Every week, you'll get simple, doable steps we can take to save our democracy even when we're busy and overwhelmed by the firehose of bad news.
7 million people rallied to save democracy—how to turn our success into power
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:: Only got 5 minutes? Even if all you do is #1 under "Do this + feel better" below, you'll be growing our collective power. 💗 :: Saturday felt good. In more than 2,000 cities, everyday Americans took to the streets to say no to the authoritarian regime and say yes to a true democracy that works for all of us. 🇺🇸 According to a crowdsourced effort led by a data analyst, as many as 7 million people attended a No Kings rally. Seven million! That's a full two percent of the U.S. population, and that makes Saturday the biggest single-day protest in our country's history. Let's bask in that. Every morning since then, I've watched this 2-minute video montage of photos and videos from No Kings rallies. Not only does that short video help inoculate me against the sucker punch of bad news alerts before they start rolling in for the day, but it reminds me I am not alone. 💞 Every time the video rolls, I think, Look at all those people! In big cities, yes, but also in the small cities in red states where showing up for a protest means everyone in town will know you showed up for a protest. That takes courage. So...what's next? Not gonna lie, the schadenfreude has been delicious. I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing 7 million protestors from NYC to Langhorne, PA (population 1,643) juxtaposed against the pitiful military parade in D.C. (squeak...squeak) And yet, one beautiful day in our rearview mirror won't fix the mess this regime has created. We need to build on this incredible momentum, and now is the perfect time to do that. 💪 Okay, but how? To stop our democracy from backsliding into authoritarianism, we need to grow our collective power. That means pulling more people into the fight with us. People who will join us in showing up and speaking out. Because if we can get 3.5 percent of Americans engaged in this fight, research shows that our movement will have the people power it needs to succeed. 🎯 This is gonna snowball, y'all. Political scientist Omar Wasow compares protest movements like No Kings to a standing ovation in a theater: "We see a cascade effect: if one person stands after the curtain drops, then more follow. If 1.8% of the US adult population showed up to protest on Saturday, those are the people who stood up to clap first. It sends a signal to all these other people that you can stand up, too." In other words, the social proof of the No Kings rallies will grease the wheels for the next time you ask a friend to join you, whether to attend a rally, a book club, or a sign-making party. Odds are, your friend already heard about the No Kings event, and they'll be grateful for your invitation to join in. 🙏 We did that. On Saturday, whether you attended a rally in person or participated in another way, you set an example by being one of the first to stand up and clap. Now, it's time to turn to the person next to you and nudge them into standing up, too. Because that's how we'll win. 💃🏼 What's insideInside our latest update, you'll find these sections:
Do this + feel betterHere are 3 things you can do right now. As a bonus, taking any action (even if it's tiny!) will help dispel feelings of hopelessness and overwhelm... 1. Forward this to a friendMany people are feeling overwhelmed by all the calls to action they're getting right now from multiple sources. Call your reps about this emergency! Write a letter to the editor about this injustice! Phone bank for this candidate! If you have a friend who's feeling overwhelmed by everything they could be doing right now—and that's highly likely—they might need a lifeline. 🛟 👉 Forward this message to a friend, neighbor, or loved one with a personal note at the top. Here's an example you can use as a starting point: I don't know about you, but I'm getting messages every day asking me to do stuff like call my reps or write a letter. Even if I do one thing, I feel overwhelmed and guilty for not doing it all. But I found something that's helping me: Molly's Army. You get just one email a week with three tiny actions to choose from. So I'll read that message first and pick one tiny thing to do, then I consider anything beyond that as the cherry on top. If you want to get the weekly messages too, you can sign up here: After that, copy/paste this link so they can join us: https://mollysarmy.com/subscribe/ You'll be helping your friend cut through the overwhelm, and you'll be growing our collective power. 🙌 2. Block your calendar for July 17Many of the same organizations that worked together on No Kings are collaborating for Good Trouble Lives On, a national day of action to defend against the attacks on our civil and human rights. In the words of the late Congressman John Lewis: "Get in good trouble—necessary trouble—and help redeem the soul of America." More from the organizers: "July 17 marks the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’s passing. On that day, we take up his call to make Good Trouble—to defend democracy and continue the fight for justice.
From voter suppression bills like the SAVE Act to efforts to criminalize protest, the Trump regime is waging a full-scale assault on our rights.
But we’re rising up—because in America, The People Are The Power.
This isn’t just a protest. It’s a moral stand."
👉 So stop what you’re doing and block your calendar on July 17 right now, then tell a friend (or ten) so they can plan ahead to join you. (To save time, you’re welcome to copy and paste this part of my message into a note to your friends and tweak as necessary!) As details firm up, I'll keep you posted. You can also check the (ever-growing!) list of planned events here. 3. Shift from big to smallMany CEOs of large corporations are cozying up to this fascist regime because they think being in the regime's good graces will help them avoid paying their fair share in taxes and sidestep regulations that protect the American people. 👎 But large corporations are, you know, large, so what impact can you and I really have? A lot, as it turns out. Remember when Target rolled back its DEI initiatives, and everyday folks everywhere decided to boycott? Fast forward to now: Target sales fell three percent in the first quarter, and they went from projecting growth in 2025 to projecting a decline. Ruh-roh, Raggy. (Details here.) And don't forget the worldwide success of the Tesla Takedown movement. 👉 Take a tiny step to align your spending with your values by shifting away from supporting big corporations where you can. We're not going for perfection here—just a tiny step. Here are a few simple shifts that your fellow Molly's Army members are making so you can see if any resonate with you:
Remember: You don't have to do everything on this list! Pick one small shift to try and see how it goes. Get a shot of motivationA quote that resonated this week: "When does the pressure break, the dam crack, the earthquake fault slip, the ferment explode the bottle? No one knows. But we can prepare for it, we can build toward it, we can lay the groundwork for it. And I wouldn't be surprised if the summer of 2025 exceeds the intensity and scale of the summer of 2020, the summer of the Black Lives Matter George Floyd protests. But I don't know. Neither do you. No one does.
All we can do is keep showing up, keep speaking up, keep donating, keep connecting, keep our values close and our courage strong and keep an eye out. And not give up, including not settling into this as though it's normal or permanent or we're helpless. I think I said here before that it's like we can pile up the fuel for the bonfire, but it's lightning that will ignite it."
Hey, look! We did thisHere's a quick run-down of what folks in our group have been doing to help lately:
Your turnWhat small actions have you taken lately? Please hit "reply" and let me know what you've been up to so we can celebrate with you. 🥳 Onward, Kelly p.s. If this message resonated with you, please consider becoming a sustaining member for $5 a month. You'll help cover the costs of our website and email list, plus you'll help us reach more people and spur them into taking meaningful action. 💞 |
Molly's Army
Every week, you'll get simple, doable steps we can take to save our democracy even when we're busy and overwhelmed by the firehose of bad news.