Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
As the dawn defies despair
I defy those who dare
To insist that you and I
Cannot be each other’s freedom
This is a chant I came up with that I’ve been singing the last few years. In moments where so much is going wrong (which is only an indication of how bad things have already been leading up to this point), our instinct so often is to freeze, to feel helpless, to panic. Keeping the energy moving is one of the most important things we can do. Grieving out loud, singing, dancing, laughing and just as importantly turning to the work that is possible around us. You do not have to do some great romantic act of sacrifice. You don’t have to work so hard you burnout. But you can learn how to show up in the ways that you’ll continue to have capacity for- for the neighbor who needs those hot meals or needs help getting their medication, for those incarcerated who need a letter or books, for the relative who could really use more phone calls, for the river that needs clean up, for the folks who are organizing their local union. The act in of itself is the reward. This is how our spirited, resilient ancestors did it. This is how we can do it now. We can be each other’s freedom.
If you’re looking for more resistance history, I recommend checking out the Zinn Education Project.
AND you’re looking for some great songs for these times, check out “We Rise: A Movement Songbook” by the Poor People's Campaign.
As the dawn defies despair
I defy those who dare
To insist that you and I
Cannot be each other’s freedom
This is a chant I came up with that I’ve been singing the last few years. In moments where so much is going wrong (which is only an indication of how bad things have already been leading up to this point), our instinct so often is to freeze, to feel helpless, to panic. Keeping the energy moving is one of the most important things we can do. Grieving out loud, singing, dancing, laughing and just as importantly turning to the work that is possible around us. You do not have to do some great romantic act of sacrifice. You don’t have to work so hard you burnout. But you can learn how to show up in the ways that you’ll continue to have capacity for- for the neighbor who needs those hot meals or needs help getting their medication, for those incarcerated who need a letter or books, for the relative who could really use more phone calls, for the river that needs clean up, for the folks who are organizing their local union. The act in of itself is the reward. This is how our spirited, resilient ancestors did it. This is how we can do it now. We can be each other’s freedom.
If you’re looking for more resistance history, I recommend checking out the Zinn Education Project.
AND you’re looking for some great songs for these times, check out “We Rise: A Movement Songbook” by the Poor People's Campaign.
