Dear Friends:
I have been on the road for the last two months, gathering with people in cities across the country — Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Fresno, Los Angeles, Burlington, Vermont — on the Revolutionary Love Tour. I met hundreds of students, educators, artists, federal workers, organizers, faith leaders, and everyday leaders. I got to see what the news doesn’t show us. In the face of immense pressure and terror from the new administration, people are finding ways to refuse to let fear dictate our future — we are refusing to concede love.
I know it’s been dizzying, even numbing, to follow what’s happening in our country. Millions of us — undocumented immigrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, queer and trans people, student activists — and all who advocate for them are reeling from the administration’s attempts to punish, terrorize, suppress, and disappear us. As executive actions befall us hourly, one thing is clear: Authoritarian forces are driving the agenda, and we don’t know how far they will go.
As I talk with leaders of all kinds, I hear us wrestle with similar choices: Do I take a stand or lie low? Do I exercise my voice publicly or work behind the scenes? How much do I risk? How much do I concede? What does courage look like for me right now?
I believe this is a critical moment. We are still in the early days of a new reality. The forces of authoritarianism are testing the limits of what can be taken—and done to us. The extent to which we resist, concede, or summon courage right now will determine the next four years.
That is why we are hosting a Spring Series: “Love as an Antidote to Authoritarianism”—a three-part virtual experience that will explore how we can harness love as a force for courageous action.
- April 16th | Part One: Love for Others — See No Stranger. How do we show up in solidarity and weave care and protection around each other right now? Register here.
- May 14th | Part Two: Love for Opponents — Tend the Wound. How do we listen across lines of difference and reimagine a future that leaves no one behind? Register here.
- June 11th | Part Three: Love for Ourselves — Breathe and Push. How do we protect joy, pleasure, and care in community? Register here.
Each gathering will feature deep conversation with visionary leaders, concrete ways to take action, tools for navigating this moment with the Revolutionary Love Compass, and healing through music and meditation.
Too many institutions — law firms, universities, corporations — have conceded to the new administration, relinquishing their commitments to diversity, justice, equity, and humanity and putting countless people in harm’s way. But the majority of us oppose authoritarianism. We are the majority. We must act like a majority. We can inspire each other to stand in moral courage and step into our power— when we come together.
Yours,
Valarie
