Day of Action Reflection Piece
A Sacramento Voice from 50501 California
After the remarkable Sacramento protest rally on April 19, 2025—a collaborative effort spearheaded by 50501 alongside grassroots organizers, national advocacy groups, and community networks—I still find myself with a lump in my throat. In the past few months, this movement has grown from a tiny seed on Reddit to a steady-stalked shoot, still green but sturdy and rising toward the light. From the first organic rally at state capitols on Presidents’ Day to yesterday’s collectively organized fundraiser and local march over the golden Tower Bridge, you can see the steadying, gradual maturity of a true people’s movement, with momentum and drive.
This protest, like so many across the nation, was made possible by a tapestry of groups and individuals—some formal organizations, some informal networks—all bringing their best selves to the front lines: big ideas, bold hopes, and tremendous joy. The diversity of voices and tactics (from fundraising to art installations) reflects the strength of a coalition that’s growing broader and more creative by the day
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This was a challenging week for the nation. For many weeks, we’ve been approaching the precipice of a constitutional crisis, and now we find ourselves at the cliff’s edge. It’s taken people some time to see that the administration’s various floutings of the rule of law are, separately and in the aggregate, challenging not only representative democracy but the foundation on which this country has stood since its inception.
Most striking to me this week was the opinion piece in the New York Times by writer David Brooks (not even close to a progressive voice), calling for Americans to “take to the streets” in response to the flagrant violations of this country’s fascist regime. Brooks’s comments followed a week in which we saw the dark machinations of Trump’s regime—the continued kidnapping of innocent foreign students and the disappearance of immigrants to concentration camps in El Salvador. But, like David Brooks’s op-ed, there are glimmers of hope: members of Congress, on whom we’ve been calling for action, are beginning to stir. Senator Van Hollen of Maryland succeeded in obtaining proof of life for Kilmer Abrego García and has begun to make inroads, we can hope, in Abrego García’s eventual freedom. Even Senator Lisa Murkowski spoke publicly about how fear of this regime has reached even an elected legislator but how she will continue to stand up for those she was elected to serve. And more senators and congresspeople are slated to make additional visits to El Salvador this week.
Closer to home, a massive turnout in (red) Folsom for AOC and Bernie Sanders—nearly 30,000 people on a weekday evening—buoyed locals’ hopes for a rejuvenated, newly empowered progressive base that just might be able, through the elective process (should we be fortunate enough to have free and fair elections in 2026), to flip some red seats to blue and shift the balance of power in Washington. And back to April 19: while the turnout was technically more modest for the march and fundraiser in Sacramento, it was no less spirited than the April 5 nationwide event, and nationally the numbers are estimated to have been around 3,000,000 strong. We are growing the big tent, becoming more inclusive, and more creative. By taking the opportunity to raise funds for those organizations that are doing good work on the front lines, we are creating an unstoppable, human-powered force for democracy.
Onward and forward, in solidarity, we go. May Day is next.
About Julie Checkoway: The New York Times bestselling author of The Three-Year Swim Club now documents the rise of people-powered movements for 50501 CA. Her work captures the human stories behind America’s grassroots revival.
Together, we defend what they’re trying to erase. — 50501 CA
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