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The 22nd Century Initiative

@22ci.bsky.social
437 followers 406 following 206 posts

Forging a people-powered democracy in this century and the next | Creators of The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook newsletter and podcast www.linktr.ee/22ci

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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
📣 NEW SEASON ALERT: Season 3 of the Anti-Authoritarian Podcast, Free Country, is here. If you've been asking how we build a movement powerful enough to defeat authoritarianism, start here. convergencemag.com/podcast-show...
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Today, we are hitting the streets to honor the power of the working class. Solidarity is our strength as we put people before profits. Join the movement for a fairer future. #MayDay social.demcast.com/s/VD9JsX6K
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Billionaires have record profits. Working families can't pay rent. That's not an accident—it's a rigged system. May 1 we take it back. Tax the rich. Fund our communities. #MayDay social.demcast.com/s/cvS4TBY8
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Authoritarian takeovers are stopped by organized people—not polite requests. May 1 we defend our rights, protect our neighbors, and force the government to work for working people. Join us. #MayDay social.demcast.com/s/cMCDuoh2
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
The Three R’s Framework was developed to combat the three narrative pillars of autocracy and withdraws cultural consent from authoritarian power. Learn more about this framework and so much more by subscribing to the Anti-Authoritarian Playbook: bit.ly/antiauthoritarianplaybook
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Unity doesn’t mean uniformity. Different ideas and frameworks are the fuel to progress. What matters is enough people moving together, with enough force to actually change something. Read the Ideological Traffic Jam: bit.ly/ideologicaltrafficjam
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The Horizons Project @horizonsprjt.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
From No Kings to elections to the science of unlearning, these pieces are feeding our work and our minds this month. horizonsproject.us/the-vista-march-… @msifry.bsky.social @ashdashlee.bsky.social @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social @22ci.bsky.social @outrageoverload.net @truthout.org
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
If we view attacks on trans people through the lens of mid-20th century anti-semitic fascism, it's both terrifying and clarifying. It's a code red but there's still time to act The danger level is high enough to demand full mobilization, but not yet so high that resistance is impossible.
antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com
Are Trans People the New Jews?
The short answer is, no, trans people are not the new Jews; Jews are the “new” Jews.
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
After five years and over 107,000 conversations across 12 states, the United Vision Project is sharing what they’ve learned about bridging deep political divides. Join them for a virtual briefing to explore the data, the insights, and what comes next!
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Minneapolis is a living demonstration of what coordinated resistance looks like when multiple distinct communities maintain their own identities and strengths while feeding a common river of action. antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com/p/the-minnea...
antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com
THE MINNEAPOLIS MODEL
How a City Resisted a Federal Occupation and What the Pro-Democracy Movement Must Learn from It
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
We’re not waiting for any heroes to save us, together we must save ourselves. Learn how to empower your springs to fuel the river that will free us all from authoritarianism. Read the Ideological Traffic Jam by visiting bit.ly/ideologicaltrafficjam.
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Art doesn't just decorate the world; it reveals it, documents it, challenges it, and imagines something better. That's exactly why it's always the first target. Learn about why authoritarians target the arts and what we can do about it: bit.ly/antiauthoritarianplaybook
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
When they come for the arts, they come for our collective imagination and resistance. Support your local artists. Buy their work. Show up to their events. Art is infrastructure and essential. Read more by visiting The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook: bit.ly/antiauthoritarianplaybook
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The Horizons Project @horizonsprjt.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Here's what we're reading, watching and listening to this month. @19thnews.org @onesixcomics.bsky.social @timothysnyder.bsky.social @weforum.org @daniel-hunter.bsky.social @22ci.bsky.social @moreincommonus.bsky.social @wagingnonviolence.org @ivehaditpodcast.bsky.social @cftchange.bsky.social
horizonsproject.us
THE VISTA: January 2026
Many around the country have been inspired by the collective action of the people of Minnesota in the face of ICE’s surge in the state. We’ve also been called to honor the many distinct responses people are experiencing to the murders in Minneapolis. But what is clear is that the egregious political violence has spurred many new voices to denounce the authoritarian tactics,
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
11:45pm: the moment between complacency and collapse. But here’s the thing, we can still turn this around. Not by waiting, but by acting together. bit.ly/antiauthoritarianplaybook
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
What happens when election workers, police, and business leaders all refuse to cooperate with authoritarianism? The regime falls. It's happened before. It can happen again. Read the Anti-Authoritarian Playbook: bit.ly/antiauthoritarianplaybook
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Lex McMenamin (they/them) @lexmcmenamin.com · 31/01/2026
for over 3 weeks, I've spoken to ICE watchers and organizers across the country: first right after Renee Good's killing — then 2 weeks into my reporting, Alex Pretti was killed. ICE watchers are being detained and harassed — but they're also stopping ICE abductions and inspiring others to join them
theguardian.com
‘Backing down isn’t an option’: Minnesota ICE shootings mobilize Americans to join ICE observer groups
The killings of Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti have inspired people across the US to document federal agents’ activities in their communities
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We Make The Future Action @wmtfaction.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Over the weekend, 75,000 Minnesotans from every walk of life marched and over 1,000 businesses shut down to demand ICE and the regime end their campaign of abductions and killings. Minnesotans across races, faiths, and genders, are demonstrating that the #BraveOfUs stand with and for each other.
