Fated States

We've been hearing from so many of you this year, asking us the question we're asking each other and anyone else who will listen--some version of "OMG WHAT DO WE DO?!"

We get it. You can't turn around without catching sight of something on fire. ICE in the streets. Attacks on free speech. Gun violence in schools. Abortion rights rolling back. Trans rights rolling back. Jim Crow rearing its monstrous head again. It's bad. We're not going to tell you otherwise. Authoritarianism is here, and it's not pretty.

Here's the thing: it's not guaranteed, either. Today, we're reminding ourselves of a few things:

1) Overwhelming us is the point. It's right there in the playbook of Project 2025. They're flooding the zone in a direct attempt to keep us frozen. Too many mainstream media outlets are helping them, so we recommend checking out this list of independent newsrooms from all over the country to find new sources of news and information as media falls into the hands of the oligarchs.

2) We can't fix it all ourselves. We can't unravel this tapestry of cruelty and tyranny by ourselves, all at once. What we can do is pull on the thread we can get a hold of. We can pull on that thread and keep pulling, with force and fervor and ferocity, and trust that others in this fight are doing the same.

3) We are not alone. There are organizations resisting at every level of government and society. People mobilizing to protest in towns across the country, including places in the reddest of counties. Finding those people and joining them in protest and resistance big and small is a real life action that matters. You can do that in your own region with a quick search at mobilize.us. The energy of others is contagious, and uplifting.

4) We don't have to wait until November 2026 for an election to make an impact. On November 4th of this year, we'll witness the first battle of the midterms. Virginia is our opening electoral salvo against the Trump administration. A win in Virginia will prove there are electoral consequences to what this administration is doing, and to show that Trumpism is not an all-powerful force.

5) We can crush 'em. But we have to bring as much fight to the field as we can muster. In 2023, control of the Virginia State House of Delegates was decided by just 975 votes. This year, we can defend that hard-fought majority and win more seats.

So, Fated States is back, raising money for The States Project to win down ticket races in Virginia this November. We'd like to raise $10,000 in the next few weeks, making it possible for democratic candidates to knock on doors, print pamphlets, run phone banks and do the hard work of meeting as many people as possible in their districts to make sure this election is a referendum...and a rout.

Your donation will go directly to candidates on the ground, and make a difference. Which we can tell you feels pretty good during a time that generally feels...gah. We hope you'll give what you can -- we understand money is tight, and even the smallest amount can help make the difference. Learn more and give here.

Thanks for being in the fight with us. We love you, Firebirds. You're magnificent.

xx Sarah, Jen & Eric