Fly to the Assemblies!

';But here is the thing with listening. At some point, it is not enough. The silence of the attentive, after all, sounds exactly the same as the silence of the complicit. . . . The question, then, becomes when to act: at what point is it appropriate to stop listening and actually say something?'
~ from the Afterword

Seattle has long been considered a center of progressive thought and action. And while that is largely true, like any other growing city it has wrestled with familiar demons: racism, class struggles, economic opportunism, sexism, and more. But since the 2016 election, the city has emerged as a central staging ground for the resistance against the new administration, its policies, and the rising wave of the far right.

Amid such turbulent times, we must not let injustice become the new status quo. We must question, criticize, and challenge the socio-political structures in place, and seek out solutions and changes that represent all Americans, not just a privileged and wealthy few. The diverse voices of the writers, activists and journalists in Fly To The Assemblies! explore the redoubled challenges facing citizens today.

“But here is the thing with listening. At some point, it is not enough. The silence of the attentive, after all, sounds exactly the same as the silence of the complicit. . . . The question, then, becomes when to act: at what point is it appropriate to stop listening and actually say something?”  
~ from the Afterword 

Seattle has long been considered a center of progressive thought and action. And while that is largely true, like any other growing city it has wrestled with familiar demons: racism, class struggles, economic opportunism, sexism, and more. But since the 2016 election, the city has emerged as a central staging ground for the resistance against the new administration, its policies, and the rising wave of the far right.

Amid such turbulent times, we must not let injustice become the new status quo. We must question, criticize, and challenge the socio-political structures in place, and seek out solutions and changes that represent all Americans, not just a privileged and wealthy few. The diverse voices of the writers, activists and journalists in Fly To The Assemblies! explore the redoubled challenges facing citizens today.

Foreword--Marcus Harrison Green

A Day Not Far--Marcus Harrison Green

Make America Again--Ben Hunter

The Rural America That is Part of Me--Irene DeMaris

We Must Aim Higher--Dustin Washington

I Have No Grace Today--Kristin Leong

Crashing the Parties--The Seattle Weekly Editorial Board

On Fear and Anger and Fighting Back--Reagan Jackson

Why You Voted the Way You Did--Hanna Brooks Olsen

Being an Activist Parent Post-Election--Sharon H. Chang

A Ten Hour Road-Trip to Cross Political Divides--Monica Guzmán

An Authentic Invitation--Marilee Jolin

Finding a Collective Movement in “Progressive” Seattle--Renea Harris-Peterson & emily warren

International Workers of Natural Foods Grocery Stores, Unite!--Alex Gallo-Brown

My Time at Standing Rock--Rashad Barber

On Trolls and Safe Spaces--Erica C. Barnett

Pulling Together--Minnie A. Collins

The Crackdown on Immigrants and Refugees—What About the Children?--Nakeesa Frazier-Jennings

The Journaling of a Movement--Donte Felder

The Kids Are Alright, For Now--Kris Kendall

With Automatic Voter Registration, I Can See More Women Like Me in Politics--Olivia Perez

“If We Can Keep It”--Eric Liu

Traveling Through Trump Country--David Kroman

Getting America’s House in Order--Lola E. Peters

Afterword--Mark Baumgarten

About the Contributors