Introduction
Here is a live list of resources to read, watch and listen to collated and recommended by The Horizons Project and their partners about resisting authoritarianism. These resources are sourced from their monthly newsletters, The Vista.
Resources
Reading
by Liberation Ventures
“With fires raging literally and figuratively, many are wondering: is now really the time to invest in the reparations movement? The short answer is: Yes. Building a culture of repair – one in which reparations are common sense and commonplace – is what will equip us to fight today, win tomorrow, and sustain our progress for generations to come. At the highest level, “reparations” is the process of the state making amends for harm. While most people think of reparations simply as compensation, a wider variety of material, systemic, and symbolic repair for victims, their families, and broader society is involved.” Check out the recently released 10-year grantmaking strategy called the Reparations Grantmaking Blueprint that lays out three major pillars of work: (1) invest in reparations efforts at the city and state level; (2) build an at-scale, multiracial mass movement; and (3) change the narrative on reparations and uproot anti-Blackness from American culture.
The Metacrisis, Our Fears and the Road to Authoritarianism
by Chusana Prasertkul
“History has shown that when people feel unsafe, they seek security – sometimes, even at the cost of freedom, reason, or morality. [Authoritarianism] and totalitarian regimes do not seize power by brute force alone. They rise because fear makes people complicit. One of the most crucial elements of this crisis is our attention & the rise of fear and the psychological costs of uncertainty…It’s essential to recognise oppression within ourselves. It’s deeply personal and it manifests in everyday thoughts, behaviours, and emotions…How to stay human in the face of chaos? Practice critical thinking daily; master the art of meaningful conversations; guard your attention. Just like a muscle, our brain requires proper nourishment, rest, and healthy stimulation.”
Building Bridges: Through The Arts, Media and Humanities
by The Doris Duke Foundation, NEA and NEH
“The arts, media and humanities are core to the human experience…these sectors have maintained a legacy of fulfilling the innate human desire for connection, belonging and curiosity. In addition to creating spaces for comfort and refuge, the arts, media and humanities act as remedies in moments of dissension and conflict. In times of distress and strife, people of all cultures often turn to imaginative storytellers for solace and to make meaning of the world around them…practitioners of the arts, media and humanities have the opportunity to unite and think innovatively to deepen the impact their work has on addressing these critical issues - to build bridges and transform hate into cross-community cooperation.” We recommend this new report that digs into how arts, media, and the humanities create belonging, especially in times of crisis.
Transformative Power and Empathic Connection: Changing contexts, generating inclusive mindsets
by Rosa Zubizarreta, The Listening Arts Blog
This meaty article is well worth your time to dig into. “Some people may believe that empathic communication is only useful or appropriate for the work of “bridging divides”, where neither “side” is attempting to influence one another, but both are simply seeking to gain greater mutual understanding…[but] empathic communication is also central to the work of ethically influencing people – from the garden-variety influence of Deep Canvassing to the more intense work of deradicalization. These two different purposes are distinct. Wanting to create greater mutual understanding and “re-humanization” of one another, is not the same thing as seeking to ethically influence another person. At the same time, whenever we are indeed seeking to ethically influence someone, working toward some mutual understanding is usually a first step. In addition, there is a third significant realm of empathic communication, which is supporting a group at arriving at shared ways forward…”
Twenty Lessons on Tyranny
by Timothy Snyder
All twenty lessons are worth digesting, but we’ll highlight three here: “Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. Remember Rosa Parks. The moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow. Be kind to our language. Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. Make an effort to separate yourself from the internet. Read books. Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.”
Bridging America’s Political and Racial Divides: Key Motivators for Building Connections
by Peter Coleman
A new study reveals important insights into what motivates Americans to engage in “bridge-building activities” — efforts to connect with people across political and racial divides…researchers uncovered several key findings that could help organizations better mobilize citizens to heal growing divisions: different motives work for different divides; action-oriented activities show most promise; gender and political differences matter; there is power in the proper framing; and community activities unite best.
