Part of the Series
Progressive Picks
As 2018 ends, it can be overwhelming (and even exhausting) to try to reflect on the events of the year. Donald Trump entered the second year of his presidency and continued his upheaval of the White House; the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre horrified us all and sparked a national movement; the US continued to aid and abet human rights abuses across the Middle East; millions more refugees fled their homes worldwide; and the climate crisis deepened with wildfires of unprecedented intensity devastating parts of California. This and much more has had a traumatic effect on the global consciousness. And while each event may seem to crush us under its weight, there are moments of hope.
The 2019 Syracuse Cultural Workers’ Peace Calendar brings these moments to light. Each month reminds and educates us on the resistance that remains stalwart in the face of such tumultuous and uncertain times. The calendar has sought to do this for 48 years not just with powerful images, but also with inclusive, multicultural holidays, lunar cycles and 13 native moons.
Opening the year is a stunning photo from choreographer Camille Brown’s BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play. The performance interweaves original music and dance to tell the complex story of Black womanhood in the US, where so often Black women are portrayed as one-dimensional. The image is joyous and boundless as it begins the new year.
Other photographs and collages represent landmark events, such as the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the Palestinian Right of Return. A gorgeous illustration by Hal Cameron depicts an Indigenous elder passing language on to a child, reminding us that we must still fight against assimilation and colonization as the American holidays approach.
Bookending the calendar is a Syracuse Cultural Workers collage of an expansive tree, with vast networks of boughs and branches representing The Charter for Trees, Woods and People. As an initiative that began in 2015 in the United Kingdom, the charter seeks to unify more than 70 organizations and 300 local groups to protect plant life for the mutual benefit of humanity. The collage reminds us of the interconnectivity of all life on Earth – that peace means understanding and helping each other achieve it. Closing the calendar with this image illustrates the unity in all the images that came before it.
When finding peace seems fruitless, or it seems that power will never bend its ear to listen to our voices, we must remember that we are not alone. Collectively, our voices are heard and amplified by one another. We need only to look at a calendar and remind ourselves, with each passing day, that we are in this struggle together.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $125,000 in one-time donations and to add 1400 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy