20250708 STAND Newsletter – 20 minutes of activism
What’s new with STAND
Join us THIS SATURDAY from 12pm-12:20 and STAND with our members at Clairemont Oaks in protest of cuts to social safety net programs and health services. Info here.
Our next general meeting is slated for July 26th – STAND continues to evolve and we’re excited to show you what’s next in building an activist community here in Decatur.
Dear Friends,
The summer is heating up but it won’t keep STAND off the streets! Our members at Clairemont Oaks are holding a sidewalk rally THIS SATURDAY from 12-12:20pm to bring attention to the harm that major cuts in health services and social safety net programs will have on our communities. Stop by with a sign to show your support – you’ll find parking right next door at the church. Even 20 minutes of activism can change the way we feel about our community and continues to normalize our voices in public spaces. The city of Decatur knows who we are now. Let’s show them that we’re here to stay and happy to be heard.
And make no mistake, 20 minutes is more than enough. 20 minutes is enough time for us to reconnect with our neighbors and remind ourselves that we are not alone. 20 minutes is enough for a person to drive by and be reminded that dissent is alive and well. 20 minutes is just the right amount of time to show our kids how we show up for each other in times of crisis. 20 minutes is more than enough time to come out and practice what STAND does best – build community through the common work of recognizing the dignity of all people. Maintaining that focus can be hard to do in the context of national tragedy – whether due to natural disaster or self-inflicted legislation. It can feel like the only place we can hope to have impact is on the national level, and barring that, we are powerless. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Don’t get me wrong – we will impact those spaces. Our FOIA team is gathering information, and we are positioning ourselves to punch well above our weight class in advocating for good policy. But that work takes time, and it’s a mistake to think that there aren’t things that we can do here and now to support the lives and voices of people in our community impacted by bad policy – both recent and historic. And for that, 20 minutes is enough. While we continue to push STAND’s mission into conversations about national policy, you’ll start to notice some shifts as well in highlighting local work that you can plug into, today, to build your community and make this world a better place for us all. You’ll hear a lot more about that at our next meeting on July 26th. If you can, try to be there for this one. STAND has found its feet, and I’m looking forward to sharing that vision with you all.
STANDing with you,
Matt
PS. The 5th anniversary to John Lewis’ passing is on Thursday, July 17th. Keep your ear to the ground!