Supporting Society’s Bridge Builders
by Don Gips, Tulaine Montgomery, Rohini Nilekani, & Cristiane Sultani, Stanford Social Innovation Review
The authors extol the role of “system orchestrators” to meet this moment, understanding that linear problem-solving is not enough. Horizons agrees! “System orchestrators play a critical role in bringing about transformational social change by knitting together actors and institutions, providing backbone infrastructure, and mobilizing collective change efforts across ecosystems, sectors, and geographies. Along the way, they shape new paradigms, leverage system-wide resources, and navigate complexity, all to create forward momentum and progress at societal scale. System orchestrators are often overlooked because of the complex, collaborative, and behind-the-scenes roles they play in long-term systems-change efforts…If you want to drive equitable systems change, investing in system orchestrators is among the highest-leverage investments that the philanthropic sector can make.”
Fear, Grievance, and the Other: How Authoritarian Populist Politics Thrive in Contemporary Democracies
by Miriam Juan-Torres Gonzalez, Othering & Belonging Institute
This paper offers key concepts to understand politics beyond the left-right paradigm. It “advances the framework of authoritarian populism as an analytical tool that better describes a form of politics (not an ideology or regime type) that draws from both the authoritarian and populist playbooks… Beyond just serving as a descriptive model, the framework [seeks] to offer insights not only into how we can understand a concerning and newly dominant force in politics today, but also how we can more effectively counter it without provoking further othering or division. It asks us to question whether we are reinforcing the authoritarian populist double lens of ‘elite versus the people’ and ‘us versus them,’ or if we are advancing a different lens to process reality that is predicated on belonging without othering.”
Stop and Think: An undervalued approach in a world that short-circuits thoughtful political judgment
by Robert B. Talisse, The Conversation
As author, Robert B. Talisse argues in his new book Civic Solitude: Why Democracy Needs Distance, “the trouble is that our social environments are primed to short-circuit our thinking. They engage our reflexes while suppressing our judgment. Here’s how. We humans are all subject to a cognitive dynamic known as belief polarization. This is the tendency for individuals to adopt more extreme perspectives as a result of their interactions with like-minded peers. When we shift toward more radical views, we become more inclined to dismiss anyone who does not agree with us as ignorant, irrational and devious… As belief polarization escalates, we feel more pressure to conform. Hesitation begins to look like disloyalty. Even a momentary reluctance to affirm the party line signals to allies that our commitment to the group is wavering. Accordingly, we become more inclined simply to adopt the opinions that are popular among our peers – we decide what to think by mimicking our allies.”
Watching
Organizing and Mobilization during Democratic Backsliding
Harvard Ash Center
You can watch this webinar recording to hear from five expert panelists, Cornell William Brooks, Erica Chenoweth, Marshall Ganz, and Steven Levitsky as they shared lessons from around the world about how civil society groups have protected and promoted democracy and the rule of law during episodes of democratic backsliding.
William J. Barber II: How an Anti-Poverty Movement Makes Extremists Tremble
Kettering Foundation, The Context
“The United States is the wealthiest nation in the world, but millions of its citizens live in poverty. What prevents poor, low-wage, and low-wealth Americans from using democratic government to fight for a fairer distribution of resources? And how can they overcome the structures set against them? The answer is counterintuitive, but it’s worked on other social issues in the past. Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II is president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, cochair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, and a Charles F. Kettering Foundation senior fellow.”
Reflecting on the Great Transition – 2025 Narrative Predictions Townhall
ReFrame
Enjoy the recording of the ReFrame 2025 Narrative Predictions Townhall where they presented their recent report The Great Transition. The conversation explored enduring narratives and emergent story trends and reflected on current social, political and cultural upheavals in play in the current narrative landscape. Three strategists shared their experiences of making practical use of the predictions – seeding just narratives, uprooting harmful ones and scenario planning; focusing on building narratives that connect generations, regions, and identities; and, discussing tactics to adapt to the ever-shifting digital landscape.
Eyes on the Prize: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest 1977-2015
HBO Series Trailer
“Almost 40 years ago Eyes on the Prize set the standard for the cinematic exploration of the Black experience in America and the long struggle for civil rights. At a time when ideals of equity and racial justice may have gone out of favor, HBO is returning with a new documentary series. This six-part series illuminates the bold stories of people and communities who continue to work for equity and racial justice in the years since the birth of the American civil rights movement.”
