After the protest we...?

"The action often lies in the reaction."

Nearly a decade ago, I began my journey as a community organizer. While I initially was drawn into the field by the works of organizers like Saul Alinsky (the heinous mastermind behind Barack Obama, according to Republicans), I quickly learned that Alinsky and his movement were male-dominated and frequently bypassed talented women and people of color for leadership positions. While the organization I worked at was founded by contemporaries of Alinsky, our lead organizer at the time definitely realized that the Alinsky model and world view did not meet the 21st century. Working alongside a talented woman of color, I quickly saw that we had both an opportunity and an obligation to make sure we were identifying and coaching rising leaders who were represented in the communities we served. That meant making sure we had Latinos from Lawrence, Cambodians from Lowell, and Portuguese from Haverhill, among others. Step one in community organizing is identifying who "your people" are and then listening to them to identify the most pressing community needs. Having three different demographics in three different cities ensured that our work was coming from the community itself and not the organizing team.

A critical lesson I learned early on was to be strategic in planning for and executing events. The key was not only to make sure the event itself was run smoothly, but also to consider all potential outcomes of the event to continue to build momentum for your campaign. That meant role-playing the community meeting and identifying ways in which to pin down the local politician who was notorious for giving non-answers to the public. It also meant having clear next steps so that your meeting wasn't a simple one-off that people attended and then forgot about the next day. That meant making sure you had a system of checking people in where they provided their contact information, as well as having clear dates for upcoming meetings to follow up shortly thereafter. My mentor organizer would often say that "the action lies in the reaction," meaning that while events themselves were a key part of organizing, the way in which you followed up the event with both your people and the politicians was equally, if not more important than the original event itself. 

What is the follow-up from Saturday's No Kings protests? 

This is the question that drives organizers like me bonkers. Because the folks behind the No Kings rallies did a great job organizing Saturday's events, with over 3,300 protests involving over 8 million Americans participating. We all laughed at the signs and costumes we saw online. Those who attended felt an instant camaraderie with those in their neighborhoods or communities. Young children were awakened to a certain side of politics that is much more lively and engaging than your typical local government meeting. People largely understood the assignment to not only show up but also recognize the importance of being an ally for those who make the equally understandable decision to stay home. These were all non-violent protests, proving once again that Antifa isn't actually a thing. Having 8 million Americans in all 50 states protesting on the same day showed the world that not all Americans are comfortable having Cheeto Mussolini speak for us on the global stage. At a time when the world has lost confidence in the United States, this was a moment to rise up and let the world know that there are still honest and decent Americans stuck under this regime. In terms of vibes, Saturday's No Kings protests seemed to strike all the right notes. 

But America needs more than vibes. America needs a plan. And that plan has to start with taking back the House in November. That is why Saturday's protests largely felt like a missed opportunity for those of us in the community organizing field. How many of those 8 million people who left the protests on Saturday came home with new information? How many either confirmed or updated their voter registration? How many learned something about the local Democratic candidates running for office? In the 40 or so key House swing districts, what was done to dissuade people from going to the polls and electing a Republican in November? Saying no to Trump as king is one thing; creating a clear pathway with measurable steps and action items is another. Sadly, it is that second part, that reaction to the action, if you will, that was largely absent from the 3,300 protests on Saturday. When that continues to happen, you have to ask yourself why.

The truth is that while there were some isolated efforts to do things like voter registration at these protests, for the most part, there were no actionable items. That is simply inexcusable. While periodic No Kings rallies feel good the day of and even generate a (small) bit of media coverage, the momentum is seemingly gone by the start of the next work week. People may talk about the protest during their lunch break, but other than that, it will be as if the protests themselves hardly even happened. All that work, all that organizing, all to simply have a one-day action with no proper next steps. Sure, there will likely be a fourth No Kings rally at some point this summer. Perhaps that one will bring together over 10 million Americans. But until protest organizers identify a clear goal of their work, we will continue in this cycle. There needs to be a concerted effort to register voters at these events, regardless of whether or not they take place in red, blue, or purple states. If you attend and are already registered to vote, there needs to be a local organization that can provide volunteer opportunities for you to phone bank and canvass to reach new and undecided voters. If you're already both a voter and a volunteer, there needs to be a team there from the local Democratic Party, letting people know about ways in which individuals can support the party financially. Not a single person should leave the next No Kings rally without recommitting themselves to the cause of flipping the House in November.

It's a lot to ask, but all this has to be done for these rallies to truly make a difference. Democrats cannot win on vibes alone. We know Democrats are against this wannabe imperial president. We know Democrats are against the cruel, heartless activities of ICE. We know Democrats are against the clusterfuck that has become the Iran War. What we need now is to convince others that they should also feel this way. That's why we need these types of opportunities for everyone who shows up at these protests. It's simply not enough to show up one time on a Saturday in March. We need all 8 million people to vote, to convince others to vote, and to support local Democrats running for office. If the No Kings protest organizers can do all of that, then and only then will upcoming No Kings rallies truly shift the needle in the American political world. As good as Saturday felt for so many, the absent civic engagement piece was a huge missed opportunity. 

One that simply must be remedied moving forward.