Pamela,

We were devastated and furious at the 2016 election result. We were scared that everything we cared about would be under threat from the incoming Trump administration. And we were alarmed that many Democrats seemed to be preparing to go along with Trump instead of fighting back.

But we were also seeing something that gave us hope. People around the country had begun to organize themselves. They were getting together in living rooms, libraries, church basements, and synagogues. They weren’t waiting for anyone to tell them what to do. They were organizing.

We knew the power to push back against Trump wouldn’t be found in politicians in DC -- it would come from regular people all over the country driving those politicians to fight back. We decided that our contribution would be to take everything we knew about how the Hill worked, put it on paper, and blast it out to these would-be organizers. We knew that by writing it, we’d probably never get jobs in Democratic politics again. We didn’t care. We had to do something.

The document that we put out on the internet a few weeks later was a guide, but it was also a prayer. It was a prayer that there were enough people out there who, like us, knew that they had to do something. That there were enough of us to fight back the coming horrors.

And our prayer was answered. All over the country, those community gatherings turned into organizing hubs. People turned their grief into action. And together, we built the power to fight back.

This Thanksgiving, there’s a devastating feeling of deja vu. Trump is taking office again in just a couple of months. Mainstream institutions and billionaires appear all too eager to do his bidding. And too many Democrats have gone skittish, fighting with each other instead of fighting back against MAGA.

But once again, there’s a reason for hope. It’s all of us.

Because I can tell you that once again, across the country, people are organizing. In the last couple weeks, we’ve had 40,000 people join our guide launch. We’ve driven 20,000 calls to Congress to stop the nonprofit killer bill. We’ve seen nearly 100 new Indivisible groups form. These are the kinds of numbers you see when something big is happening -- and they’re only growing from here. 

And on that note, if you haven’t yet found your local group -- please sign up here so we can get you matched up today.

We’re not naive about the threat Trump and his enablers pose. But we’re also not going to give up our power in advance. In the coming years, we’ll tap into every ounce of that power to hold off harm, to stand in solidarity with all he threatens, and to beat back MAGA once and for all. 

So I’m thankful for you -- for every one of us who’s prepared to fight for our families, our neighbors, and our democracy. If you’ve been organizing and giving it your all since 2016, thank you. If you joined us because you were excited for Kamala Harris and now you’re turning your grief into action, thank you. If you just signed up yesterday -- thank you! Whoever you are, you’re welcome here -- and you’re needed.

Once again, we gather with our families for Thanksgiving. We have some awkward conversations with people who voted for Trump, or didn’t vote at all. We take a few days to rest and reflect. And then we get going.

The path ahead will not be easy. But we’ll walk it together. And we will win.

In solidarity,
Leah Greenberg
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Indivisible

Leah Greenberg Co-Executive Director Pronouns: She/her