Heather Cox Richardson & Jen Rubin in conversation
The Contrarian
Heather Cox Richardson is a professor of American history and author; her Letters from an American newsletter about the historical precedent or, increasingly, the unprecedented nature of our political landscape. Check out this interview about “what it means to be an American today, the joy of democracy, and history’s invaluable lesson: if we want to move forward, we must never shut up.” You also might want to check out The Democracy Index which is a new project from the newly launched Contrarian that will be “a tracker for understanding what is happening and why it is important, giving Americans the information they need to make up their own minds about this administration.”
Trump 2.0 and the Return of ‘Court Politics’
The Ezra Klein Show
Erica Frantz is one of the leading scholars on personalist regimes, in both their democratic and their authoritarian forms, where everything is a transaction with the leader, whether it’s party politics or policymaking or the media. Understanding personalist politics, and their tried-and-true playbook, is a way to help make the next four years legible. Erica is the co-author of The Origins of Elected Strongmen: How Personalist Parties Destroy Democracy From Within. In this episode, they discuss what personalist regimes are and how they operate, the personalist qualities of Trump and the signs of democratic backsliding that Frantz thinks Americans need to track in the coming weeks and years.
January 6 in Context—Political Violence, Attacks on Democracy, and Scapegoating the Vulnerable
The Stakes, Charles F. Kettering Foundation
In this episode, guests Alan Jenkins, Harvard Law professor and cocreator of the graphic novel series 1/6, and Alex Theodoridis, political scientist and UMass Poll co-director explore: how January 6 and rising political violence reshape democracy; the chilling normalization of attacks on minorities, including immigrants and LGBTQ+ communities; dehumanizing rhetoric as a tool of authoritarianism; and lessons from history on resisting violence and safeguarding democratic norms.
This discussion contextualizes the threats we face today, emphasizing the urgent need to protect the vulnerable and uphold the principles of inclusive democracy. A must-watch for all who care about the future of governance.”
Becoming Human in a time between worlds
In the Making video series
You’ll enjoy this video short by film-maker Katie Teague with interviews from many thought leaders who are helping to tell the story of what it means to be human “in a time between worlds.” There’s a lot of inspiration to be found in the full series of video essays with cutting-edge thinkers, philosophers, artists, and writers that you can find here.
How to Survive the Next 4 Years as an Undocumented American
Define American with Jose Antonio Vargas
Like millions of other undocumented Americans, Jose Antonio is trying to figure out how he’s going to survive the next four years. In this series, he’ll be seeking to answer a fundamental question: “How do you define American? When we start deporting people person by person, family by family, that’s the question we are going to be asking. In this first episode, he speaks with two exceptionally brave women who have devoted their careers to helping other undocumented immigrants: Patrice Lawrence, executive director of UndocuBlack and an advocate for undocumented and formerly undocumented Black immigrants; and Erika Andiola, a leading immigrants’ rights activist based in Phoenix, and currently serves as Communications Director at Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights.”
Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right with Arlie Hochschild
Next Question with Katie Couric
“Arlie Hochschild, a sociologist from Berkely, has spent a chunk of the last decade in ruby red areas of the United States. During that time she’s written two books: Strangers In Their Own Land, and now, Stolen Pride. Arlie interviewed dozens of people from Pike County, Kentucky–the whitest and second poorest district in the country–to better understand what’s happening in the rust belt and why those voters are so drawn to Donald Trump. In her view, it’s not just about the economy, trans rights, or climate change, but about loss, shame, and ultimately pride. Arlie invites us to open our minds and ears so we can learn about one another and begin to come together.”
The Fall of Any Dictator Reflects Badly on All Autocracies
Sky News
“Journalist and author Anne Applebaum joins Trevor Phillips to discuss the network of authoritarian states and the issues they pose for the West. It comes after the Assad regime which ruled over Syria was toppled by rebel forces. Ms. Applebaum says, ‘the fall of Assad as a blow to the alliance [of Russia, China, Iran etc.] – it may mean Putin doubles down on his war in Ukraine.’”
