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Community Spotlight: Dripping Springs, Texas
Shoutout to Dripping Springs, Texas, where people were back on the corner this weekend with signs, flags, and letting their voices be heard! ✨ Local organizers are starting to show up with their communities every Saturday across the country!
This is what decentralized organizing can look like and why it’s needed. Local organizers can hold monthly, daily, or weekly rallies, recurring actions, marches, meetings, or whatever makes sense with your community. If nothing is currently happening locally, that can also be a great reason to start something.
Every community is different, but opportunity is everywhere. You just have to look for it.
Local action grows through consistency. Two or three people can become five or six, and before long, dozens of community members will be showing up regularly. This is how a support network becomes strong, through relationships and a consistent routine.
Tiny Billboards ($$$) in Your Wallet
Here’s a creative idea you can engage in next time you have a pen and cash: “Tiny billboards”!
By adding pro-democracy messages, people have shared examples to us ranging from “Vote Blue” and “Free Speech” to messages about ICE, Trump, democracy, and the election. One community member said they took the idea on a cross-country road trip and intentionally spent their marked money along the way, while others said they’ve been doing different versions of this for years.
Is writing on money legal? Generally, yes. Federal law prohibits mutilating or defacing U.S. currency with the intent to make it unfit to be reissued. Writing a message on a bill doesn’t violate that law, provided the bill remains usable. Make sure to keep bills usable, never alter their denomination or obscure identifying information like the serial number and do not write on the bill to promote a business or as an advertisement.
Cape Cod Covering 3 Overpasses!
The Cape Cod community shared photos with us from a Cape Cod action where organizers took their message directly to passing traffic. On a busy changeover day, they covered three overpasses with signs reading “America Is Not for Sale” and “End the Trump Grifting.” The drivers response was overwhelmingly positive, with plenty of visible support and, according to the organizers, only one single person shouting “Communist.” 😂
Local groups are finding more simple and visible ways to get loud for democracy.
A few signs, an overpass, and a committed group of people can put a message in front of thousands of drivers and visitors moving through the town/city.
Small Acts Can Make a Big Difference
One of our 50501 members recently shared how they spent a Saturday evening by writing a few letters. One of the letters to hold an elected official accountable (Rand Paul) and the other, offering support and gratitude to someone they felt deserved to hear it (Dr. Fauci). It’s a small action, but it’s something almost anyone can do from home.
You can:
Write a postcard
Call your senator
Email your governor
Thank an organizer or someone speaking up
Contact an official about an issue you care about
Do you have a favorite podcast? Here is what some of our 50501 community members recommend:
A recent post in our FB group asked “What podcasts do you listen to for information and encouragement?”, We want to share a few of the favorites and to see if Substack (you!) has any more recommendations to leave us in the comments.
Heather Cox Richardson is the most recommended by our community so far, receiving by the strongest response and several additional mentions throughout the thread. Brian Tyler Cohen is another favorite, along with @Rachel Maddow. Our community also gave a lot of love to What’s the Plan, hosted by Indivisible’s Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin, and Assembly Notes by Stacey Abrams with Stacey Abrams, which came up a handful of times. More popular recommendations includes Sisters-In-Law, Secular Talk with Krystal Kyle & Friends, The Bulwark, Aaron Parnas and @Pod Save America.
The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali Thelefthook@substack.com
Robert Reich RobertReich@substack.com
Joyce Vance Civil Discourse Joycevance@substack.com
Paul Krugman Paulkrugman@substack.com
Helen Cox Richardson, The Bulwark, Raw America