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Rise and Resist @riseandresist.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Stay tuned for further details…
NO KINGS MARCH 28
Nokings.org
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Free DC @freedcproject.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
HAPPENING NOW: A massive crowd is gathered in freezing temperatures outside ICE headquarters in DC to demand ICE OUT OF ALL COMMUNITIES NOW.
An office building lit up in the dark with a crowd of people holding signs in front of it.
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
“Disciplined nonviolent resistance can make state violence and repression backfire.” - @mariajstephan.bsky.social on countering the authoritarian playbook on Colbert last night www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Mg...
youtube.com
How Blowing A Whistle Is An Act Of Nonviolent Resistance - Maria J. Stephan
YouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Faith communities play a powerful role in civil resistance. Faith leaders are showing up in powerful ways in Minneapolis and beyond.
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
As you join and organize actions this weekend and beyond, assume total surveillance and act accordingly. Serbian activists give us a powerful blueprint: stay connected to each other, stay diligent and clear, stay consistent, stay ahead. antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com/p/what-serbi...
antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com
What Serbian Activists Can Teach Us About Staying Safe Under Authoritarian Pressure
Lessons from the frontlines of the 2024 Serbian uprising for democracy defenders everywhere
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
The infrastructure authoritarians are using was built to destroy Black freedom. You cannot resist it effectively without understanding that. And you cannot understand it while remaining silent about race. antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com/p/why-you-ca...
antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com
Why You Can’t Understand American Authoritarianism Without Understanding Race
Or: How the War on Black Freedom Became the Infrastructure for War on All of Us
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Political violence is not normal and we will not let authoritarians make us feel like it is. In these difficult times, we must continue speaking truth to power, fostering community relationships and care, and taking action together.
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
We grieve Renee Nicole Good and all those killed by ICE. ICE’s lawless operations have made our neighborhoods less safe. This violence is not isolated but the predictable result of abuse of power. We demand accountability for this killing and an end to ICE raids.
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
In the face of exhaustion and the onslaught of authoritarian violence, joy, play, faith, and resistance can sustain our movements for democracy and justice. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
podcasts.apple.com
Scot Nakagawa and Zev Mishell: Why Joy Is Essential to Democracy
Podcast Episode · The PlayFull Podcast with Kristine Michie: Bringing Fun to the Serious Work of Changing the World · 01/08/2026 · 48m
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Our Executive Director Scot Nakagawa joins The Playfull Podcast TOMORROW to discuss democracy, resistance, and the serious work of changing the world. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Taiwan showed the world how 23 million people can stand strong against authoritarian pressure. Democracy isn't something you have. It's something you do. Every single day. What will you choose to build?
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
We need to be clear and honest about where we are and strategic hope about where we can go! The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook draws lessons from movements that won against authoritarianism. Visit bit.ly/antiauthoritarianplaybook
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
Paid subscribers to the Anti-Authoritarian Playbook turn analysis into impact and strengthen the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe today to help power the Anti-Authoritarian Playbook to equip activists, organizers, and defenders with the tools they need.
buff.ly
Subscribe to The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook
By Scot Nakagawa of The 22nd Century Initiative. Click to read The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook, by Scot Nakagawa, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
We need to be clear-eyed about where American democracy stands right now. Experts who study authoritarian consolidation globally agree: we’ve already crossed the threshold into what they call “competitive authoritarianism.” 🧵
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Resist List @resistlist.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
"The patrols are mainly a response to changing tactics by authorities who are increasingly targeting immigrants on the streets." Inside the anti-ICE resistance in NYC:
nymag.com
They’re the Heat on ICE
Stopping federal agents on Canal Street was just the start: Inside a resistance movement.
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Harms Committed @harmscommitted.com · 09/12/2025
"Community food distribution and immigrant rights advocacy groups have organized free grocery deliveries to immigrants [..] in response to the arrival last week of hundreds of federal immigration agents in New Orleans." #Louisiana #USA #Food #MutualAid #Deportation #EthnicCleansing
veritenews.org
Community groups organize food deliveries to families affected by immigration raids
Pantries across New Orleans have responded to the arrival of ICE officials by directly distributing food to people in fear of leaving their homes to shop for groceries or go to restaurants.
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
We've crossed the threshold into competitive authoritarianism. The pattern is clear and follows an authoritarian playbook we’ve seen globally. But there is hope: with strategic organizing, we can build the resistance that renews democracy. antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com/p/where-we-are
antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com
Where We Are
A Strategic Assessment of Authoritarian Consolidation
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Community power is the antidote to authoritarianism. Pulling people toward collective action to defeat authoritarians is key, no matter where we are or where we are coming from. callingsandcourage.com/practical-st...
callingsandcourage.com
Practical Steps to Undermine Authoritarianism & Grow Democracy in Your Community
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
It's vital to continue seizing every moment to build lasting pro-democracy movement power.
