A Blessing for Minnesota

Hello Brave Reader,

How are you doing?

***Note the blessing is below if you would prefer to just read that.

I’ve been hearing a lot of weariness of late. As Danielle Moodie put it so aptly, there has been a real firehose of fuckery turned on us. It can be overwhelming. We are very much in a moment—and part of the strategy of this moment is to exhaust us into giving up.

This is true of what’s happening in the United States, and it’s true of what’s happening abroad. While I may speak here about the U.S., we must also hold the line for those who need us elsewhere in the world. The struggles are connected.

They want us to believe we are on the ropes. They want us to feel small, isolated, and outmatched—so we will stop showing up. But they don’t have us pinned down. Not even close. Every time we show up we ARE turning this around. Every time we resist we ARE pushing them back. And we must do more of it. I hope you feel that the next time you choose to speak up or take a small action against oppression. Know that you are joining others who are doing the same. Let that lend you a little strength.

They want power to look enormous and menacing. They want spectacle to do the work for them. That’s why we see outsized displays of force—federal agents poured into communities, heavily armed, highly visible—meant to intimidate rather than protect. This is not new. Authoritarian regimes have long relied on the performance of power: marching troops through towns, concentrating force in public view, not because they were invincible, but because fear works best when resistance feels futile before it begins. History shows this tactic again and again. The Nazis did it.

But history also shows where it fails. The Brits withstood the relentless bombardment of the Blitzkrieg - they did it by working together and with slogans like Keep Calm and Carry On. This kind of performative power that we are seeing fails when people organize and when neighbors stand shoulder to shoulder. Solidarity and community help overcome the fear. We are reminded too that we are not alone in this.

The people of Minnesota have shown us what courage looks like. If you are feeling weary, I urge you: tend to your spirit. Watch a film or read a book or listen to songs that inspire. Remember the long arc of people who stood before us and held the line. We need you restored and ready - we still have a ways to go.

I’ve included a few film suggestions below to get you started
But first, here is a blessing for Minnesota. I’m sending those brave and kind people so much love—and a deep, heartfelt thank you for showing us how it is done.

A Blessing for Minnesota

May the people of Minnesota find peace in knowing they rose to the hour.
They held the line.
They braved the cold for their neighbors.
With kind voices and true hearts they stood undeterred.
Blessed be their courage.

May Minnesota hold in its heart that it showed us the way
to reach for our neighbor.
Strangers standing shoulder to shoulder, phones held high,
refusing to let intimidation write the story.
May their warmth outlast frozen winds,
their unity strengthen every heart.

May Minnesota know we are inspired by them —
that their chants were heard and echoed far beyond its skies,
reminding us that community is the shield,
solidarity the shelter,
and collective resolve the hope.

May Minnesota feel our love
as they mourn loss and carry trauma,
and may we remember Renée Good and Alex Pretti —
souls who braved confrontation despite fear,
whose memory teaches us how to show up.

May Minnesota be a touchstone for weary souls.
May its example flow outward —
like rivers thawing in spring —
reminding us that words matter,
that marching does make a difference,
that truth facing falsehood stands firm for us all.

Blessed be the daily, unremarkable courage
that becomes extraordinary when shared.
Blessed be the line held, the truth seen,
the community strengthened.

May we carry this blessing forward —
as witnesses, as teachers, as neighbors —
not accepting the framing of oppression,
not repeating its words,
but using the language of justice,
rooted in human dignity and mutual care.

And so it is.

Movies about Standing Up to Tyranny
(Let’s go People - remember - you got this!)

Darkest Hour

Britain, 1940 – Blitzkrieg

• Leadership under siege as Nazi Germany advances across Europe.

• The film’s core question: Do you negotiate with tyranny—or refuse it outright?

Selma

• Democracy defended through nonviolent collective action.

• Brutality cannot justify itself in the glare of truth

• Directed by Ava DuVernay who you can find here on substack!

Milk

• Organizing, visibility, and courage in the face of violent opposition.

• A reminder that hope is a discipline

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

• I love this movie it shows the resistance and strength of ordinary people and how they stay strong in community.

If you have other cherished movies you would like to share, that could help us in this moment please share in the comments.

Much Love,

Wendy