Janurary 12, 2026
By Nourbese Flint, President
Like many people, I have found myself in shock after watching the murder of Renee Nicole Good.
As a Black woman in this country, I am no stranger to state-sanctioned violence, and I have been closely following the horror and misery the Trump administration has spread across the nation. Still, both the coldness of the shooting and the blatant inhumanity shown by the White House, HHS, and the many legislators who continue to fabricate lies about Mrs. Good feel like more than egregious negligence—they feel sinister.
The fact of the matter is, we are living in a time of real supervillains.
Not the comic book kind—with goofy costumes and capes—but a far more dangerous version: officials in suits who normalize cruelty, launder violence through bureaucracy, steal and plunder with impunity, and then dare us to argue about semantics while people die. What makes this moment so chilling is not only the violence itself, but how casually it is justified—and how many people in power are working overtime to normalize it.
This is what villainy looks like in real life. It looks like the erosion of due process. It looks like scapegoating and dehumanization dressed up as policy. It looks like institutions folding when they should be resisting. History is painfully consistent on this point: authoritarianism doesn’t arrive all at once. It inches forward, testing what it can get away with.
And in times of supervillains, heroes are created.
Unfortunately, unlike the movies and comic books, they are not descending from the sky or rising from Atlantis. They are not riding in on a white horse. It is going to have to be us—ordinary people choosing courage in unglamorous, repetitive ways. Fascism is not coming; it is already here. And our neighbors, our country, and the world are counting on us to be heroes.
So what do you do when it feels like nothing you do will matter?
First, stay informed—and spread good information.
Second, plug into an organization.
People across the country are organizing right now:
- The Women’s March
- Working Families Party
- Indivisible
- Alliance For Youth Action
- And, of course, All* Above All
Third, demand more—especially in this primary season.
We need every elected official and candidate who claims to represent our communities to be fully committed to fighting fascism. Not timid. Not “we can ride this out.” Not offering fascists hugs and compromises. We need leaders who will use every tool available to stop the dangerous path we’re on and offer a bold, innovative alternative. This moment calls for courage, vision, and unquestionable integrity.
Finally, protect your hope and your joy.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. Rest when you can. Find joy where you can. Stay in community with people who remind you why this fight matters. Joy is not a luxury—it is fuel.
Do something. It doesn’t have to be everything. It doesn’t have to be huge. But do something.
