Showing Up Is A Big Deal & Takes Brains

A useful cliche is "Showing up is half the battle."

I looked up online to see if anybody famous really said that. Stephen Hawking came up a few times. I'll go with that. 

Knowing it is important to show up is a skill and one that involves plenty of intellect. 

Showing up to lead or, more often, to follow and to show support is critical. People take note of who shows up and who does not. Movements and causes need people to succeed.        

Reliably showing up over a good stretch of time is appreciated. (And knowing when to take a break for your own well-being, or maybe when not needed at the moment or in that situation, is another useful skill.)     

Showing up when others are nervous to do so--such as now when the political right is aggressive and threatens violence--is valuable. It is essential people see others like themselves willing to show up for democracy and other important things.     

​There is a lot of status and caste bias in activism and politics. People want connections to people perceived as powerful, and to make clear they went to well-known schools and have big credentials.   

​Showing up for others different than yourself matters. We need coalitions that span all types of people as we confront an authoritarian threat.   

The strongest credentials though are being reliable and consistent, confident enough to both lead and follow, brave enough-or able to fake it-for the challenges ahead & being respectful of the people doing the work and showing up.        

I know that I'll keep showing up no matter what in 2024 and beyond. 

Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what.

The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County.  

Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected]​​

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