NEW - Care is a Verb Roundup: Week of 2/17/25

Resources for Love-fueled Action

I’ve decided to respond to the overwhelming degradation of our social contract by sharing helpful resources that offer some hopefulness. The content will vary week to week, covering a range of categories, including action, inspiration, joy, etc. I hope it’s helpful for you. This week was less active for me due to the whole having COVID thing; I’ve mostly been sharing information. For my first Care is A Verb share, I’ve decided to start big and give you a round-up of round-ups.

(Obviously, my sharing these is not a full endorsement of everything they say and stand for: I’m passing things along to help folks get/stay informed.)

Round up the round-ups!

Organizing My Thoughts: Must-Reads and Some Thoughts on the FBI: Newsletter - This is the latest release of my good friend Kelly’s blog, which I HIGHLY recommend you subscribe to. Kelly Hayes (author, organizer, movement educator photographer and host of the Truthout podcast, Movement Memos) publishes a weekly round-up of articles that are useful to stay informed on current socio-political topics to help people stay on top of what’s happening and what’s coming. Read this for an honest, non-propagandized, sometimes tough, often hopeful, often actionable gathering of media.

Pushback 21: Newsletter – Focused on legislative and administrative policy. I needed an inoculation of resistance, and this was a welcome compilation of news about how different groups are pushing back at the policy level against Trump&Co’s blitzkrieg onslaught of executive order fuckery. As a radicalized cultural worker I’m not usually personally oriented toward legal-system solutions, but… any shelter in a (wild and deadly) storm.

Some Actions That Are Not Protesting or Voting: Google Doc – If you are someone who is moved to action but currently between elections and not yet ready for that protest life, this doc is a dynamic catalogue of resources and opportunities organized by issue. Some of the issue categories include mutual aid, advocacy, schools and libraries, migrant justice, etc. bookmark and revisit this type of document for updates and reach out to the p if you have questions or suggestions.

Grounded, Resilient, & Responsible: Responding and Organizing in Authoritarian Times: Toolkit - My friend and sister in faith, Nicole Pressley, Side With Love’s Director of Organizing Strategy describes this guide as

“designed to offer practical support in this chaotic environment. It provides clear guidance and resources to help you engage in this moment prophetically, responsibly, and sustainably. If you find yourself asking, “What should or shouldn’t I post on social media?”, “Whose lead should I follow?” or “Is this safe?”—this guide is for you.”

10 Resources to Advance Disability, Inclusion and Justice: Article - I came across this one on LinkedIn. The list includes books, podcasts, media resources and more. I recognized some of the resources immediately and others I have yet to explore. The abilities that we have and often take for granted are temporary, even in the best of times. In a world where COVID-19 has proved to be a mass disabling event, and worsening healthcare conditions continue to impact millions, the sooner we all incorporate disability justice into our cultures and communities, the better.

Non-carceral Collective Care: Google Doc - Also found on LinkedIn, shared by Jennifer Alumbaugh, a neuroinclusion accessibility advocate. This is a list of help lines you can call in situations where support is needed but you do not want to engage the police or activate criminal legal systems. If you’ve ever had the displeasure of attempting to call 911 for mental health or medical support and been greeted by a cadre of demanding, unsympathetic, ARMED police officers, you may already appreciate the value of this resource. This list includes options like Black Line, Trans Lifeline and StrongHearts Native Helpline. As a person who personally aspires toward an abolitionist society, it makes sense to me to have alternatives for groups that traditionally experience harm at the hands of policing and criminal legal systems. If it does not make sense to you I recommend learning about the different organizations listed. How you feel about policing is a personal journey. NOTE: while I believe in abolition, I also believe in living in the here and now. Carceral systems are deeply embedded into our society and sometimes you have to engage with them even if you prefer not to. Learning more about these organizations and their services will help you discern when you may need to call 911 and when you can try something different. It is exciting to know that we are developing other options to keep each other safe.

Caring Through the Storm

There is so much care out there, growing and evolving - it will be up to us to find it and connect each other to it. We will ride this out together: sometimes with the wind at our backs, sometimes getting absolutely rocked by these wild waves. Let’s drop anchor together and watch for the stars.

In solidarity and gratitude,

💪🏾 Atena