Leaning into interdependence this Independence Day

The latest on the national guaranteed income movement, the antidote for our loneliness epidemic, and other stories to read poolside

The 4th of July is meant to be a celebration of our country’s independence from a tyrannical government. But recent Supreme Court decisions in favor of deregulation and Trump immunity, as well as a first presidential debate riddled with disinformation, have many Americans in a panic about the future of our country. The solutions that might offer us the most hope in these trying times seem to be more about interdependence, than independence.

This month’s ChangeWire headlines highlight the work that’s moving to make the freedom we celebrate available for everyone. Jasmine Nazarett spotlights Community Change and the Economic Security Project’s efforts to build a national movement for guaranteed income that not only offers economic relief, but works to build the power of low-income people. 

A guarantee of economic security isn’t just an abstract ideal — organizers from Flint to Denver are making it a reality. And it has real impacts for the people who keep our economy moving — some of whom I got to interview for my new video about how real freedom comes down to choice and collective power to create the future we want.

Of course, a sustained movement to build collective power takes energy and so many folks struggle just to get through the day. But Kristee Paschall believes the key is in reinvigorating the third spaces so many of us lack — like the Wednesday night relational organizing parties she’s been hosting since 2020. Our futures are tied to each other so we’ve got to focus on making real connections, she argues.

So maybe this 4th holiday as we get rest and time with the people we love, we can be proud of the ways we’re practicing interdependence so that we can get to a future for our country worth celebrating.

Editor’s Picks

There are over 19 million people with children and 154,000 childcare workers in the five swing states where Community Change Action will be talking with voters this cycle. Vibes meteorologist Benjamin Oh breaks down what these child care voters are prioritizing.

In his latest podcast episode, Omar Marquez interviews his 7th grade teacher turned colleague. They explore the surprises they’ve navigated as public school educators, and how central the role of relationship-building has been in their and their students’ wins.

Former ChangeWire fellow Miguel Rueda has a new animation experiment for anyone who’s ever questioned their place in growing movements. He brings us the back story of Carlos, an immigrant man caught between the safety of sitting back silently and the risk of speaking up.

ICYMI

I wanted to re-share this mini-doc produced by our former ChangeWire Fellow Nissa Tzun that highlights the story of Jesse Sarey, a man killed by a Seattle police officer in 2019. Last week, the officer was found guilty of murder under new laws made possible after police brutality victims’ families raised their voices and voters went to the polls in 2018 to pass new legislation that makes it easier to charge police officers for on-duty killings. This is a historic ruling, as there are almost no cases in which AAPI police murder victims have received justice in the American system.

On the Horizon

At the end of July, tune into the fourth installment of Omar Marquez’s podcast as he explores the strength that comes from interdependence beyond the school setting - with special guests to the show Community Change’s Gilbert Nuñez and Ben Hanna. You can expect Marquez to continue steering conversations towards action we can take, instead of sitting in the despair of our broken systems.

We’ll also be sharing more video stories of people who have participated in Guaranteed Income programs, how it changed their lives, and what their vision for the future is now. This will be especially relevant for media makers in Connecticut, Mississippi, California, Minnesota, Michigan and New Mexico.