Meeting the moment in unprecedented times

Working people today are facing unprecedented challenges, including rising inequality, democratic backsliding and attacks on our fundamental rights. To help us understand what's at stake and the historical contexts for our present moment, AFT President Randi Weingarten hosted a panel discussion with four scholars whose careers have focused on the forces that strengthen-or weaken-our democracy: Erica Chenoweth, the Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard University, studies political violence and its alternatives; Danielle Allen, the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University, focuses on civics education; Eric Holder, the U.S. attorney general under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2015, is an expert in regulatory enforcement, criminal justice and national security issues; and Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history and Italian studies at New York University, writes about how fascism, authoritarianism and propaganda threaten democracies. Together, Weingarten said, this "remarkable group" can give AFT members the tools to "have the conversations we need" in classrooms and union halls.

To start, Weingarten asked panelists what about the state of our nation is keeping them up at night, and they each expressed concern about the uniqueness of this moment in the United States. Chenoweth described "a historical level of acute democratic backsliding … [and] the continued, day-to-day consolidation of autocratic power" at federal and state levels. Allen mentioned "corruption at unprecedented scales," in which public offices are used to enrich the few instead of serving the people; she also explained that because of gerrymandering and closed primaries, 60 million Americans-one-quarter of the electorate-no longer have a meaningful vote. Eric Holder noted that President Donald Trump and Republican leaders are using tactics we would have considered "fanciful" 18 months ago, including gerrymandering, voter suppression and the deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the National Guard in our cities. But "everything [is] on the table" for Trump in his quest to hold on to power, Holder said. And Ben-Ghiat described a rising authoritarianism where the rights of the many are diminished "to allow the very few [to have] unheard-of liberties and freedoms to plunder" institutions, the economy, the environment, the labor force and women's bodies.

These challenges might make us feel helpless, but we're not. Holder pointed out that American history is full of the stories of individuals and organizations who fought back against traditional powers-including recent history. "Greg Bovino and his fascists in Minneapolis didn't leave because [ICE] accomplished their job," Holder said; the people of Minneapolis kicked them out. Allen emphasized the importance of state-level elections as opportunities to influence the policies that govern our daily lives and specifically called out Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as places to focus our energies. Ben-Ghiat reminded us that authoritarians focus on taking away our voice and vote because they live in fear of us, and that's our power. And as Chenoweth pointed out, unionists have the organizing capacity, bargaining experience and ability to wield the power of labor that's needed to meet this moment. "Lean into the fact that you're in a union, and bring others along," Chenoweth said.

And for those who are reluctant to get off the couch and get involved? Allen said that if nothing else moves someone, we can ask them to vote as a personal favor-that's how high the stakes are. Chenoweth agreed, noting that candidates are often uninspiring but that voting can be about choosing the opponent you want to strategize against. Holder said that many people have sacrificed so much for us to have this right, and participating in voting is how we can both honor the past and prepare for our nation's future. We need "moral renewal," Ben-Ghiat said. "Beyond political parties, … this is about what you do in your communities, for your communities and for the future of this nation."

The full panel discussion can be viewed here.

[Sharone Carmona/Photo credit: Pamela Wolfe]