Joy is Good for Democracy, Despair is not an Option
~Heather Cox Richardson & Anand Giridharadas
Monday, January 20, 2025, was a bitterly cold day in Indianapolis. That day marked the intersection of two colliding and disparate events. It was the federal holiday designated to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and it was the day of the inauguration of the 47th president of the United States.
On that day, Hoosiers for Democracy hosted a Reclaim, Rebuild & Resist Rally. Our speakers included Reverend David Greene of Concerned Clergy, Quaker pastor Phil Gulley, Rabbi Aaron Spiegel of Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance and Indiana commentator and activist Dana Black. Our colleague and co-host Sheila Kennedy began our time together by asking “how do we build an overarching community that welcomes everyone while still honoring and respecting our differences”? We were regaled in song by Lyndsay Moy and Shederick Whipple of the Indianapolis Opera, and Indiana native vocal artist Staci McCrackin. Attendees from Indiana Citizen shared their experience of the rally in a follow up article.
The bitter cold forced us to move inside, which turned out to be a blessing. The gracious staff at Broadway United Methodist Church opened their doors and hearts to us just four days before the rally. The pastors and lay staff know no stranger and practice radical hospitality. It was the perfect venue for the rally.
The purpose of the rally was three-fold. Primarily we gathered to celebrate the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his life as an organizer and activist. Secondly, we gathered to boycott the inauguration of a felon who campaigned on hatred, division and grievance. The bitter irony of the contradictions of this day was not lost on the nearly 300 folks who gathered, but we refused to let that rob us of our joy. Perhaps the most important of reasons was our collective call to action. It was a call to follow in Dr. King’s footsteps of being creative non-conformists in resistance to the mean-spirited executive orders and legislation that will flow from our statehouse, the White House and the 119th United States Congress.
Did you Know:
On the first afternoon of his first day in office, just hours after he took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, the newly inaugurated president immediately began implementing the most egregious aspects of Project 2025, the blueprint for dismantling our democratic institutions and unraveling the Constitution. Trump repeatedly denied knowing anything about Project 2025 during the campaign. He lied.
He spent the first afternoon and evening of his second term engaged in performative politics signing a flurry of egregious, regressive, vengeful executive actions. This was his opening gambit of being a ‘dictator on day one’.
Meanwhile, back home in Indiana, Mike Braun issued an executive order eliminating all DEI initiatives in state agencies immediately upon taking office.
There are bills being heard in the General Assembly that will make Indiana even more extreme, including bills that encourage racial profiling by local law enforcement, voter suppression laws making it harder for college students to vote, further restrictions and regulations on abortion and women’s health care and expanding the use of methane as a ‘clean energy source’. Our Indiana Statehouse will take their cues from Washington in implementing Project 2025. Buckle up!
Why It Matters:
Our rally last Monday was a people’s inauguration. It served as our opening gambit to reclaim the values that this country was founded on, to rebuild what has been broken and to resist the anti-democratic, hateful, grievance motivated actions flowing out of our statehouse and Trump administration. Now we must turn our joy into action.
We must be clear eyed about what is happening. Our country is in the throes of regressive social mores and radical religious fundamentalism. We are experiencing a backlash against the hard-won freedoms of the civil rights movements and women’s movement. This backlash is fueled by white Christian nationalism, white supremacy and greed. The torch bearers are the 47th president, the 119th Congress and twenty-three MAGA controlled statehouses.
What We Can Do:
Heather Cox Richardson says that doing those things that we love is a form of resistance. Authoritarians cannot rule if there are strong communities and people acting with joy. These next few days and weeks are going to be filled with outrageous things. Our fierce resistance will be to keep steady, stay focused and not retreat in despair or hopelessness. We are still a democracy. We still have voice, agency and power in numbers. We have one another and we have a purpose.
It will be very important to understand that we can’t do it all and we can’t do it alone. Each of us must find what it is that brings us joy, to know our gifts and how we might use our gifts to be in service to what matters most. We must join with others who are aligned with our values and interests. And, when we need to step back, catch our breath and rest, we must allow others to take over for a while.
We must consume the news in moderation and be very intentional about our sources of information. It is not helpful to ‘read and react’ to everything that happens each day. We cannot be outraged by every outrageous action. We must protect our spirits from the firehose of Trumpism.
If we can stay sure footed and grounded in what we most want for our country, we can take our next steps. H4D will keep you informed of what needs our attention the most and point the way to how ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
Yours in joyful resistance,
H4D team
Notes:
Whether you were at the rally or not, we want to stay connected. Please take a minute to fill out this Contact Form. We won’t share your information with others, but this will help us better connect with you throughout the year.
It is important to rely on trusted sources of information. Here are a few of our trusted sources for information. This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive or exclusive—consider it a ‘starter pack’ for alternative news.
A Native Son by Eddie Glaude (Substack newsletter and podcast)
Letters from an American by Heather Cox Richardson
The Contrarian co-founded by Jennifer Rubin and Norm Eisen
The.Ink by Anand Giridharadas
As my acts of citizen defiance, I have chosen to write our Senators and my local Congresswoman Spartz on a daily basis, and find it hard not to lose my temper when I write since there are multiple outrageous announcements daily. Today was a two-fer, the second being the announcement of SecDef Hegseth targeting Gen (ret) Milley. We need to all do this - it does not take long and unfortunately there are multiple items to choose on a daily basis. I usually can cut and paste and alter to fit each Congressperson:
"The President continues to over extend his authority and target patriotic citizens but has no problem pardoning J6 felons -- I'm sure you are aware of the felon that was killed during an altercation with police in Jasper Co IN. Meanwhile, the commander in chief has directed a completely unqualified SecDef to target Gen Mark Miley. I along with many other Indianans are absolutely outraged at this clear vendetta against a man who has served honorably and faithfully. You have taken the oath of office - Do you take it as seriously as Mark Milley has his entire career? I did for 30 years and as a retiree I still do. You need to stand against this clear abuse of power and do your job."
Thanks so much for the comment and reminder about this source! We've included Mirror Indy in earlier posts and have added it to the current post. We also appreciate that you were able to attend the rally.