While federal workers and Latino community groups are organizing frontline opposition, hashtag phenoms like #50501 and #TeslaTakedown are filling the political vacuum--with mixed results.
Thanks for the nice shout-out today, Micah. I'm going to be writing a series of short follow-up pieces digging deeper into the challenges that come up as we organize a new team and start taking action. I'm very open to feedback on what people need so that organizing isn't just a vague hope but feels like a practical way to proceed. All the best, Dave Fleischer
Out of curiosity, do you believe movements such as the 505001 group will have a long term impact, or do you see it as more of just a flash in the pan?
Given Linda Sarsour’s history with the Women’s March group in 2017 and the stuff you describe in the organizing call, I’m skeptical of how much the group will accomplish. But I would love to be proven wrong.
I’m also still feeling burnt out and have stepped back a bunch.
I appreciate your writing and I feel like I always learn a lot from your posts.
I think that 50501 may yet evolve into something with more structure and staying power, but if it doesn't it will be subsumed by other things that do a better job of holding people together for harder times ahead. It will have served a useful purpose either way, but we shouldn't be telling fairy tales to new people given what we actually know about good organizing.
"Movements without leaders, structure and clear processes for making decisions do not last. " EXACTLY. And I would add clear communications strategies.
In case it's helpful to add to the list of resources, Donor Organizer Hub has a section in our resource library for building a team -- it's focused on volunteer fundraising but also has lots of generalized team resources like a guide for hosting a kickoff, a team charter template created by PowerLabs, a recruitment/retention idea generation exercise, and more: https://www.donororganizerhub.org/resources/build-fundraising-team
The simplest way to organize folks is to give them a place and a time to gather with a nice poster that folks can share on social media. That's all 50501 did, and it was good enough to overcome the corrupt DC consultants and pundits who advised doing nothing. I joined the march in Union Square and the widely-varied posters told the story - we're outraged at all of what Trump is doing.
The challenge for more "organized" organizing is that Trump creates so much chaos that every day we are compelled to fight a different battle. The advantage of big leaderless rallies is they allow us to write our posters at game time.
Thanks. Great hints for all the new groups/pods/configurations. These would be more useful presented in shorter bits. For example, the last section of "things you've learned" would be more accessible as a separate post. Works for me, but I look at my pod and realize most might find the whole TLDR. Onward in the whirlwind.
AEIOU - Agitation, Education, Inoculation, Organizing, Unionizing. Couldn't Congresswoman Cori Bush's approach be considered Agitation? Congresswoman Bush is speaking to an untapped segment that is hungry for change. That engagement can lead to the next step, Education, if more allies step-up. Thank you always for your excellent analysis!
I think you are offering the most important analysis for this moment. Thank you!
- Peter Levine
Thanks for the nice shout-out today, Micah. I'm going to be writing a series of short follow-up pieces digging deeper into the challenges that come up as we organize a new team and start taking action. I'm very open to feedback on what people need so that organizing isn't just a vague hope but feels like a practical way to proceed. All the best, Dave Fleischer
Good new book too!!!
https://www.amazon.com/People-Power-Change-Organizing-Democratic/dp/0197569005
Gah! I added a recommendation to the text. Yes, absolutely, excellent new book on organizing.
Thanks for doing the work, Micah. Your posts are so valuable.
One of the best posts this year. Thank you. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
You had me at Trump and buzz saw! Now back to the article! ;)
Out of curiosity, do you believe movements such as the 505001 group will have a long term impact, or do you see it as more of just a flash in the pan?
Given Linda Sarsour’s history with the Women’s March group in 2017 and the stuff you describe in the organizing call, I’m skeptical of how much the group will accomplish. But I would love to be proven wrong.
I’m also still feeling burnt out and have stepped back a bunch.
I appreciate your writing and I feel like I always learn a lot from your posts.
I think that 50501 may yet evolve into something with more structure and staying power, but if it doesn't it will be subsumed by other things that do a better job of holding people together for harder times ahead. It will have served a useful purpose either way, but we shouldn't be telling fairy tales to new people given what we actually know about good organizing.
Occupy Wall Street was a leaderless movement and it failed to make the change that the 2008 financial crisis needed. We need better than that now.
"Movements without leaders, structure and clear processes for making decisions do not last. " EXACTLY. And I would add clear communications strategies.
In case it's helpful to add to the list of resources, Donor Organizer Hub has a section in our resource library for building a team -- it's focused on volunteer fundraising but also has lots of generalized team resources like a guide for hosting a kickoff, a team charter template created by PowerLabs, a recruitment/retention idea generation exercise, and more: https://www.donororganizerhub.org/resources/build-fundraising-team
The simplest way to organize folks is to give them a place and a time to gather with a nice poster that folks can share on social media. That's all 50501 did, and it was good enough to overcome the corrupt DC consultants and pundits who advised doing nothing. I joined the march in Union Square and the widely-varied posters told the story - we're outraged at all of what Trump is doing.
The challenge for more "organized" organizing is that Trump creates so much chaos that every day we are compelled to fight a different battle. The advantage of big leaderless rallies is they allow us to write our posters at game time.
Thanks. Great hints for all the new groups/pods/configurations. These would be more useful presented in shorter bits. For example, the last section of "things you've learned" would be more accessible as a separate post. Works for me, but I look at my pod and realize most might find the whole TLDR. Onward in the whirlwind.
AEIOU - Agitation, Education, Inoculation, Organizing, Unionizing. Couldn't Congresswoman Cori Bush's approach be considered Agitation? Congresswoman Bush is speaking to an untapped segment that is hungry for change. That engagement can lead to the next step, Education, if more allies step-up. Thank you always for your excellent analysis!