Here is the third in my series of 2025 mini-zines. If the term “zine” is new to you, think of it as a “little magazine,” a self-published booklet designed to be easily printed and shared, wherever it might be useful. The title of the zine is from the song of the same name, from this album.
Lots of people coming into political consciousness in this moment, looking for action to take, and navigating that process can be challenging—hopefully this zine can be something concrete to share with people like that in our lives (or ourselves, if that’s the case!) Possibly useful for giving out at neighborhood cookouts, hobby-based events, family gatherings, classes, and other community spaces.
One brief thought: I know that sometimes lists like “here are 47 books you should read to understand XYZ,” or “here is an unorganized googledoc of 300 gofundmes to donate to,” can be overwhelming. So I think it’s worth making explicit that no one person, or even organization, has to do everything here. The idea is to browse all this, take that 10,000-foot view, and continue moving toward where you fit in. In my experience, hearing about concrete examples of action is inspirational, even if that doesn’t end up being the same action I’m going to take. I hope there can be some seed-planting, and seed-watering, in all these examples.
HERE is a PDF of the printable/foldable version (on basic 8.5×11 paper). I cut/fold my zines like this. Though the more I do this, the more I realize that are alternate ways of doing that z-fold! So just be careful that the cover ends up on the front; take a few tries if you need to.
And the full text is below.
I Didn’t Believe in the Fight; the Fight Made Me a Believer
For people who want to take action.
If you’re someone who pays attention to the world and cares about other people, it is only natural to feel overwhelmed, scared, or just adrift right now. We might know that collective action offers the best path forward—joining together in organizations, unions, and other collaborative efforts. But there’s still that question of what do we do?
This zine shares some action ideas, but there is no perfect guide, no map, no big red button we can press to fix everything. Nobody has the one-and-only strategy right now. Nobody knows what’s going to happen next. So we need to commit. To show up. To join forces. To find our “political homes.” To experiment. To try.
These are all resources that I think have something useful to offer. Please feel free to share, make copies, and/or remix to make more relevant to your community or interests.
“Your power is relative, but it is real. And if you do not learn to use it, it will be used, against you, and me, and our children. Change did not begin with you, and it will not end with you, but what you do with your life is an absolutely vital piece of that chain.”
– Audre Lorde (from a 1989 speech)
Action Examples and Possibilities
(quick note that many of these links also appear in this related resource, a “hub” page here on my site collecting links related to activism and organizing)
Making An Activism/Organizing Plan
A zine from the One Million Experiments project, featuring a template for people to explore their interests, capacity, and community.
26 ways to be in the struggle, beyond the streets
We all have to show up, but we don’t all have to show up the same way – some great ideas here from the Disability Visibility Project.
A List of Actions That Are Not Protesting or Voting
Mariame Kaba’s gdoc list, adapted from and inspired by Frontline Medics’ list.
A Threat Model for Opposing Authoritarianism
Some practical, down-to-earth advice from investigative journalist Julia Angwin.
Don’t Just Do Nothing – 20 Things You Can Do to Counter Fascism
This text emphasizes the importance of building relationships, mutual aid, and solidarity, drawing inspiration from Jewish anarchist teachings and historical examples of resistance. Sprout Distro has a lot of other useful zines too. Explore!
There’s a coup happening in the USA; here’s what you need to know
An example of a down-to-earth action: make a printable one-sheet breaking down the most vital news—easy to copy and share with neighbors and beyond. The content of this specific example may or may not be relevant in one month, or two, or beyond, but the overall idea here is one way to push back against a very unhelpful media ecosystem.
“5 Calls” Tool for Contacting Reps
Some of the links on this list point toward more radical options, and some of them are more “traditional” advocacy actions (and you get to decide which makes sense for you). If you want to call your reps and make your voice heard, 5 Calls is a tool that can streamline that process.
Gender Justice Leadership Programs’ TRUTH Zine Library
Lots of good resources and perspectives to explore here; also wanted to include this as a good example of zine-making *as* a creative action.
Letters to Young Organizers: Loving Missives Across Time and Space
In the fall of 2023, Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba facilitated an eight-week series of workshops with a cohort of young organizers. The training covered a number of topics, including relationship-building, book club organizing, mapping our movement ecosystems, fundraising, and narrative work. A few of the cohort participants generously shared letters to other new and young organizers.
What’s next? Things to do after a big march
Fired up after a big rally? A few thoughts on where we might take that energy.
Even More Action Idea and Possibilities
- Join a library board, neighborhood group, mutual aid collective, etc.
- Organize a fundraiser for a local org.
- Volunteer as (or get trained to be) a clinic escort, rapid response legal witness, crisis center advocate, etc.
- Amplify activist calls-to-action using art, zines, social media, etc.
- Contact your reps (using a tool like 5calls.org) to influence them.
- Explore ways to bring “the work” to where you already are: career, school, worship, hobbies, and beyond.
Resources for when you see social media calls for “boycotts” or “general strikes,” etc.
Can of worms here (and this specific point doesn’t fit into the paper version of the zine), but because this is becoming a more and more common thing, a few quick thoughts.
- This graphic from the BDS movement has been really useful explaining the difference between tactics like a one-day “economic blackout” and the kind of prolonged, organized efforts that allow boycotts to win.
- I also appreciated this graphic from Sunrise about what “protest” really is, and what it can and can’t do.
- Learn about the history of the Montgomery Bus Boycott—its specific targets and demands, and the on-the-ground organizing that went in to making it happen.
- Learn about how the UAW (and partners) are laying the groundwork for an actual general strike in 2028 and what that could mean.
None of that is to say that the random “economic blackout!” or “no school/no work!” calls that pop up on social media are bad. I generally make a point to support them. There’s just maybe some political education we can do here too, in terms of understanding economic leverage as something individual consumers can use to make personal statements vs. something organized movements can use as a tool to actually threaten and/or take power.
Minnesota-Specific Links
If you’re here, great. If you’re not, find or create similar resources in your area.
Mad? Sad? Motivated? 60+ MN Orgs Working to Make the Next 4 Years (and Then Some) Suck Less.
“From LGBTQ+ advocacy to environmental justice to reproductive rights and beyond, these groups offer productive ways to fight for a better future.” (via Racket)
WTF is Organizing? series via TakeAction Minnesota (pt 1 + pt 2 + pt 3)
A three-part series of posts sharing some organizing basics + specific ways people can plug in here in MN.
Related Zines
Of What Future Are These The Wild, Early Days? Resources for emerging movement-builders
A more in-depth version of this zine, full of resources related to “finding your political home” and your role in it. It gives a little more background on what organizing is, what solidarity can look like, what books I’d recommend for new activists, etc.
Hope Does Not Glimmer; It Burns: Quotes on Hope & Possibility
A zine sharing some favorite quotes and perspectives on how we might cultivate hope in times of crisis and uncertainty.
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Part of the point of these zines is that they’re small and focused. So there isn’t room for long-winded pontificating about the nature of movements and change work, or tons of caveats about the ins-and-outs of organizing and all its potential pitfalls. I think that’s a strength, in this historical moment. Let’s keep trying things, experimenting, collaborating, and seeing what happens next.
Let’s stay humble enough to affirm that we don’t know what’s going to happen, but confident enough to know that we can affect it – maybe not on our own, as isolated individuals, but when we join up and work together. It’ll take everyone, not all doing the same things, but plugging in however they are able, being creative, being bold, and again: working together.
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