Feeling hopeless?
“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency. Hope should shove you out the door, because it will take everything you have to steer the future away from endless war, from the annihilation of the earth’s treasures and the grinding down of the poor and marginal…
To hope is to give yourself to the future – and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable.”― Rebecca Solnit
Stop paying attention to the “shock and awe,” do something, and find your people. Get involved in local politics and/or local organizations. Find some area to focus on and help in any way you can – even if it just means donating to a cause.
Major national and international organizations
- No Kings: On October 18, more than 7 million of us rose up at more than 2,700 events in all 50 states, DC, and cities worldwide to say: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people. Now, our task is to stay vigilant, stay united, and continue to push back
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Works to protect and defend the civil rights and liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution for everyone.
- Common Cause: Focuses on democratic reform, like fighting for fair representation and ending partisan gerrymandering.
- Human Rights Campaign (HRC): A large LGBTQ+ advocacy group that works to advance equality and mobilize voters.
- Democratic Socialists of America (DSA): The largest socialist organization in the U.S., which believes in democratically controlling the economy to meet human needs.
- Center for American Progress: A liberal policy institute that works to improve the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and policy.
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund: A separate nonprofit membership organization that engages in educational, advocacy, and limited electoral activity, including grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, and voter education.
Grassroots and community-based groups
- Indivisible: A national grassroots movement that works to resist the “authoritarian power grabs” of the Trump administration and has organized large-scale protests across the country.
- Swing Left: Aims to help people connect with and organize in their local communities to support progressive candidates and causes in elections.
- California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG): A state-level group that takes on powerful interests to advocate for the health and well-being of Californians.
Other influential groups
- Open Society Foundations: Provides funding for a range of liberal causes, including justice, equity, and human rights.
- League of Women Voters: A nonpartisan organization that promotes active and informed participation in government.