Must-Reads and Some Thoughts on the Pace of Struggle

Must-Reads

Your weekly curated list of must-reads is here. From algorithms that are interfering with mental health care to why interdependence shouldn’t feel like building a bunker, here are some of the most important articles I’ve read this week. (For my final thoughts for the week, scroll down.)

• House Passes Chilling “Nonprofit Killer” Bill With 15 Democrats Voting “Yes” by Sharon Zhang. "The House easily passed a bill that would give Donald Trump and future presidents a bludgeon to target and silence dissenting nonprofits on Thursday, in what opponents warned is a step toward allowing the executive branch to wield unchecked, authoritarian power."
• Interdependence is a Survival Skill, But Shouldn’t Feel Like Building a Bunker by Elise Granata. “Community isn’t just about trying hard enough; it’s about what we are willing to feel. I can’t stop banging on about this because I worry if we do this too quickly, we will fail and bail on all of it.”
• Two Trans Women Beaten in Train Station While Bystanders Cheered by John Russell. “Both women were reportedly knocked unconscious, with Dahlia sustaining a broken nose and Jess left with multiple contusions to her ribs.”
• Low-Wage Workers in the Food Service Industry Can’t Afford to Eat by Anisha Kohli. “Workers in the food industry earn some of the lowest wages in the U.S. economy, and after a long day of preparing, cooking, or serving food at work, many struggle to put food on their own tables.”
• What ‘Mass Deportation’ Actually Means by Dara Lind. “That this mass deportation will happen with no legal restraints, accountability or oversight is by no means a premise to be granted without contest. Because resigning oneself in advance to a maximalist vision of mass deportation helps accomplish the same goal: making immigrants feel they have no choice but to leave the United States.”
• What Role Will Sheriffs Play in Trump's Mass Deportation Plans? A Q&A with Jessica Pishko by Melissa del Bosque. “My thought on the mass deportations is that I think a lot of people are, in my view, wrongly looking for something like a military coup, which would look like deputizing the military to go house to house and sweep up immigrants or people who might be immigrants. But I think that it’s going to look a lot more like policing, like policing people are used to, which is why I’m concerned.”
• How UnitedHealth’s Playbook for Limiting Mental Health Coverage Puts Countless Americans’ Treatment at Risk by Annie Waldman. “The system was originally designed to save lives, said Ed Jones, who co-developed the algorithm program when he worked as an executive at PacifiCare Behavioral Health, which later merged with United. Using ALERT to limit or deny care was ‘perverting a process that was really pretty good,’ he told ProPublica.”
• “What’s More Extraordinary and Compelling? by Piper French. “‘We thought, what’s more extraordinary and compelling, which is the standard for compassionate release, than being sexually abused by prison guards after your sentence has been imposed?’ said Shanna Rifkin, deputy general counsel for Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), who is spearheading the effort.”
• Toni Morrison on Fascism and Censorship by Sherell Barbee and Toni Morrison. “Authoritarian regimes, dictators, despots are often, but not always, fools. But none is foolish enough to give perceptive, dissident writers free range to publish their judgments or follow their creative instincts.”
• The Climate Crisis in Charts: How 2024 Has Set Unwanted New Records by Helena Horton, Lucy Swan, Ana Lucía González Paz and Harvey Symons. “The scientists found global temperatures for the past 12 months were 1.62C greater than the 1850-1900 average, when humanity started to burn vast volumes of coal, oil and gas. The chart below shows just how quickly global surface temperatures have climbed, and this year is on track to be the first to hit 1.5C above preindustrial temperatures.”
• Out of Gaza (visuals by Samar Abu Elouf, text by Samar Abu Elouf and Eric Nagourney). “Haya al-Barai, 15, also lost both parents. She, too, is paraplegic, and was initially thought dead. ‘I asked why I was in a shroud,’ she says.”

Taking Action Wherever You Are

Mariame Kaba recently announced an exciting opportunity for new organizers. Mariame’s upcoming workshop series, “How Do I Take Action Where I Am? A Workshop Series for Grounding Ourselves in the Fight Ahead,” will consist of five 90 minute sessions with organizers and educators like Adaku Utah, Dean Spade, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. You can learn more about the workshop series here.

Webinar on Migrant Sexworker Organizing

In their new book, Not Your Rescue Project: Migrant Sex Workers Fighting for Justice, long-time organizers Chanelle Gallant and Elene Lam expose the harms of criminalization inflicted in the name of “anti-trafficking” efforts and uplift migrant sex workers’ organizing. The authors will discuss lessons from their book with Border & Rule author Harsha Walia on Tuesday, November 26, at 6 pm Central Time. You can register to attend the webinar here.

