Author:
Coty Poynter
Categories:
Economic Justice
Philanthropy
Power Dynamics
Technology
Credit: Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash+ Curious Things Are Happening in Texas Here’s a curious situation. Companies are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in data center construction across Texas. At the same time, a wave of political opposition is rising to meet them, and not from whom you’d expect. The resistance is from working families in conservative counties who voted for Trump. They are showing up at town halls, advocating for artificial intelligence (AI) …
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Author:
Coty Poynter
Categories:
Health Equity
Health Justice
LGBTQ+ Rights
Social Movements
Youth
Credit: Getty Images on Unsplash+ From 2020 through 2021, I found my stride as an organizer in my community. It started when I noticed the lack of representation of queer voices in our local Black Lives Matter movement, and I wanted to highlight the LGBTQIA+ community. I learned of an event happening the following week and offered my assistance. I emailed dozens of organizations, inviting them to join and march with us. At first, it …
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Author:
Aine Creedon
Categories:
Activism
Social Movements
Youth
Photo courtesy of Generation Citizen Generation Citizen opens with a call to reimagine democracy by recognizing youth voice and civic imagination as essential civic infrastructure and makes the case for why expanding youth access to civic opportunities is essential to democracy’s next 250 years. The essays that follow feature personal reflections from young people on the experiences that shaped their civic identities—from advocating for change in their schools to engaging local leaders and organizing in …
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Author:
Aine Creedon
Categories:
Activism
Social Movements
Youth
Image Credit: Prostock-Studio Generation Citizen opens with a call to reimagine democracy by recognizing youth voice and civic imagination as essential civic infrastructure and makes the case for why expanding youth access to civic opportunities is essential to democracy’s next 250 years. The essays that follow feature personal reflections from young people on the experiences that shaped their civic identities—from advocating for change in their schools to engaging local leaders and organizing in their communities. …
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Author:
Aine Creedon
Categories:
Economic Justice
Health Justice
WetheCivic
Photo by Aaron Doucett on Unsplash The church hall buzzed with edgy uncertainty. I sat at a table beside my mother and a dear friend, waiting for the presentation to begin. No one looked forward to what was to come. Everyone was there because they cared. Cared about their community, their parish, and each other. I’d been through a church merging before. In 2008, the Catholic parish I attended joined with another church. Now, I …
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Author:
Aine Creedon
Categories:
Anti-Racism
Race and Power
Racial Justice
Reparations
WetheCivic
This summer, there is a significant milestone for all people who live in and/or are impacted by the United States. This July 4, 2026 marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Official celebrations are already in motion but this anniversary requires us to ask: who gets to tell the story, and whose America gets centered? Amplifier, a nonprofit design lab that builds art and media experiments to amplify the most important …
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Author:
Coty Poynter
Categories:
Arts and Culture
Civil Society and Democracy
Cooperatives and Employee Ownership
Labor
Nonprofit Sector
Credit: Energynet at English Wikipedia Located on 16th Street at Capp is a seemingly normal-looking red brick-laid building that has been sold for the second time this decade. The San Francisco Labor Temple, also known as the Redstone Building, is a Mission District landmark built more than a century ago with rich historical ties to labor unions, nonprofits, community groups, activists, and artists. The recent sale of the building comes after an unsuccessful effort by …
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Author:
Coty Poynter
Categories:
Arts and Culture
Civil Society and Democracy
WetheCivic
Credit: Preillumination SeTh on Unsplash In November 1665, three men stood before a court in Accomack County in the British colony of Virginia, facing serious charges. However, William Darby, Cornelius Watkinson, and Philip Howard were not accused of stealing livestock, nor of assaulting a neighbor, nor of plotting rebellion. Instead, they were charged with “acting a play.” Earlier that year, on Sunday, August 27, in a local bar called Fowke’s Tavern in the small settlement …
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Author:
Aine Creedon
Categories:
Black Voices
Nonprofit Sector
Racial Justice
Reparations
Southern Organizing
Structural Racism
WetheCivic
Image Credit: Oladimeji Odunsi For Unsplash+ Most often, Christian Nationalism shows up subtly, as a story someone has come to believe about why their life looks the way it does, cloaked in the language of faith. On May 17, thousands gathered on the National Mall for Rededicate 250, a White House-backed, taxpayer-funded prayer rally. By any honest measure, it was the most aggressive display of state-sanctioned Christian Nationalism in recent American history. Defense Secretary Pete …
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Author:
Coty Poynter
Categories:
Accountability
Economic Justice
Equity and Inclusion
Human Resources
Racial Justice
Trump Administration
Credit: Wonderlane on Unsplash In July, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proposed rolling back EEO-1 reporting requirements that require certain employers to report workforce data by job category, sex, and race or ethnicity. Authorized under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, EEO-1 reporting was designed to do more than create a record of workforce demographics. The data was used to identify employment patterns and support discrimination investigations. But beyond the government mandate, tracking …
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Author:
Aine Creedon
Categories:
climate
Climate Justice
Health Justice
Social Media
Image Credit: Jonathan Kemper For Unsplash+ Conversations around sustainability and climate action continue to gain broad audiences, particularly on social media. The hashtag #sustainablediet has over 60.1k posts alone on Instagram, and there is a wide variety of posts comparing food choices, such as this one, to suggest swapping cow milk for oat milk or salmon for tempeh. These conversations are also spread by “sustainability influencers,” content creators who promote more sustainable lifestyles. But sometimes …
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Author:
Aine Creedon
Categories:
Civil Society and Democracy
Racial Justice
WetheCivic
In June of 2025, thousands mobilized in Los Angeles to protest the immigration raids led by the Department of Homeland Security. Reverand Eddie Anderson leads prayer outside of the Federal Detention Building. June 2025. Among those protesting were interfaith communities. Faith leaders led marches and prayer walks to the steps of the Federal Building in Downtown LA. Faith leader Valarie Kaur leads the Faith Walk to the Federal Detention Building. June 2025. The faithful prayed, …
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