Recent political developments have pushed a narrative suggesting the impending collapse of democracy and the threat of fascism. This rhetoric has only become mainstream now that white—and otherwise privileged people—are being threatened, which disregards the reality of marginalized people who have faced systemic oppression for generations.

Our current moment is not unprecedented; it is a result of cyclical crises upheld by the carceral institutions that sustain capitalism. Historically, these systems have worked to dismantle communities, limit personal expression, and circulate a myth of scarcity.

And yet, we endured.

Anytime there has been oppression, there has been defiance. The forces of freedom, creativity, and connection have persisted across time against the power of the tyrannical state. Through examining our past, we can determine what it means for our current moment, and direct our efforts sustainably utilizing time-tested methods.

Simply put, we must endure. By continuously prioritizing community, direct action, and mutual aid, we can practice liberation in real time without waiting for some utopia of tomorrow. 

Endurance is the unrelenting response of the desire to live, to be free.

Fortitudine vincimus

[By endurance, we conquer]

- Sir Ernest Shackleton