:: Only got 5 minutes? Even if all you do is #1 under "Do this + feel better" below, you'll be doing your part. Anything else is gravy. 🤸 ::

It may seem like only a small thing to have subscribed to this newsletter so you get these weekly messages. But it's not. Most folks are doomscrolling off and on all day, getting sucker-punched by breaking news alerts, and feeling more and more overwhelmed, unsure what to do. Starting to believe that nothing they could do would matter anyway.

But not you. You've chosen to stay connected with your fellow democracy-loving citizens. And that's important. Because to fight back against this coup and the attack on our civic institutions, we will need a broad coalition of folks who believe in freedom, civil rights, and the rule of law. No matter the political label you identify with, we all have those core beliefs in common. Beliefs we're willing to stand up for.

So let's do it again this week. 💪

What's inside

Inside our latest update, you'll find these sections:

• Do this + feel better: 3 things you can do right now. Taking any action (even if it's tiny!) will help dispel feelings of hopelessness and overwhelm.
• Keep growing: 3 ways you can keep learning and growing as a citizen—something to listen to, something to watch, and something to read.
• Get a shot of motivation: A quote that resonated this week.
• Hey, look! We did this: A quick run-down of what folks in our little group of rabble-rousers have been doing to help.

Do this + feel better

Here 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. Call your reps

Demand they do their part to stop the coup. (Yes, again!)

To be clear, we're not calling our Republican reps because we think we can convince them to suddenly grow a conscience. We're calling because they need to feel the heat. 🔥 Remember during the devastating winter storm of 2021 when we shamed Ted Cruz into returning to Texas from his Cancun vacation? We can do hard things, y'all.

Let's be a menace and make their daily lives inconvenient and difficult so they realize their apathy has consequences. If we don't get to take a break from the onslaught, neither do they.

👉 Not sure what to say? Indivisible has talking points here. Install the 5 Calls app to get your reps' phone numbers, or save them in your phone as contacts. Or you can look up your Congress member at reps.fyi.

Remember: If you don't love talking on the phone, you can call after business hours and leave a voicemail. Also, no need to read a long script. This is the most important part to say:

2. Invite someone to Science Homecoming

Do you know someone who's on the faculty at a university? Ask them if their university has received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the National Science Foundation (NSF) and if the answer is yes, invite them to participate in Science Homecoming. 🌸

The goal of this initiative is to show our fellow Americans—especially those in smaller communities—that science comes from every town, belongs to everyone in the country, and is critical to our success. So to educate the public, university faculty are contacting the newspapers in the towns or counties where they grew up to ask about placing opinion pieces in their paper.

👉 Get all the details here, then share with a university faculty member you know.

3. Adopt a journalist

The nonprofit newsroom ProPublica is working hard to investigate the dismantling of our federal agencies so they can shine a light on what's really happening. And they're very good at what they do. Over the years, their reporting has led to new laws passed, innocent people freed from prison, and people in power resigning. 💅

But tracking down sources, fact-checking, and corralling all that research into a cohesive piece of journalism that will inform and inspire action? It takes time and resources.

👉 Please consider sponsoring a hard-working journalist here. Whether you can do a one-time gift of $25 or a monthly donation of $5, your support will help them do important, democracy-saving work.

Alternative: If that's not in the cards for you at the moment, sign up for one of their newsletters and make it a goal to share their stories with friends, family, and co-workers to help spread the facts.

Keep growing

Learning about what's happening and how we dig ourselves out of this hole is an ongoing process. Here are 3 ways you can keep learning and growing as a citizen who wants to protect this democracy:

• 🎧 Listen: Indivisible put together this helpful guide of strategies, tactics, and tips for how everyday Americans can fight back together to save our democracy. If podcasts are your jam, catch the audio version here.
• 📺 Watch: Until April 28, you can catch the documentary Zurawski v Texas about the women who were denied abortions under the Texas abortion ban and then banded together to sue Texas. Watch it here.
• 📖 Read: If you want to know how we can survive and resist America’s turn towards authoritarianism, this 127-page guide is a must: On Tyranny. It's a quick read and not like a lot of nonfiction that drones on and on. Pick it up at your library, get a physical copy or an e-book from Bookshop here, or get the audiobook from Libro.fm here. (I didn't link to That Other Place, but of course, they'll have it too!)

Get a shot of motivation

A quote that resonated this week:

Hey, look! We did this

Here's a quick run-down of what folks in our group have been doing to help lately:

• In Austin, hundreds of folks came to the "We the People Reject Project 2025" protest on Monday at the State Capitol. 💃🏼 It was a big crowd, but I still ran into a few friendly faces from our group. Props to Lynn, Sarah, Rob, and Dottie for making time to show up because it's hard to do that on a random weekday afternoon! Check out the photo gallery here from the Austin American-Statesman.
• Lynn also started a Grandma Reads History program where she visits a public square and reads aloud from history books, articles, and documents. She's already recruited folks around the country to join her on this positive, nonpartisan action. 🧡 If you'd like to learn more, let me know and I'll put you in contact with her.
• If you're in Austin: Judy is helping local group Nonviolent Austin host a party this Sunday, February 23, from 3:30 to 5:30 pm, to raise funds for six Austin residents to attend a 2-day training at the Selma Center for Nonviolence in early March so they can learn the Martin Luther King Jr style of nonviolent resistance. 🕊️ They'll have a bake sale, a book sale, and a concert. You can bring baked goods for the bake sale or just show up to enjoy the yummy food and fun music. Cash donations will be accepted at the door. Event at 2505 Princeton Dr, Austin, TX 78741. If you can't attend on Sunday, you can still contribute here.

Your turn

What 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. 💞