Shut It Down, Stories from a Fierce Loving Resistance...
I am so excited that after seven long years, my book Shut It Down, Stories of a Fierce Loving Resistance is out into the world. Chelsea Green Publishing release it on September 3, 2019. I’ve been on tour since then doing book events and a new training called Escalating Resistance: Mass Rebellion Training. I am so grateful to everyone who has bought the book, given me such positive feedback, organized these events and made them such a success. Now in 2020, the world is changing and many of my upcoming events are being cancelled or organized virtually. When a new world emerges I would still like to come to your community. If you find yourself holed up and...
TARG! Disaster Recovery Work
On Halloween of 2013, there was a devastating flood in Austin, TX. It was not huge ongoing news around the country and many people in Austin never registered it was going on. It was like a mini-lower 9th ward. Fast and furious flood waters coming in during the early morning hours. Six people were killed, 1000 homes affected, almost 700 were majorly damaged. People had to escape onto their roofs, some were airlifted by helicopter or taken out by boat. Lots of animals were lost, 22 horse killed – you get the picture, it was bad. Because I had a connection with someone who lived in the flood zone several of us were able to get in...
Undoing Racism Austin
For the past year I have been involved in a local organizing effort to address racial disparity and disproportionality in Austin. Some people say Austin is the most anti-Black city they know and I have no reason to doubt it. Across the board African Americans are at the bottom of every system in our community. There is plenty of data to back that up. Our primary strategy has been to organize Undoing Racism trainings to build a stronger base of organizers and leaders who speak the same language and who have a common analysis and then organizing a network and projects that will build community power. We are working with the Peoples Institute for Survival and Beyond. ...
The Tar Sands Blockade
Back in the summer of 2011, I met with a group of organizers who were thinking about a prolonged action to block the Keystone XL Pipeline in eastern Texas. It was a good conversation and the bold young group kicked off what became the Tar Sands Blockade. They sat in the trees for over a month, forcing the pipeline to find a new route and launching a new chapter in the history of environmental resistance. They also offered a current alternative to the popular model of orchestrated civil disobediences rooted in cooperation with the state. The Tar Sands Blockade captured the imagination and hearts of many young people and more who traveled to Texas, Nebraska and other state...
Preventing War with Syria
Just when you think there is some room to breathe, some political space for calm, it’s amazing how a possible war can quickly creep in. While the conflict in Syria has been ongoing, with deadly serious consequences, it was the use of chemical weapons that ignited the possibility of the use of military force by the United States. We all mobilized, convened strategy conversations and made a plan to stop another war. This work was able to mobilize majority opposition to military action in about a month. The US Government threat of possible weapons of mass destruction was too reminiscent of the horrors of the Bush Administration and we were not prepared to go down that road again....
Marching for Jobs, Justice, and Freedom...
This August, I was happy to attend the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington that marked Dr, Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. There was a synergy about it. I had served on the National Steering Committee for the 25th Anniversary of the March when I was the Coordinator of the Washington Peace Center. Now at the 50th Anniversary I was serving as the National Convener for United for Peace and Justice, a national network of local and national peace groups. We mobilized a small contingent to bring our bright message to this Anniversary. We gathered at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where we laid a wreath, shared a few words and then with the support of the...
