When it’s time to take action
Three actions, and some extra credit if you are so inclined.
Yesterday, we mourned. Doom-scrolled. Perhaps did something healthier, like check-in with our people, practice self and community care, disconnect from media.
Maybe you still need more time to do that. But when you’re ready, here are ways you can take action. Because you can make a difference. The energy in this moment means that your call to congress, your cancellation of a prime account, might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Cancel your accounts/boycott the following companies: Amazon, Enterprise, Hilton Hotels, Home Depot. Yes, it makes a difference. The Target boycott hurt its bottom line. Disney reinstated Jimmy Kimmel. Your dollars make a difference.
Get involved locally: ICE watch, rapid response hotlines, activist groups. Find a way to plug in. And if you don’t have time, contribute money.* If you don’t have money, amplify their messages.
Contact Congress: I know, I know. I hate doing it too. But it’s time. They need to hear from an overwhelming number of people that this cannot continue. Get over the inertia and spend the 2 minutes it takes to call and leave a message. Tell them: Do not fund ICE. Do not fund mass deportation.
*Consider signing up for monthly donations. Commit for the long haul. The work needs to continue beyond this moment of public outrage. If you’re looking for suggestions, I’m biased towards this local org in St. Louis.
Extra Credit
Have you already done 1-3? Awesome! (But also, really? Go finish your assignments before you start the extra credit!)
Here are some additional suggestions if you are looking for more ways to engage:
Read Standing Together: A Guide for Allies and Compas in a Time of Mass Deportation. I wrote this in late 2024, after the elections. It’s a bit like Witnessing Whiteness - a deep dive into the issue of immigration, identity, and engagement.
Learn about the 10 other times immigration officials have shot at people in the last year, and the 30+ people who have died in ICE custody. Consider why this moment has galvanized public energy, and not those other moments.
Start talking about immigration solutions built on dignity and liberation, rather than policing and exclusion. I’ve written about that: Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, and Part 4.
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🕯️🇺🇸🫱🏼🫲🏾🙏🏼 When Truth Shines Brighter Than Fear
Cold run the winds on Minneapolis streets,
Morning came slow, and questions meet.
They came with badges, guns held tight,
But neighbors stood strong into the night.
They said “He threatened”—and words took flight—
Yet videos told a different sight.
A phone in his hand, no gun in view,
Just a man who stood for what was true.
He cared for vets at the VA hall,
He heard the cry and heeded the call.
Not looking for trouble, not out to attack,
Just trying to see justice stay on track.
They say he approached—but what does that mean?
When video shows a scene serene?
No violent act, no swinging rage—
Only a man on a democratic page.
“Come help,” he seemed to ask,
As agents closed in with task and mask.
Neighbors wept at the shocking turn—
Seeing one so gentle fall and burn.
They held his memory with lanterns bright,
Peaceful, warm against the night.
They cried for truth, they cried for peace,
For federal tactics that must cease.
A chief walked forward with quiet grace,
Saying justice isn’t found in deadly chase.
Protect the people, he made clear,
Not strip rights away with fear.
Some blamed the crowd, some blamed the law—
But every local voice still saw
A human life beneath it all,
A neighbor who would not let fear call.
So candles burn on Nicollet Street,
For every heart that skips a beat.
For Alex, for Renee, for all who cry—
We hold the light up to the sky.
We walk with hope through winter’s test,
We lift the truth above the rest.
For liberty and justice stand,
In every woman, child, and man.
And when they say “Forget his name,”
We keep it burning like a flame.
Not labeled monster by false claim—
But honored as a hero just the same. 🕯️🇺🇸🫱🏼🫲🏾🙏🏼
#ResharingBrigade #GrandparentsForTruth #IndieMedia #ProDemocracy #SupportUkraine #SupportPalestine #SupportAfghanVets #PeoplePoweredPolicies
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(Free to share (noncommercial) Optional credit: Clarissa Sr. - substack.com/@clarissasr@473548) 📣🇺🇸🕯️