Guns don’t belong at protests

I never thought I’d see the day when Americans parade through downtowns carrying assault weapons, and that our lax gun laws would actually allow this in many states. Tension over systemic racism is already at a boiling point. When the conflict gets uglier, does anyone believe those guns won’t be used? For those who embrace the moral and political necessity of nonviolence, our challenge is to put out the message, over and over again, that injustice will not be defeated with guns. We defeat injustice with love that is sincere, creative, organized, and disciplined. Continue Reading →

Naked Athena, Wall of Moms, and a Navy vet encapsulate evolutionary spirit of nonviolent resistance

Nonviolent action is inherently creative. It is sometimes risky, often quirky. At its most effective, it catches the forces of oppression off guard, ripping apart their facade of legitimacy and exposing the raw ugliness of systemic violence. Continue Reading →

A July Fourth Message from Black America

Given the deeply disturbing incidents happening across the country — including in Des Moines at the Iowa State Capitol last week (check out Jennie Erwin’s livestream) — it should be clear to everyone that police departments across the US are racially biased and have been militarized by the federal government. Continue Reading →