Strategies for Resistance: Community Protection

The November 2016 U.S. Presidential election brought to power a government that is openly hostile to the human rights of Muslims, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQI folks, people living with disabilities, and many other criminalized communities. While the new administration did not invent the systems of mass incarceration and mass deportation that have long targeted these communities, it has carried them to new extremes.

With the people in charge of the U.S. federal government displaying contempt for the rights, wellbeing, and safety of members of our communities, activists are talking about the growing need to act at the local and interpersonal level to resist criminalization and discrimination. Fortunately, there are strategies that city, county, and town governments can implement that make it much harder for the federal administration to carry out an agenda of mass deportation and mass incarceration.

Moreover, there are steps we can take as individuals to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our community members from deportation and criminalization. Activists are calling these local and interpersonal strategies Community Protection. The following readings and activities were selected or designed to help you gain a deeper understanding of what is at stake and how to implement community protection.