💥 Courage Over Compliance: This Is the Moment Grassroots Power Was Built For
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Friends, we are living through a moment that demands courage, clarity, and collective action. Across the country, the warning signs are unmistakable.
Warning Signs of Authoritarianism Under the Trump Administration
Militarization of Domestic Enforcement and Violence Against Civilians
Federal agents are increasingly deployed with military-style tactics, culminating in the January 2026 killing of 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renée Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, sparking national outrage and clashes with local officials demanding accountability.Escalation of Federal Force Beyond Borders
In the wake of the Minneapolis shooting, a U.S. federal agent shot and wounded two people in Portland, further highlighting how armed enforcement operations are creating fear and deepening mistrust between communities and the federal government.Repression Without Due Process
Investigations have documented hundreds of cases this year where U.S. citizens were detained by ICE, often without clear cause, hearings, or access to counsel — reflecting a systemic erosion of rights and protections many assumed were guaranteed. ProPublica reports over 170 such cases.Government Intimidation and Disappearance Tactics
Federal enforcement agents are reported to operate in masks, disappear people into custody without notification to families, and pursue highly aggressive raids that terrorize immigrant communities and their allies — a tactic that breeds fear and undermines civil liberties.Diversion of Public Resources Toward Militarization and War
At the same time that Americans struggle with housing, healthcare, food security, and energy stability, the administration is prioritizing military build-up and preparations for potential conflicts abroad, diverting critical public resources away from domestic well-being toward war machinery and foreign engagements.Executive Justification of Violence and Expansion of Powers
Political leaders have repeatedly defended or embellished federal use of force — including mischaracterizing incidents like the Minneapolis shooting to justify aggressive tactics — while concentrating power in the executive branch and weakening judicial and legislative checks.
This is why grassroots activism and independent news sources are not optional—they are essential.
Now Is the Time to Support Grassroots Activism and Independent News Sources—and Champion Progress, Power to the People, and Freedom Over Fascism
Grassroots organizing and independent media is the heartbeat of democracy. It is how ordinary people turn shared pain into collective power, isolation into solidarity, and outrage into lasting change. Long before institutions respond or headlines catch up, grassroots organizers are already on the ground—listening, documenting, educating, and mobilizing neighbors to defend their rights and demand accountability. This is how progress has always been won: not handed down by the powerful, but built from the bottom up by people who refuse to accept injustice as inevitable.
Grassroots movements don’t wait for permission; they create momentum, shift culture, and force systems to change. When people organize together—across differences, across communities, across states—they become an unstoppable force, proving again and again that real power does not belong to billionaires or politicians, but to the people who show up, speak out, and act together.
At People Power United, we are proving what’s possible when everyday people refuse to be silent. What we’ve built together is extraordinary:
Thousands of bold actions taken every single day to protect rights, freedoms, and democracy
A people-powered community of hundreds of thousands, active in all 50 states
Top 100 on Substack in U.S. Politics—both On the Rise and Bestseller—because people are hungry for truth and action
We publish several weekly newsletters focused on key issues our members care about, including Freedom Over Fascism, Resist Project 2025, Reproductive Freedom for All, ICEBreakers News, Power to the People News, Protect Our Planet, and Supreme Court Accountability.
People Power United is one of the largest grassroots groups in America with zero outside funding. No billionaires. No corporate donors. No political strings. Just people—visible, vocal, and unafraid—showing up for one another and demanding better.
This movement is built on a simple truth: power belongs to the people—not to corrupt politicians, not to unaccountable agencies, and not to billionaires hoarding influence.
✨ Together we can inspire change!
Now is the time to rise together—championing progress, defending our freedoms, and choosing people power over fascism. In moments like this, timely, independent information and clear calls to action aren’t luxuries—they’re lifelines. I invite you to become a free or paid subscriber, or to gift a subscription to someone who believes that democracy is something we do, not something we watch from the sidelines. Your subscription helps fuel grassroots organizing, delivers trustworthy updates you can act on, and connects you to real tools for plugging into the movement—locally and nationally. This work is powered by people who care enough to show up. The power is in your hands. Let’s champion freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people—because our future depends on it. Together, we are stronger—and together, we move history forward.
A friendly reminder — we’re a community that believes in the power of change and puts in the work to make it happen. It might not seem like much to spend five minutes signing a petition, writing a letter, or making a call, but when we act together, those small efforts add up. That’s how we hold our leaders accountable to the will of the people.
Click here to Tell Congress: It’s Time to Defund ICE
Click here to Stand with Sen. Kelly Against Pete Hegseth’s Attacks
Click here to sign the petition: Tell Congress: Stop Trump’s Illegal War in Venezuela
Click here to host a ICE OUT FOR GOOD event this weekend
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Friends, at People Power United, we believe in a simple, powerful truth:
Everyone deserves dignity — with access to food, housing, healthcare, and education.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive — regardless of age, race, sex, sexual orientation, pronouns, religion, or employment status.
Everyone deserves safety — clean air and water, and communities free from gun violence.
These are not radical demands. They are the foundation of a free and functioning democracy — the vision of a nation that values people over profit, compassion over cruelty, and progress over power-hoarding.
But today, that vision is under attack.
Love does not quit. It does not look away.
It will be our people power—our determination, our shared humanity, and our refusal to abandon one another—that carries us forward. Together, we can confront and dismantle racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny, sexism, ageism, ableism, sizeism, transphobia, misogynoir, elitism, and every form of bigotry that seeks to divide us.
America is brave. Because you are.
And when we act together, there is nothing we cannot change.
Together, we can protect and empower those we love, champion our rights, freedoms, and democracy, hold our leaders accountable to the people’s will, and inspire voters to make a meaningful difference.
Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests), People Power United
🌟 Power belongs to us—not billionaires or corrupt politicians. Become a monthly People Power United subscriber and power the movement for freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people. Subscribe for free to stay informed — or go paid to help build grassroots change and fuel people-powered resistance.