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Prism @prismreports.org · 06/12/2025
“Without fostering hope, it is impossible to sustain the revolution.” In this roundtable, members of EqualHealth’s Campaign Against Racism gathered to discuss resistance in the age of AI & surveillance, planting seeds for radical change, & how to center the agency of children & the legacy of elders.
prismreports.org
Fighting the rising tide of fascism requires ‘cracking grief open’
EqualHealth’s Campaign Against Racism discuss strategies for surviving authoritarianism while sustaining the well-being of communities across the global
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Black Voters Matter Fund @blackvotersmatterfund.org · 06/12/2025
Joy and culture aren’t extras — they’re what sustain this work. From the Harlem Renaissance to today’s movements, music, laughter, and celebration have fueled resilience and connection. Joy is power: it keeps communities engaged, organizers grounded, and movements alive every single day.
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Nonviolence 3.0 @nonviolence3.com · 06/12/2025
“If we focus only on fighting back, we lose sight of what we are fighting for. We must invest in the future we want, not just delay the collapse of what no longer serves us.” @repower.org @forgeorganizing.bsky.social forgeorganizing.org/article/we-s...
forgeorganizing.org
We Say We Want to Save Democracy. So Why Aren’t We Funding the People Who Can? - The Forge
A protest can spark momentum, but only infrastructure sustains it. If we want a multiracial democracy that lasts, we have to fund the organizers, trainers, and educators building it every day. Philant...
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Bruce Little @brucedlittle.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara issued a stern warning to his officers on Thursday: Intervene when you see Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents using unlawful force or lose your job.
ms.now
Minneapolis police chief warns officers: Stop unlawful force by ICE or lose your job
Chief Brian O’Hara says he’ll fire city police officers if they don’t intervene when immigration agents use unlawful force.
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SEIU_ORG @seiu.org · 06/12/2025
Rep Grijalva's responsibility is to ask questions and stand up for the community — not be punished for it, let alone pepper-sprayed by ICE. When violence replaces due process, it puts everyone’s basic rights at risk. Accountability is a must. www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
nbcnews.com
Rep. Adelita Grijalva says she was 'sprayed in the face' during ICE confrontation
Grijalva said that she identified herself as a member of Congress and saw "people directly sprayed," including press and members of her staff.
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
A manufactured so called drug war that authorizes security forces to indiscriminately kill people is straight out of the Duterte Model of authoritarianism. truthout.org/articles/tru...
truthout.org
Trump’s Illegal Boat Strikes Recall Duterte’s “Drug War” Mass Killings
Former Philippine President Duterte awaits trial in the ICC for using the pretext of a drug war for his murder campaign.
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
Veterans. Business owners. Shareholders. Cattle ranchers. Catholic Bishops. Bankers. When people in pillars of support for authoritarianism withdraw their support, authoritarians fail. www.justsecurity.org/125639/us-ab...
justsecurity.org
When Loyalties Shift: Americans’ Growing Noncooperation with Federal Abuses of Power
Americans' refusals to accept apparent abuses of power by the federal government indicate that the political winds may be starting to shift.
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Stop AAPI Hate Action @stopaapihateaction.org · 05/12/2025
BREAKING: SCOTUS is set to decide the future of Trump’s executive order, which attempts to rob birthright citizenship from tens of thousands of children. Should the Court side with Trump, it will put countless newborns at risk for deportation & fundamentally threaten the future of our communities.
asamnews.com
Birthright citizenship on the line. Supreme Court to decide – AsAmNews
Supreme Court takes up Trump’s birthright citizenship case. 14th Amendment precedent from Wong Kim Ark could shape the outcome.
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Maria J. Stephan @mariajstephan.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
DC friends: Stop by the Kennedy Center today to show your support for a fun, safe, and ICE-free World Cup. Kick a soccer ball and have some cocoa! :)
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Taiwan’s democracy is thriving. Not despite threats, but because they’ve built something remarkable: a whole-of-society defense system run by citizens, not soldiers. antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com/p/taiwans-de...
antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com
Taiwan’s Democracy Defense Playbook
Taiwan is a democracy of 23 million people living 100 miles from a global authoritarian superpower that claims to own them.
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Interrupting Criminalization @interruptcrim.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
New resource⚡️ Block it! Don’t Build It. Don’t Fill It. Don’t Fuel It. A mini-toolkit to take action to slow down and disrupt the government’s kidnapping, detention, and deportation machine. Info on strategies/tactics, ways to take action, and more: www.interruptingcriminalization.com/block-it
Artwork by Monica Trinidad, featuring illustrated tan-colored text on a purple background: “Block It! Don't Build It. Don't Fill It. Don't Fuel It. How are YOU disrupting the ICE kidnapping, detention, & deportation machine?" 

In the middle are three rows of drawings in orange, tan, and black, depicting: a protest in front of a construction vehicle, transport vans and three Avelo Airlines planes, and hands holding and ripping apart money and a paper with "Palantir" on it.
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The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Authoritarian movements are organized, well-funded, and relentless. We're building a community of 100 donors (and counting) who refuse to let freedom continue to slip away without a fight. Be part of the 100: bit.ly/22CIgive 2026 starts with the choices we make today!
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