Zoom Chat with Paid Subscribers

A new link has been issued for Saturday's chat with paid subscribers. My apologies if you previously signed up and now need to do so again. There was a problem with the original link. The conversation is happening at 12 p.m. Central Time on Saturday. If you are a paid subscriber, check your email for further details. A reminder will be sent on Saturday morning. I’m looking forward to the conversation.

Final Thoughts

What do you need right now? This is a high-stress time for many of us. Horrendous policy plans—including attacks on food stamps and health care—and disturbing cabinet appointments are being announced by the incoming administration. Some people feel compelled to take immediate action, while others are recoiling in horror. Over the last week, I’ve heard from people who insist everyone needs to slow down, rest, and reflect. I’ve also talked to others who think that perspective is detached from reality, given the unthinkable amount of work ahead.

Here’s the reality as I see it: we’re not all in the same place, we don’t all have the same capacity, and we don’t all need the same thing right now. Is there a singular “right way” to respond to the rise of authoritarianism? For some, taking action brings comfort and purpose. I am one of those people. Others need more time to process and tend to their emotional needs. 

If we dismiss those needs, we risk alienating people, causing them to withdraw further, or pressuring them to engage in movement spaces before they’re emotionally ready. 

Please do not insist that people show up when they are emotionally dysregulated. When trauma responses ricochet around the room, nothing gets done, and people who are hurting wind up in more pain. This helps no one.

There are potential pitfalls to all of our coping mechanisms. Those who need time to rest and reflect could wind up feeling stuck and struggle to reenter the fray. Those of us who want to take action immediately could move faster than the speed of trust or good strategy. We could also become dysregulated and cause harm if we are not attending to our emotional needs. There is no perfect plan or approach. I know that, in my work, my desire to build and to act can sometimes outpace my capacity, leading to physical pain and emotional overwhelm. Sometimes, I have to remind myself to slow down—when I’m feeling too much, moving too fast, or assuming too much. Regular check-ins with trusted people help me stay honest about whether what I’m doing makes sense for me and for others.

Recently, a friend reminded me to be mindful of my partner’s needs and not to neglect our relationship due to feelings of urgency about movement work. The point was well made, and I needed to hear it.

We should all have check-in buddies right now. Who are the people in your life who ask how you’re doing and want an honest answer? Who are the people who you can ask whether what you are saying or doing sounds ethical, sustainable, and right for you and others? Whose opinion do you trust that way? Who checks on you during hard times? This is a good time to figure out who to turn to and who you can trust to give you a nudge if your actions fall out of alignment with your values or jeopardize your well-being.

As Daniel Hunter has mentioned, this is a good time to reconnect with people. Most of us have fallen out of touch with people we care about in recent years. This is a good time to revive those connections. If old conflicts have kept you apart, ask yourself: Do you even remember what you were mad about? Was it worth the distance? If not, consider reconnecting. We are going to need our people in the coming months and years. Sometimes, time and distance simply perpetuate themselves. Reclaiming connection can be a healing, grounding experience. Tell people the truth: things are fucked up, and you are thinking about them.

If you don’t talk to your neighbors, this is a good time to start. Even forming a text or email thread to share information during a crisis—or to help each other in the event of a major storm—is a big deal.

Community is profoundly important right now. Next month, I’m co-hosting an event called Struggle Hour. It’s like Happy Hour (there will be drinks!) except we’re not happy. Struggle Hour will be a space for activists and organizers to catch up, support each other, and maybe discuss what comes next—without any pressure to make plans or collaborate unless they want to. The most important thing is bringing people together to feel, rather than just hear or read, that we’re not alone. Fellowship, empathy, and mutual support will help us move forward with courage and creativity. The work ahead isn’t automatic because we are not machines. We’re human beings with human needs, and many of us are struggling. Ignoring that will diminish our potential.

Yes, there are important things to do right now. I appreciated Brittney McNamara’s list of things to do before Trump takes office, like renewing your passport and seeing your doctor. I was heartened by Mariame Kaba’s list of things you can do to take action wherever you are (beyond protesting or voting). Many of us are working on projects and formulating plans, but preparing ourselves psychologically is just as critical. Taking care of ourselves, connecting with our friends and co-strugglers, and grounding ourselves in those relationships is essential. 

Wherever you are in this process, it’s okay. Move thoughtfully and be gentle with yourselves, friends. There’s a lot of struggle ahead.

Much love,

Kelly

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