Social Movements and NGOs: Can They Get Along?
NGOs seeking to support frontline movements often stumble. The activist network Beautiful Trouble conducted a detailed study and offer a path forward.
Activism
YES! Media’s coverage of activism centers on the ways that grassroots mobilization and activism work to change the political zeitgeist around the most pressing social issues we are facing.
Stepping Up for Social Change 
Whether you’re ready, weary, or wise, you can take your movement engagement to the next level.
The Grassroots Fight for Housing Justice in Baltimore
Tired of waiting for the city to address housing justice, Baltimore’s constellation of grassroots activists and institutions are charging forward to keep residents in their homes and increase availability of affordable housing.
Abolishing the Nation’s Largest Jail System
L.A. County activists are working to replace violent jails with mental health facilities, and to reallocate funding from incarceration toward social services.
Carving a Better Tomorrow Out of a Worsening Today
Frida Berrigan reflects on living in a world of tipping points.
Manchin’s Pipeline Loss Shows Frontline and Green Groups Are Gaining Steam
“We launched our movement to breathe clean air … amid the Movement for Black Lives chanting ‘we can’t breathe’ and a pandemic disproportionately killing Black people.”
Intersectional Activism in a Post-Roe World
Abortion bans tend to disproportionately impact vulnerable populations in low-income, rural communities. Here’s how young people of color are fighting back.
Getting Voters the Truth in a Whirlwind of Lies
In Arizona, voter groups reach out to Latino citizens to combat misinformation spread by election-denier candidates.
Insults May Not Lead to Votes After All
Name-calling in politics grabs headlines, but voters don’t like it—and it could backfire in the 2022 midterm elections.
What a “Green Amendment” Can Do for Environmental Justice
The Supreme Court curbed the EPA’s ability to restrict emissions, so states are looking to enshrine rights to “healthful environments” in their constitutions.
On Becoming a Somatic Abolitionist
Resmaa Menakem intersperses political commentary and predictions about American democracy with explanations of how racialized trauma presents in our bodies, and offers body-focused exercises to deal with it.
How the Korean Concept of “Han” Teaches Solidarity
It is high time for the U.S. to do some serious soul-searching. Communion and fellowship are what will get us through.
Baby Boomers Mobilize Around Climate Change
The generation’s organizing experience, voter turnout, and spending power make them a powerful force for change.
A Growing Wave of Unionizing Drives Change
From Amazon to Starbucks, employees are demanding better pay and working conditions from companies that have long had a free hand to maximize profits at any cost.
The Political Power of Pro-Choice Protests
In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, protests remind the Left how political change happens.
Walking Tours Get a Radical Makeover, Focusing on People’s Histories
Instead of kings, plutocrats, and generals, a new kind of historical walking tour focuses on the people they repressed, and tells a more complete story.
Tell Better Stories to Win Public Opinion (and Elections)
The antidote to a false narrative on the right is to create a better one on the left to counter it.
Unlearning Racism As a Non-Black Person of Color
A young, mixed-race Iranian American realized during the 2020 racial justice uprisings that being a person of color didn’t mean she was automatically an expert on race and racism.
Women Against the Bomb: Mothers of the Revolution
A new documentary interviews “Greenham Common Women”—tough, dedicated protesters in the struggle against nuclear weapons and nuclear war.
Abolitionists and Environmentalists in Atlanta Band Together to “Stop Cop City”
“The people who are killing us can’t also be the people who are keeping us safe.”
How to Get Past Despair to Powerful Action on Climate Change
The evidence is clear that people are changing the climate dramatically. But human actions can also affect the climate for the better.
How Ukrainian Civilians Are Resisting Military Force
Unarmed Ukrainians changing road signs, blocking tanks, and confronting the Russian military are showing their bravery and strategic brilliance.
How to Prevent Burnout Among Black Movement Leaders
What would our movement be like if we abundantly supported Black leaders to transition to their next role in our ecosystem, instead of choosing to isolate them in burnout?
When Witnessing Becomes Activism
Witnesses, whether by accident or vocation, help to shape how societies understand social upheaval and respond to social change.
Reforming Laws From Behind Bars
Prison reformists—many of whom are serving long sentences—have united to change the cruel and arbitrary carceral system.
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