Reframe, Redirect Jennifer Kotting Reframe, Redirect Jennifer Kotting

Military veterans call for condemnation of political violence

Military veterans from Common Defense Fund and Courage for America called on GOP leaders to condemn political violence after the January 6th attack. They pushed back against efforts to rewrite the event as justified and worked to hold perpetrators accountable. Despite their advocacy, Republican leaders refused to change course, and the broader discourse on political violence remained unchanged.

Read More
Redirect, Resist, Reveal Jennifer Kotting Redirect, Resist, Reveal Jennifer Kotting

People Resisting ICE Deportations

Sanctuary cities and faith-based spaces have a lengthy history in the United States, but they became a particularly contentious–and important–practice during President Trump’s first term. Donald Trump came into office on a wave of rhetoric demonizing undocumented immigrants and a commitment to increasing deportations. With the advance warning, a wide network of immigration activists, including many faith-based organizations, planned how they would meet the challenge.

Read More
Redirect, Resist Jennifer Kotting Redirect, Resist Jennifer Kotting

Veterans and Activists Defend Standing Rock Protesters

The Standing Rock protests began in April of 2016 in response to the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline near the Standing Rock Reservation. While the protests remained peaceful, a mix of police, National Guard, and private security forces responded with violence, attempting to repress protesters. In response, the protesters shared footage of the violence across the internet. As the videos went viral, a wide coalition of actors – ranging from veterans to environmentalists or social justice activists – mobilized to defend the protesters and their cause.

Read More
Reframe, Redirect, Redeem Jennifer Kotting Reframe, Redirect, Redeem Jennifer Kotting

Parasol Patrol

In 2019, Eli Bazan’s all-ages drag show in Colorado received an influx of hate mail that included death threats and plans to lock the doors and burn the building. In response Bazan stood guard at the event, and continued to do so at following events, recruiting a growing group of volunteers seeking to protect LGBTQ+ youth events and the families that attended them.  

Read More
Resist, Reframe, Redirect Jennifer Kotting Resist, Reframe, Redirect Jennifer Kotting

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Imagine if armed militia and Patriot groups from across the country descended on your community to occupy nearby public lands and claimed that they were protecting you. Well, that’s exactly what happened in Burns, Oregon, a town of 2,700 people, for 41 days in the winter of 2016.  Just like many rural communities across the US, Harney County residents were fed up with these attempts at using intimidation and violence to gain political influence, and decided to say enough is enough.

Read More
Reveal, Resist, Redirect Jennifer Kotting Reveal, Resist, Redirect Jennifer Kotting

The Enid Social Justice Committee

When residents of Enid, Oklahoma (population: less than 50,00) learned that the city had elected a person rumored to be a white nationalist to the city council, they organized.  They formed the Enid Social Justice Committee (ESJC) and engaged in a campaign that shone a spotlight on the council member’s views and past actions. For months, through peaceful protest and sustained advocacy at city council meetings, their campaign garnered press attention for their revelations.

Read More
Redirect, Resist, Reveal Jennifer Kotting Redirect, Resist, Reveal Jennifer Kotting

Grandparents for Truth

As Moms for Liberty pushes book bans and extremist school board takeovers, Grandparents for Truth is fighting back. By exposing political violence, reclaiming the language of family and freedom, and mobilizing communities, they’re shifting the conversation. The fight for truthful, inclusive education is far from over—but they’re making sure the next generation has a chance to learn without fear.

Read More
Reveal, Reframe, Redirect Jennifer Kotting Reveal, Reframe, Redirect Jennifer Kotting

The Selma to Montgomery Marches

On March 7th, 1965, hundreds of people began to march peacefully in Selma, but the work leading up to that day began well before. For years, groups like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee had been holding lunch counter sit-ins and Freedom Rides to advocate for equal rights for Black Americans…

Read More