Subscribe | Share | Listen to Audio

August 26, 2024

On hope, Harris and holding politicians accountable.

Well, friends, it’s hard to believe it’s been just six weeks since Kamala Harris announced her bid for the presidency. I only realized this when I happened to find myself at the same restaurant where I first heard the news. In that short time, a lot has changed in the political landscape. Trump survived an assassination attempt, which cast a shadow over Biden’s campaign. But, through an impressive campaign and the backing of a strong DNC, Harris has emerged as a formidable candidate and is currently leading in the polls.

Her nomination has injected what this election has been missing: hope. Remember when Trump’s defiant response to the shooting at his rally made him seem almost invincible? That’s because hope—or the lack of it—has been a recurring theme across political lines. Voters have struggled to find it in either party’s candidates. But then Harris came along, quickly dominating headlines and social media feeds. This is no small feat, especially when her opponent is a media mogul constantly in the news for his legal troubles and, most recently, surviving a bullet to the ear.

But let’s be real—hope alone isn’t enough. We, the people, have a responsibility to work for the change we want to see. It’s not just about getting our politicians into power; it’s about ensuring they truly reflect the voices of the people. That’s why protest is embedded in our democracy. Throughout history, the liberties we enjoy today were sparked by radical individuals who used their voices to demand change, shift public perception, and bring the stories of the marginalized into the mainstream.

It might seem contradictory, but both those rallying for Harris and those protesting her moderate policies—like her stance on a ceasefire and arms embargo in Gaza—are doing essential work for a healthy democracy. It’s dismissive to think that simply stopping Trump will solve everything. The process of holding our leaders accountable, even the ones we support, is crucial.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on history. Fannie Lou Hamer’s speech at the DNC 60 years ago paved the way for Harris’s nomination. It was more than just a speech; it was a protest, a direct challenge to Mississippi’s all-white delegation, and a searing testimony against suppression and state-sanctioned violence. It was so powerful that then-president Johnson tried—and failed—to block it from airing on television by holding a press conference. This year, the DNC had a similar opportunity to elevate a voice reflecting the Palestinian struggle but chose to reject it, missing a chance to honor the fight for justice among other marginalized groups.

I hope we can channel this energy beyond “voting for the first South Asian and Black woman president” or “stopping Donald Trump.” We have an opportunity not just to win an election but to reimagine how our response shapes this nation. Think about how effective those Zoom fundraisers were—what if we used that same energy to build solidarity in our neighborhoods, not just at the polls? Imagine if we focused as much on our city councils as we do on presidential elections. I want us to send our hope further, to meet more radical visions for our future with the same vigor.

I’m incredibly hopeful for tomorrow, but not just because we might elect Harris as president. My hope comes from the real work being done on the ground. The true voice of this nation is organizing, resisting, and rallying. I believe movements like the Uncommitted Movement and the relentless fight for Palestinian dignity and liberation will shift this country in ways we haven’t yet imagined.

Sixty years ago, Fannie Lou Hamer asked the nation, “Is this America?” I hope we never lose our voice or our willingness to criticize, challenge, and demand justice.

As part of our month-long series on rising temperatures and heat exposure inequities, here’s a guide of handy terminology to help contextualize the issue.

🥵 Heat Vulnerability

The extent to which certain populations will experience adverse effects of extreme heat due to socioeconomic, health, or environmental factors.

• A good overview with an apt title: ”Everyone you know will eventually be highly vulnerable to extreme heat”

• Here’s how local governments and nonprofit organizations in Boston, NYC and San Antonio are analyzing heat vulnerability

🌡️ Heat Resiliency

The measure to which individuals and communities are resourced to protect themselves from prolonged exposure to heat. Our own individual resiliency is dictated by how the heat affects us and the resources we have to care for ourselves. Collective resiliency looks at our individual resources and how they’re met by our city’s physical infrastructure and support services.

• Expect to see more initiatives like this one from the Biden administration that looks to measure and track and increase heat resiliency across the U.S.

🌳 Shade Inequity

Highlights the inequitable distribution of shaded areas in urban environments. Lower-income communities and communities with disproportionately Black and brown communities have less access to shaded areas, like trees and covered public parks, than more affluent, white communities. This increases heat exposure for marginalized communities and contributes to heat islands, described below.

• Read how cities, including Los Angeles, El Paso and Phoenix are addressing shade inequity

🌆 Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect

Urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures than neighboring areas. Manmade structures like buildings, highways, and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun's heat more than natural landscapes such as forests and water bodies.

• The fight to stop Cop City in Georgia isn’t just a matter of police brutality and militarized law enforcement, but a fight to preserve protected forested land and prevent the environmental consequences.

🚏 Hostile Architecture

When public services like benches, sidewalks, and other infrastructure is designed to discourage rest or loitering to counter rising rates of homelessness in communities across the U.S. This, among many things, makes protecting oneself from heat exposure even more difficult for marginalized communities.

• Read how building hostile architecture, and intentionally not building things like water fountains and shaded areas, is a violent way to address homelessness.

Spurned by the DNC, the Uncommitted Movement staged a sit-in. The Democratic Party refused the request to allow a short, vetted speech by a Palestinian on the main stage. In These Times >

• Btw, here’s the speech that the Uncommitted Movement wanted to give at the DNC.

How Shirley Chisholm and Fannie Lou Hamer paved the way for Harris. A conversation with historian Barbara Ransby about two Black women pioneers who helped pave the way for Harris’ historic nomination last week. Democracy Now >

Undocumented workers contribute nearly $100 billion in taxes. Tax experts, economists, and union organizers say it is unfair for workers to pay into a system without a legal status to be able to reap its benefits. Prism >

How do the VP candidates resonate with the LGBTQ+ community? Organizers, activists, and experts react to vice presidential candidates J.D. Vance’s and Tim Walz’s track records on LGBTQIA+ issues. Prism >

Meet the Mississippians carrying on Fannie Lou Hamer’s legacy. Sixty years ago this week, the civil rights activist gave a speech ahead of the Democratic National Convention that helped change history.  Capital B News >

An invisible, toxic chemical has been poisoning residents in Salinas, Puerto Rico for decades. An industrial worker got one whiff of ethylene oxide. Twenty years later, he still hasn’t recovered — and his community is searching for answers. Grist >

• Related: Despite health risks, Puerto Rico keeps tax incentives in place for cancer-causing chemical polluters. Grist >

Israel using ceasefire talks to expand colonization of Palestine, UN expert says. Israel’s insistence on controlling two key corridors shows its intention to carry out land grabs, the expert said. Truthout >

Homeless sweeps are expensive, useless, and cruel, Human Rights Watch charges. Punitive city policies are also woefully counterproductive, only perpetuating the very malady they purport to address. Truthout >

Why the world needs spiritual ecology. Four scholars discuss the possibilities of spiritual ecology as a path toward reintegration in the face of a disintegrating world. Atmos >

During World War II, the liberation of Paris saved the French capital from destruction. Adolf Hitler wanted Paris razed. Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted his troops to stay out of the city. In August 1944, an uprising by French resistance fighters forced the Allies to intervene. Smithsonian >

Gaza, the Democrats, and how to fix our wretched politics. Building solidarity requires resources, vision, and a willingness to dig in for the long haul. Hammer and Hope >