EP 1: How To Become an Organizer (my story)
Overview: I take you through the last ten years of my journey in grassroots organizing. From navigating police tactics and planning marches to holding meetings and developing strategies for change, I share key lessons that have shaped my path. Whether new to activism or a seasoned organizer, this episode offers insights into direct action, anarchism, and the powerful movements that have shaped our world.
Key Themes:
Personal radicalization
Grief as a political awakening
Learning through action
Why storytelling matters in organizing
Discussion Questions:
What does “direct action” mean to you after watching this video? How does the speaker's definition compare?
How do personal experiences and traumas shape one’s political development?
The speaker discusses the gap between online political discourse and real-life organizing. Why might that gap exist, and how can we bridge it?
What are the implications of relying on digital platforms for political learning and safety?
How can movements support people transitioning from politicization to tangible action?
What does it mean to be a “militant” or “radical,” and how are these identities shaped by broader societal forces?
Activities:
Write or record your own "Why I organize" story.
Create a personal timeline of political awakenings or radical encounters.
Pair up and practice storytelling in a small group—each person gets 5 minutes to tell a moment that shaped them.
Make a collage or visual representation of your organizing values using magazine cutouts, drawings, or photos.
Watch the episode with a group and pause to reflect on each chapter of the story.
Books to learn more
Direct Action: Protest and the Reinvention of American Radicalism by L.A. Kauffman [affiliate]
This is an Uprising by Mark & Paul Engler [affiliate]
Mutual Aid by Dean Spade [affiliate]
Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit [affiliate]
The Revolution Will Not Be Funded by INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence [affiliate]
Podcasts
Movement Memos (Truthout)
How to Survive the End of the World by adrienne maree brown & Autumn brown
It Could Happen Here (focus on organizing and collapse narratives)
Research Resources on Movements & Tactics:
Occupy Wall Street — A mass protest that catalyzed new direct action strategies in the 2010s.
Resource: Occupy Archive
Black Lives Matter — Movement framing racial justice through both direct action and digital organizing.
Resource: BLM Founders’ writings
Mutual Aid Networks during COVID-19 — Grassroots direct action in crisis.