We’ve Been Here Before, and We’ll Move Forward Together

by | Dec 5, 2024 | Uncategorized

We’ve Been Here Before, and We’ll Move Forward Together
The passing of H.R. 9495—the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, also known as the “Nonprofit Kill Bill”—last month landed like a weight on my chest. Its swift introduction and staggering implications for our sector have left many of us unmoored as we try to prepare for what the future may hold. Not gonna lie, I wasn’t ready for this. This liminal space, where uncertainty hangs heavy, is where I write to you—not to incite panic, but to inspire purpose.

In the days since, I’ve sought opportunities to connect, learn, and prepare for what’s ahead. I’ve been calling partners, funders, and movement lawyers, trying to gauge where their heads are. One funder shared that they’re meeting with colleagues to plan their responses and discuss with their boards and staff. I asked them to remember how crucial it is to include grantees in these conversations and to hold steadfast to their espoused values. Didn’t we learn from the last four years that we can’t afford to work in silos?


This moment demands more than fear or despair. It calls us to respond with clarity and connection. While this will undoubtedly be a challenging season for leaders, organizers, and nonprofit workers, I believe in our collective ability to face what’s coming with resolve and action. And I want us to remember: We’ve been here before.

Rest, Remembering, and Reimagining
When my team asked me to write this piece, they hoped I’d highlight the importance of rest—especially as we navigate election-related tensions and the end-of-year break. As we close out 2024, I want to emphasize the value not only of rest but also of remembering and reimagining.


“Rest makes invention and imagination accessible. Rest gives us the ability to test our freedom. Our souls are calling to see differently. To move differently. To feel differently. To rest. Rest as a subversive act. The deepest act of resistance.” – Tricia Hersey, Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto

I’ll admit, rest is something I’ve struggled with as I’ve gotten older. Anxiety, compounded by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) 😭 in winter, often challenges my ability to stay present and grounded. If this resonates with you—especially now—I urge you to prioritize your wellness. Whether through grounding in nature, writing, or simply doing nothing, find your way back to yourself.


Then, resist the immobilizing anxieties authoritarianism feeds on. It thrives on compliance, silence, and division, convincing us we’re powerless and alone. But history shows us otherwise: We are not powerless. We are not alone.

The Wisdom of Resistance
In moments like these, when election outcomes and existential threats to our sector weigh heavily, we must remember who we are. We are the inheritors of movements that refused to comply with hate, segregation, and dehumanization.

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” – Dr. Angela Davis

From enslaved individuals resisting bondage to suffragists marching for the vote, from students sitting at segregated lunch counters to queer activists fighting for their lives—we stand in a tradition of principled struggle. They remind us that refusing compliance isn’t reckless; it’s rooted in the conviction that our liberation is interconnected.

Refusing Compliance and Building Power
Refusing compliance is about rejecting the isolation and fear authoritarianism imposes. It’s about standing together with clarity and purpose.

Refusing Compliance Is:

  • Building Together: Strengthen relationships, partnerships, and communities. Reach out for support or offer it to others.
  • Telling Our Stories: Silence lets falsehoods thrive. Uplift the truth of our work and the humanity of those we serve.
  • Practicing Joy: Celebrate connection, victories, and the radical act of living fully in oppressive times.
  • Resting Strategically: Rest fuels creativity and strategy. Resist the hustle culture; rest is a tool for progress.
  • Fighting with Love: As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Root resistance in love—for ourselves, for others,the planet, and for the future we’re building.
  • Preparing Proactively: Discuss risks and plan scenarios with your team and board. Don’t let fear paralyze you.

Our Collective Commitment
We are not the first to feel the weight of a world closing in. Movements before us have shown the way:

  • The labor movement taught us that “an injury to one is an injury to all.”
  • The civil rights movement demonstrated the power of collective action.
  • Indigenous resistance reminds us that sovereignty is a daily practice.

Join us as we choose not to comply with policies that dehumanize, narratives that divide, or fear that immobilizes. Instead, we will act with clarity, connection, and courage. We need to recall and use the tools of resistance—our stories, our solidarity, and our belief in a liberated future.

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou

Resources for Refusing Compliance and Building Power
As we move forward in principled struggle, here are some resources to support and sustain you:

We’ve been here before, y’all, and we’ll move forward together. Let’s meet what’s to come with the determination,  courage ,and wisdom it calls for.

Remember: “we are who we’ve been waiting for.” – June Jordan

Let’s make some good trouble,

Yodit Mesfin Johnson