. The platform allows CTZNWELL to keep creating content that matters for CTZNs who care.

So to end the year with appreciation and celebration, we've designed a special online event just for YOU! 

Join Anasa Troutman and Kerri Kelly on December 12th for Joy & Justice, an online immersion about doing the necessary work of justice while centering the sustainability of joy.

All the details and registration info are available here.

(...Plus, you'll get a CTZN hat and lifetime access to the webinar replay!)
Join Us!

Kamala Harris dropping out marks a critical moment in this election. While we started this race with a dynamic and diverse slate of candidates, we are quickly slipping into the feckless centrism that got us Donald Trump.  

 

Do not be fooled by electability politics that claim that the country is not ready for progressive policies or a black women in the white house. That is just the voice of dominant culture trying to discourage change and uphold the status quo. But the status quo got us into this mess, and it’s most definitely not going to move us forward. 

 

This is the part where we, the people, decide if we are going to give into a politics of predictability, or if we are going to throw down for change. Because the truth is, a majority of Americans support progressive policies like Medicare for All and the Wealth Tax. 

 

Beware of dog whistle politics around who is electable or what this country is or is not ready for. It’s up to us to imagine better and demand more for ourselves and one another. And then, y’all, we are gonna need to fight for it. Because if we are organized, the only thing that will determine who is electable in 2020 is us. 
 

Kerri Kelly

(she/her)
AFTER KAMALA 
The 2020 Democratic bench took a hit this week when Kamala Harris surprisingly pulled out of the race. You don’t have to be a Harris supporter to see why her dropping out is bad news for the Democratic Party. When diverse candidates like Harris and Gillibrand drop out while white male billionaires like Bloomberg and Steyer enter, something has broken. With only white candidates qualifying for the December debate (so far), it's looking more and more like a white race to the White House. But we don’t need to fall prey to the “electability” myth and feckless centrism. The stakes are too high. Progressive economic policies ARE extremely popular with Americans, but talking heads and donors keep missing that. We can and should demand better from our candidates and hold them accountable to progressive policies and real, transformational change. Meanwhile, we can still expect a fierce face-off between Harris and Trump at the Senate trial of his impeachment. See you there.
NEXT ON IMPEACHMENT
The Intelligence Committee’s report (you can read it here) is a triumph of clarity and thoroughness and sets forth a clear path to impeachment. According to Chairman Schiff, the “uncontested facts” show that the president solicited a bribe. Meanwhile, the next phase of the inquiry kicked off this week as Chairman Nadler’s House Judiciary Committee held its first public hearing to determine whether the president’s wrongdoing is an impeachable offense. And Speaker Pelosi announced full speed ahead on articles of impeachment, saying “the president leaves us no choice but to act because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit." It’s gonna be a nail biter for the next few months. Here’s what happens next. And don’t just sit there...you can put the pressure on the Senate to remove Trump. Art by #VOTEPROCHOICE
WOMXN RISING
People around the world have taken to the streets to demand an end to violence against womxn. The UN says violence against womxn and girls is one of the "most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today" and remains largely unreported because of issues including impunity and stigma. In Chile, a local feminist collective organized a flash mob that has become the global anthem to fight violence against womxn. The performance, “Un violador en tu camino” (“A rapist in your way”), is striking a chord and going viral. You can learn the lyrics and dance here. Meanwhile, a rapist currently sits in the White House...where is our dance? Art by @fiercebymitu
RADICAL SELF LOVE?
Our culture does not reinforce self-love. It says "love yourself only when you're smarter, healthier, more productive, more perfect." We're taught that love is conditional, and so it’s no wonder that we project conditional love to others and make choices that aren't loving to the whole of humanity. In the latest CTZN Podcast, cultural disruptor Anasa Troutman reminds us that "you can't transform something you don't love". Love is not some idea or intention. It's who we are and what we do. When we embody that kind of love fully, then justice and joy will flow. This special edition podcast is a realignment with why we do this work and how to keep going. Check it out. 

*And be sure to join Anasa & Kerri for a special online immersion for Patreon members about bridging justice and joy now and into the new year: December 12th, 8pm EST. (You'll also get a CTZN hat, so it's a great time to join.😊)
 

 
CAPITALISM SUCKS
Are you ready to consider that capitalism is the real problem? Whether we are talking about the billionaires buying their way into the presidency or presidents buying their way out of jail, capitalism is there. Whether we are looking at the commercialization of wellness or the commoditization of the self, capitalism is there too. Hasan Minhaj and Anand Giridaradas break it down on the latest episode of Patriot Act. #MustWatch. But even as we develop an analysis of capitalism culture, are we really ready to personally change? Anasa and I tackle this reckoning on the latest CTZN podcast. PS: harvesting the blood of America's poor is the latest stage of capitalism....but yeah, let's not talk about the problem of capitalism. Art by @NishaMody
WELLread is produced by CTZNWELL, a collective that's mobilizing the wellness community to take action for the health and justice of all people. Was this email forwarded to you? Find out more about us and subscribe.






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