Category Archives: Actions

OPEN LETTER TO OUR SPOKANE COMMUNITY

With millions of people marching in the streets across the United States and 10,000 – 20,000 marching here in Spokane this would make a good topic for our local newspapers, comma and social media. It would also be an opportunity to disseminate strategic conversations across the nation.

Ann Marie Danimus engages with a man about abortion prior to U>S> Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s speedh at a Kootenai County GOP dinner in downtown Coeur d’Alene. 2022

The marchers are asking a fundamental question: How do we preserve democracy when so many of our neighbors seem willing to trade it for the promise of security?

It appears that there is a great deal of fear dividing our country in two. Why these fears, what needs to be done, and how can we do it? What do our readers think? What does our community think? What do others think?  

This is a three part series.  The first part describes the fears and what needs to be done to address them. The second part addresses why Black people should resist the loss of democracy, the third part deals with what needs to be done. Later articles can follow the progress of the Spokane fight for democracy.

The articles discuss various evidence-based approaches to enhance democratic resilience and social cohesion at government, institutional, and individual levels. They highlight the importance of economic interventions, leadership strategies, educational reforms, media responsibility, and personal engagement. The text outlines measures for specific demographic concerns while emphasizing the need for systemic changes and the importance of measuring success. Key factors for success include authenticity, inclusivity, patience, consistency, local focus, and bipartisan support.

Feedback from social media posts and interactions can be used to invite them to remove the fear, save democracy and participate in building a better community they want to live in.

Why Are People So Afraid That They Choose Tyranny Over Democracy

Robert “Bob” Lloyd info@4comculture.com 4comculture.com

Fighting Fear Articles

1. Why Are People So Afraid That They Choose Tyranny Over Democracy

2. Why Blacks Will Resist the Loss of Democracy

3. What Needs To Be Done to Relieve Fear?

This page provides examples of how you can be empowered. Feel free to look around 4comculture.com. Please also do research outside of the site.

Join Fighting Fear

Why Blacks Should Resist Tyranny, the Loss of Democracy

Historical Context and Deep-Rooted Resistance

African Americans whose families have been in America since the 1400s and experienced slavery until the 1860s carry a unique and profound understanding of what happens when democratic institutions fail and authoritarian power goes unchecked. This lived experience across generations creates distinct motivations for resisting authoritarianism that differ significantly from more recent immigrant communities.

Generational Memory of Systemic Oppression

For African American communities with deep ancestral roots in America, the fight against Project 2025 and strongman leadership is informed by centuries of experiencing what happens when one group holds unchecked power. Their ancestors lived through:

  • Slavery as a legal institution supported by government structures
  • Jim Crow laws that used legal frameworks to enforce racial hierarchy
  • Systematic exclusion from democratic participation despite constitutional promises
  • State-sanctioned violence when they challenged existing power structures

This historical memory creates an acute awareness that democratic institutions, when weakened, can quickly become tools of oppression rather than protection.

Recent Immigrant Communities

The resistance motivations differ significantly from those of recent immigrants because:

For Long-Standing African American Communities:

  • They cannot “go back” – America is their only home, making the stakes existential
  • They’ve seen this playbook before – recognizing patterns of authoritarian consolidation
  • They understand that “rocking the boat” is necessary – their ancestors’ progress came through resistance, not compliance
  • They know that initial promises of stability often precede greater oppression

For Recent Immigrant Communities:

  • May prioritize economic stability and fear jeopardizing newfound opportunities
  • Might have different reference points for what constitutes dangerous authoritarianism
  • Could be more willing to “wait and see” rather than immediately resist
  • May fear that activism could threaten their status in ways that don’t apply to established communities

Understanding Project 2025’s Specific Threats

Project 2025 represents a particular threat to Black communities because it “includes a long list of extreme policy recommendations touching on nearly every aspect of American life, from immigration and abortion rights, to free speech and racial justice” [1]. The plan “would severely harm Black communities across the country” through its “radical proposals to restructure the federal government and increase the president’s authority” [2].

For communities with generational experience of oppression, these proposals echo historical patterns where concentrated executive power was used to maintain racial hierarchies and suppress civil rights progress.

The Stakes of Democratic Backsliding

African American communities with deep American roots understand that when presidents position themselves “as kings or strongman leaders,” the communities that suffer first and most severely are those who have historically been marginalized. Their resistance isn’t just political preference—it’s survival instinct informed by historical experience.

This creates a unique perspective where challenging authority isn’t “rocking the boat”—it’s preventing the boat from capsizing entirely. Their ancestors learned that waiting for gradual change or hoping that authoritarian leaders will self-limit often leads to deeper oppression, not eventual liberation.

The fight against authoritarianism, for these communities, represents a continuation of a centuries-long struggle for true democratic participation and protection under law.

What needs to be done?

What can be done to relieve these fears and concerns – by government, by leadership, by institutions, by individuals? What Needs To Be Done To Relieve Fear

4.

Fighting Fear Articles

1. Why Are People So Afraid That They Choose Tyranny Over Democracy

2. Why Blacks Will Resist the Loss of Democracy

3. What Needs To Be Done to Relieve Fear?

4. Join Fighting Fear and Volunteer

This page provides examples of how you can be empowered. Feel free to look around 4comculture.com. Please also do research outside of the site.

Songs and Chants for Action

People Get Ready There’s a Train a Comin’

People Get Ready There’s a Train a Comin’

This song inspired by Curtis Mayfield’s song of the 60’s is meant to bring unity, courage, and hope to challenging times.

