Hey, friend. You’re going to be hearing a LOT from me over the course of the next twenty weeks, so I wasn’t going to write up a newsletter this week, but just so you know what’s coming…
[OH, AND MAKE SURE TO GO TO THE END; I HAVE A RELATIVELY SIMPLE BUT REALLY IMPORTANT ASK OF YOU IN RE: ICE]
In 2024, I did a months-long series on what was at stake for democracy and basic liberties. It was on multiple social media platforms as well as here on substack.
I’m taking another swing at the same idea this summer, fwiw.
You’ll be able to follow this series in the form of reels on facebook, instagram, linkedin, bluesky, and tiktok.
Here’s what I’m up to (and thanks to those who had the bandwidth to contribute ideas, and complete sympathy to those who did not have that kind of bandwidth!):
Highlighting some history you may not have learned in high school (Mondays)
Talking about how current policies are affecting real people (Tuesdays)
Taking a moment to breathe together (Wednesdays)
Celebrating the folks doing something about those crummy policies (Thursdays)
Lifting up ancestors who took on problems this hard and harder (Fridays)
Celebrating the ways folks are showing up for each other right now (Saturdays)
And every Friday you’ll get a summary of the week’s content (with source links) right here on substack.
My main goals in this series are:
to encourage and inspire us about what’s happening in the resistance
to remind us that throughout history as well as today, people in power try to divide us, but throughout history as well as today, some of us find ways to join together and fight back, across all the divisions they try to sow
to invite us to stay informed and also curious at a time that can be hard to do
to get some encouragement from the folks who came before us and can show us a way forward.
I hope you enjoy the content in the coming weeks. You offered both affirmation and insights about the series two years ago, and I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts, responses, and additions to this one.
For those of you who are paid subscribers, I’ll also be sending you some updates on my dissertation research about once a month (you’ve been so gracious about the limited content so far).
I think that’s all the news for now!
This has been a hard season. Voting rights, continued ICE assaults and detentions, severe limitations on food access, a war devastating so many people and families, ongoing violence and theft of land, so many real costs. I am grateful that we have each other as we not only fight back but also cast a vision for a better world than the one we’re currently inhabiting.
with gratitude,
Sandhya
HERE’S A THING I’D LOVE YOUR HELP WITH THIS WEEKEND!!!
I just learned this week that the federal government is trying to repurpose a closed detention facility in the Bay Area of California to repurpose for ICE detentions.
The city of Dublin, California, has raised environmental issues that mean the public (anywhere in the US) can submit comments BEFORE JUNE 1 (Monday).
The community fought really hard to shut down this specific detention center because it was a hazardous, dangerous place. They succeeded in closing it in late 2024. And by early 2025, the federal Bureau of Prisons was talking about re-purposing it for ICE.
I submitted comments, and this toolkit (put together by some amazing organizers) made it so easy. They provide the email address (and ask us to bcc the group organizing the campaign so it doesn’t get lost), as well as the information you need to provide about yourself in order for your comments to be accepted, and some possible talking points.
I mentioned that I was proud the community had already stopped that facility from being used due to the environmental harms, and that the community stays safer and healthier without ICE’s expanded presence. But you can write whatever feels appropriate to you. There’s even a template to make it easier.
Thanks so much for taking a few moments to do this if you can.
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