Without understanding the nature of our opponents, we cannot effectively challenge them. Our educational efforts aim to equip working people with a clear framework to recognize the threat of authoritarianism and understand how it is used as a tool to consolidate power.
SFD especially welcomes people who may not consider themselves political or who feel skeptical of politics.
We’re in a defining moment. So many people are feeling the impacts of political polarization, rising misinformation, and the erosion of trust in public institutions. At the same time, millions have joined No King’s Day events and labor actions, sending a decisive message that Americans oppose the dismantling of democratic institutions and attacks on the separation of powers, and that they need a government more focused on supporting working people than the wealthy and powerful ruling class.
SFD has designed a unique way to give ordinary working people a tool to talk to their neighbors, coworkers, and friends. We developed a popular education curriculum, Democracy in Crisis: Critical Thinking for Collective Power, to help working people better understand the rise of the authoritarian right and its effects on their lives. The curriculum explores why these dynamics are often obscured, builds awareness of our collective power to defend democracy, and strengthens media literacy skills to identify misinformation and question dominant narratives.
We invite you to join us at any of our upcoming events!
Investing in popular education of working people is essential to building a movement capable of protecting, reimagining, and rebuilding a more inclusive, aspirational, and just democracy. A coalition of trainers has developed various workshops that complement one another, each offering distinct outcomes that can be strategically leveraged to strengthen the efforts of local unions, community organizations, and allied partners across the country. Click here to read about more workshops by SFD partners that cover additional skills, such as nonviolent civil disobedience.