Get Into Good Trouble on July 17th

Pro-democracy allies are coming together across the country on July 17th to honor and uplift Lewis’ Good Trouble idea with a day of “Good Trouble Lives On.”

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"Get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

The late Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) used the phrase “good trouble” to refer to the idea of creating positive change through nonviolent action and activism.

To mark the five years since his passing on July 17th 2020, pro-democracy allies are coming together across the country to honor and uplift Lewis’ Good Trouble idea with a day of “Good Trouble Lives On” on July 17th.

John Lewis’ legacy is intertwined with the marches of 1965, including leading a group of 600 protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on "Bloody Sunday.” The peaceful marchers were brutally attacked by Alabama state troopers and local law enforcement with tear gas, whips and billy clubs. John Lewis, then a young activist, suffered a severe beating, resulting in a fractured skull.

The violent attack on peaceful protesters didn’t sit well with the public. Contrary to its intention, the state-sanctioned violence against peaceful protesters helped garner support for the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting. The VRA has been expanded by Congress five times.

SCOTUS has been justifiably accused of “gutting” the VRA, and it’s currently said to be imperiled by none other than Justice Clarence Thomas — the man who got up the ladder and has spent his power kicking everyone else beneath him off of the ladder entirely.

“Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been imploring his colleagues for decades to gut a crucial part of the iconic Voting Rights Act that prohibits practices denying Blacks, Hispanics and other racial minorities an equal right to vote,” CNN reported.

When Thomas first laid out his objections in 1994, insisting that the act was exacerbating rather than easing “racial tensions,” several colleagues called his position “radical,” and only Antonin Scalia endorsed it.

But as more right-wing justices have joined the court, the views of Thomas, a conservative African American, have gained traction.

Now, a mysterious order from the high court in a Louisiana redistricting case suggests it is seriously reconsidering the scope of VRA safeguards against congressional and state legislative district maps that dilute minority votes. The looming battle comes as some states, notably Alabama, are resisting court orders to remedy discrimination, and President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is abandoning the federal government’s usual role in protecting minority voting rights.

They will never stop coming for hard-won rights. That’s just the way of certain people who have power and seek to close ranks so others can’t have any. It’s a reactionary, fear-based position and I’d argue, in the current atmosphere especially, that Republicans don’t want minorities to be able to vote because they know Black people, women especially, see right through them.

It should never be forgotten that in the 2024 elections, bomb threats were sent to polling places and ballot-counting locations in majority Democratic counties, many of them cities of majority Black people.

Analysis by NBC News found that of the 67 bomb threat locations, 56 were in 11 counties that voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 election, “including the eight most populated. Those high-population Democratic counties include voting locations for Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Detroit, Michigan; Phoenix, Arizona; Atlanta, Georgia; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.”

This was a clear example of political terrorism, a threat of violence meant in part to intimidate people in majority Black cities from voting. This isn’t that different from the tactics still used in the deep south in some places, and of the tactics used prior to the VRA.

It is our responsibility and honor to stand up for the rights of all Americans to vote and our job to stand up for our vision of the country. We have to keep speaking up and telling the truth. It is up to us, because no one else is going to do it.

July 17th

"Five years ago, we lost a giant, U.S. Rep. John Lewis. His life’s work reminds us that democracy is not a spectator sport. It’s something we must show up for, fight for and build together,” AFT President Randi Weingarten wrote in an email sent to allies.

This event is taking places in rallies, but also in block parties and community trainings and more. So if you don’t feel comfortable protesting, you might find another way to express your support for democracy.

“That’s why, on Thursday, July 17, we’re joining with allies across the country to participate in “Good Trouble Lives On” events—rallies, town halls, block parties, community trainings and more—honoring Lewis’ legacy and demanding a future where all our families can thrive.”

“Will you make some good trouble in your community? Click here to find a local event.”

Weingarten made the point that this isn’t just about resistance, but also about standing up for a shared vision of the country:

🏛️ A democracy that works for all of us, not just the wealthy and well-connected.
🏫 Public schools that are safe, welcoming and fully funded.
🩺 Healthcare that puts patients over profits.
👪 Communities where every child and family has what they need to live and thrive.

You can find events on the Good Trouble website here.

John Lewis talks about getting into Good Trouble below:

If you need inspiration in these challenging times, watch the official trailer to John Lewis: Good Trouble below. The full documentary is on Hulu and YouTube.

And most of all, marinate in these two John Lewis quotes as we face this challenging time together:

"Freedom is not a state; it is an act."

"Our children and their children will ask us, 'What did you do? What did you say?'"

"You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone – any person or any force – dampen, dim or diminish your light."

What are your plans for July 17? Share your ideas in the comments below.