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On the “Right” Side of History
The Overton window is a funny thing. In American discourse, we tend to imagine the Overton window as a range of politically acceptable ideas for the mainstream population sliding up and down a one-dimensional line stretching from the Left to the Right. There was a time when I was confident that I knew what “Left” and “Right” meant and where I sat on that line. As the foundation of political discourse shifted around me, the foundation of my political identity shifted out from under my feet as well.
Good Trouble in 2026
Over the weekend of July 17-19, Mass 50501 participated in Good Trouble’s national weekend of action honoring the late congressman John Lewis. Throughout his life, Lewis worked tirelessly for civil rights and particularly for equal access to voting rights. Our country’s history of voting rights is messy, complex, at times painful, and—importantly—still being written.
Celebrating America’s 250th Independence Day in D.C.
The Freedom250 celebration in D.C. was marred by a barricaded National Mall, ominous National Guard presence, and prolonged military aircraft flyovers. These shows of force were antithetical to celebrating democracy and independence; An outsider looking in saw it for what it was: a prop the regime is using to normalize military presence and build oppression.
Seven Days in D.C.
In the week leading up to the United States Semiquincentennial, thousands of people participated in Seven Days in DC, a weeklong series of civic engagement activities, public demonstrations, and cultural events designed to encourage direct participation in the democratic process. This was a massive undertaking organized by dozens of organizations and individuals and Mass 50501 was proud to head to D.C. and spend the holiday week fighting for our country.
Our Declaration
250 years ago, our predecessors submitted a list of grievances towards a tyrannical ruler, and declared their independence. What would our declaration look like today?
Pride Recap
Pride is a protest, and never has that been more clear to me than in the last two years. Our rights as queer people are being stripped away and the validity of our very existence denied as an entire governmental system tries to force us all back into the closet. But we will not go quietly. Never have I felt more empowered to fight back…
A Theory of Ruins
Fascists have always had an obsession with architecture over other expressive disciplines. Hitler in particular had a love of classical Roman and Greek architecture. He himself was a painter and his drawings were well constructed with correct proportions and majestic vistas. But something was always lacking in them. His work was always that of structures—without humanity at all. They were emotionless and stale, as if the sterile brought him solace.
Have You No Decency?
Decency requires you to put aside your selfish desires and submit yourself to some standard of propriety. Fundamentally, it requires subscribing to a higher code; By contrast, Trump's indecent use of language acts as a confession that he does not value anyone but himself. While this indecency harms many, it also provides us an opportunity…
May Day Strong Recap
On May 1st 2026, we supported and participated in May Day Strong. The call to action was straightforward: no school, no work, and no shopping. The power of the economy, as both laborers and consumers, belongs to us. And when a ballot isn’t in our hand, we vote with our feet and our wallets. That is to say, the system does not work without us, and when we decide to work and shop is our decision.
The Power of Oaths
Veterans were all given great responsibility at a young age. We matured under the demands of defending the nation, and gained wisdom about the human condition. All the veterans of the No Kings movement have within them power to win hearts and minds. With patient effort and clear direction we can prepare the people for the demands of our time. Veterans represent something to people. We are already trained as servants and leaders, and bearers of quiet burdens. That habit of service does not atrophy.
40 Years of Activism
I wrote about my life in this series with the hope that people could glean some good advice. Maybe take some inspiration from the actions, and find hope and tools for the ongoing fight for our rights. Let’s end fascism and hatred. These are some of the stories of my life.
Mayday, America
To participate in May Day Strong is simple: No School. No Work. No Shopping. This is a required step in our development as a movement. It will demonstrate to those still on the sidelines that we have staying power and the capacity to escalate. It will show to our political adversaries that we have the ability to apply pressure on a national scale at a specific time in a coordinated way to effect. It is a warning to capitulators that we have leverage in the consumerist system that they have built and that we are smart enough to exploit that vulnerability.
The Case for Helping Your Neighbors
Giving our time and resources to others may seem like the last thing that we want to do in a society that does its best to make us all feel precarious and alone. However, we have the power to help each other to make us all less precarious, less alone, and more able to unite in working towards a better world for everyone.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.” Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood
No Kings III: Now We Wield our Power
Big rallies and protests, like No Kings, are excellent vehicles for joint catharsis, increasing visibility, and recruiting people to the movement. 180,000 people standing in solidarity is an immense display of our power. But that power is wasted if sustained action is not taken.
The Power of Local Protests
While Mass 50501 is an anchor organization for Boston’s No Kings rally tomorrow, March 28th, a major focus of our organizing is on building broad coalitions across the state. We’d be thrilled to have everyone join us in Boston, but we recognize that that is not a reality for some people. No Kings III is meant to be a display of people power, wherever the people may be located. This weekend, there are over 3,000 nonviolent events nationwide and over 150 events planned in Massachusetts!
Pathways to Power
We have succeeded already at the first step in the long march that will be required to achieve victory against American Fascism. Our sacrifice was worth it—because in one week's time, the largest protest in the history of America will have been planned, executed, and launched by ordinary citizens from all walks of life. We use that energy over the spring, summer, and fall to grow this movement to legendary proportions, to ensure democracy survives the midterm elections, and to assert our collective will to ensure a better future for all of us.
A Case for Zeal
The United States, without the remit or even notice to Congress and the American People, has unilaterally, and at the whim of a single man and a small cabal of conspirators, sunk the fleet of a sovereign nation, assassinated its leader, and devastated the Iranian command structure. Thousands are dead in the attack including hundreds at a girls’ school, hit with a Tomahawk missile in Tehran. This attack has no more the legality, morality, or strategy of a mob boss ordering a hit on a rival.
Science is Not Perfect. Fight for It Anyway.
If there’s one thing almost anyone can agree on, it’s that science is not perfect. Even so, I am here to invite you to Stand Up for Science tomorrow, March 7th, to make a case for science with all its imperfections.
Reinterpreting The Forefathers Monument
The Forefathers Monument was erected, in part, to unify the country around shared ideals in the face of social divisions. While our national debates have not yet reached the extremes of the 1850s and 1860s, our time is likewise marked by political violence and fractious politics. I think the glorification of shared ideals was not misplaced then, and it seems similar consideration could benefit our country now.