People stay ready, there’s a movement to start,
Bring your courage, your fire, your heart.
You don’t need permission, just take your stand,
The power’s in the people, hand in hand.
The chains might rattle, but they won’t hold tight,
When love and resistance shine through the night.
Truth’s our engine, hope the tracks we ride,
We’ll break through the darkness, side by side.
People stay ready, there’s a storm ahead,
You don’t need no ticket, just rise instead.
Justice is calling, hear the freedom bell,
We’re fighting for tomorrow, where all can dwell.
There’s no room for hatred, no place for fear,
The time is now, the path is clear.
Together we’re mighty, together we’re strong,
We’ll write the future, where we belong.
So rise up boldly, let the world take note,
Freedom’s the anthem, every voice a vote.
People stay ready, the time has come,
We’re building the future, for everyone.
People stay ready, there’s a movement to start,
Bring your courage, your fire, your heart.
You don’t need permission, just take your stand,
The power’s in the people, hand in hand.

People Get Ready There’s a Train a Comin’

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This song inspired by Curtis Mayfield’s song of the 60’s is meant to bring unity, courage, and hope to challenging times.

People stay ready, there’s a movement to start,
Bring your courage, your fire, your heart.
You don’t need permission, just take your stand,
The power’s in the people, hand in hand.
The chains might rattle, but they won’t hold tight,
When love and resistance shine through the night.
Truth’s our engine, hope the tracks we ride,
We’ll break through the darkness, side by side.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: His Influences and Those He Influenced

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Influential Figures in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was deeply influenced by several individuals whose ideas, actions, and philosophies shaped his worldview and leadership in the civil rights movement. Here are some of the most notable figures:

  1. Mahatma Gandhi
    • Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance (Satyagraha) profoundly influenced Dr. King. Gandhi’s success in leading India to independence through peaceful civil disobedience inspired King to adopt nonviolence as the cornerstone of the civil rights movement in the United States. King once said, “Gandhi was the guiding light of our technique of nonviolent social change”.
  2. Jesus Christ
    • As a Baptist minister, King was deeply rooted in Christian theology. He drew inspiration from Jesus’ teachings on love, forgiveness, and turning the other cheek. These principles underpinned his commitment to nonviolence and his belief in the moral power of love to overcome hate.
  3. Henry David Thoreau
    • Thoreau’s essay Civil Disobedience introduced King to the idea of resisting unjust laws through nonviolent means. King admired Thoreau’s argument that individuals have a moral duty to disobey laws that are unjust.
  4. Ralph Waldo Emerson
    • Emerson’s writings on self-reliance and individualism resonated with King, particularly in his belief that individuals could bring about social change through moral courage and personal responsibility.
  5. Howard Thurman
    • Thurman, a theologian and mentor to King, emphasized the importance of spirituality in social justice. His book Jesus and the Disinherited provided a theological framework for King’s activism, focusing on the empowerment of oppressed communities.
  6. Benjamin E. Mays
    • Mays, the president of Morehouse College, was a mentor to King and instilled in him the importance of education, leadership, and moral integrity. Mays’ emphasis on social justice and equality deeply influenced King’s vision for the civil rights movement
  7. A. Philip Randolph
    • Randolph, a labor leader and civil rights activist, inspired King with his organizational skills and commitment to racial equality. Randolph’s leadership in the March on Washington Movement demonstrated the power of collective action.
  8. Bayard Rustin
    • Rustin was a key advisor to King and helped him strategize the use of nonviolent protest. Rustin’s organizational skills were instrumental in planning events like the 1963 March on Washington.
  9. Paul Tillich
    • Tillich, a theologian, influenced King’s understanding of existentialism and the role of faith in addressing social injustice. His writings helped King articulate the moral and spiritual dimensions of the civil rights struggle.
  10. Reinhold Niebuhr
    • Niebuhr’s philosophy of Christian realism influenced King’s understanding of the complexities of human nature and the necessity of confronting evil through collective action.

10 People Whose Lives Were Changed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King’s leadership and vision inspired countless individuals to take action for justice and equality. Here are ten people whose lives were directly influenced by him:

  1. John Lewis
    • Lewis, a young activist during the civil rights movement, was inspired by King’s leadership and became a prominent figure in the movement. He later served as a U.S. Congressman, continuing King’s legacy of fighting for civil rights.
  2. Rosa Parks
    • Parks credited King’s leadership and the Montgomery Bus Boycott with giving her the courage to stand up against racial injustice, which sparked the modern civil rights movement.
  3. Andrew Young
    • Young worked closely with King in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and later became a U.S. Congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, and mayor of Atlanta.
  4. James Lawson
    • Lawson, a key figure in the civil rights movement, was inspired by King’s commitment to nonviolence and became a leading trainer in nonviolent resistance.
  5. Coretta Scott King
    • As King’s wife, Coretta was deeply influenced by his vision and continued his work after his assassination, becoming a prominent activist for civil rights and peace.
  6. Barack Obama
    • While Obama was born after the height of the civil rights movement, he often cited King’s work as a source of inspiration for his own journey into public service and his vision for a more inclusive America.
  7. Jesse Jackson
    • Jackson was a close associate of King and became a prominent civil rights leader in his own right, founding the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition to continue King’s work.
  8. Bernice King
    • King’s youngest daughter, Bernice, was inspired by her father’s legacy and became a minister and advocate for nonviolence and social justice.
  9. Oprah Winfrey
    • Winfrey has often spoken about how King’s work paved the way for her success as a Black woman in media and inspired her commitment to philanthropy and social justice.
  10. Nelson Mandela
    • Mandela, though leading the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, was inspired by King’s philosophy of nonviolence and his fight against racial oppression.

Dr. King’s influence extended far beyond these individuals, shaping the course of history and inspiring millions worldwide to work for justice, equality, and peace.

Why Nonviolence? Choices Now: Tyranny or Revolution