Listening
Exploring the inconvenience of systems thinking
Two Inconvenient Women Podcast
“Thinking in systems has started being given a lot of attention. But what is a system? What does it mean to transform systems? And what is systems thinking anyway? [In this episode, they] unpick the inconvenience of systems thinking by going right back to the roots and appreciating how this is not a ‘thing to learn about’ but simply how life works. We are all of us part of the infinite, interconnected systems and ‘thinking in systems’ simply means knowing and noticing the connections that we are a part of and influenced by. This is as simple and as profound as it gets.”
Antiracist Followership in the Civil Rights Movement – Ashton R. Cooper
Lead & Follow Podcast
In this episode, Ashton R. Cooper, an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati, shares his research on the participation of White activists in the South in the Black-led Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, as well as insights into the lead and follow role switching of White activists from a recent paper titled “Antiracist followership: rethinking social justice leadership in education.” As a researcher, he uses historical and narrative methods to understand and explore followership as it relates to disrupting systemic oppression and building diverse justice-oriented coalitions. “It is less about what we can do to lead the charge but instead turning to the people who are being affected and ask, ‘how can I be of service to you?'”
A Point of View: The Overwhelm
A. L. Kennedy, BBC
“The ‘overwhelm’ – noun, not verb – has been around ‘since at least 1596’, A. L. Kennedy discovers. She looks at the reasons why the word is making a comeback – and she has some advice for those who also feel lost in ‘the overwhelm.’”
Revolutionary Generosity: Ramon Ramirez on Building Multiracial Movements for Justice
No Matter What Happens: A Race Forward Podcast Series
“In the first episode this season, Eric Ward sits down with Ramon Ramirez—former Race Forward board member and Coordinator of the Race Forward Elders Network—to dig into what it takes to build multiracial coalitions in these tough times. Ramon shares powerful stories about Black-Brown unity, the wisdom of elders mentoring younger activists, and how generosity across communities keeps movements alive. They also talk about managing the fear that comes with political uncertainty: Name what’s at the root of your fear; take small, meaningful actions; find community—you’re never alone; step back from the noise and care for yourself; remember: history shows change is possible.”
How To Harness Your Citizen Superpowers: Eric Liu on turning fear into fuel for community-based action in the Trump era
How To! Podcast
In this episode, host Courtney Martin enlists Eric Liu of Citizen University to explain how busy parents, introverts, and first-timers like Connie can test the waters of civic engagement in the Trump 2.0 era—without getting sucked under. Eric is the author of You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen.
Sharing Stories that Heal with Heather McGhee
Say More Podcast with Tulaine Montgomery
Don’t miss this inspiring conversation with Heather McGhee, the author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together as she explores how we can lift up stories that are meant to bring us together — that are a true representation of our country’s unity. “Learn how honest storytelling combats the false narratives that divide us.”
How to Stop Fighting Each Other and Start Fighting the System with Denise Padín Collazo
Conflict Decoded Podcast, Center for Callings and Courage
“Veteran leader in grassroots organizing and author of Thriving in the Fight: A Survival Manual for Latinas on the Front Lines of Change. Together they dive into the heart of what it takes to build a better world without tearing each other down. Denise shares her insights on recognizing habitual responses to stress, setting boundaries, and the transformative power of rest for leaders committed to social justice. The conversation also tackles the often-overlooked role of anti-Blackness in social movements and explore how to approach conflicts constructively so that our energy stays focused on the bigger fight – the systemic issues affecting our communities. Whether you’re a seasoned activist or new to organizing, Denise’s wisdom on thriving, connecting, and leading with compassion offers practical guidance and inspiration for the journey ahead.”
Solidarity is Hard
Reimagining Democracy for a Good Life Podcast
“Democracy flourishes when communities inspire and learn from one another. In this special chapter, recorded live at the 2024 PolicyLink Equity Summit, Hillary Holley, Kent Wong, and Alberto Retana discuss the evolution and power of local action in the South and in Los Angeles, showing how each community’s unique path fuels a shared fight for justice, resilience, and real change.
The Future of our Former Democracy
More Equitable Democracy Podcast Series
This seven-part series describes how Northern Ireland’s history and politics offer a blueprint for how the US can implement a better electoral system, especially in the wake of rising polarization and political violence. Developed by More Equitable Democracy, a racial justice organization working to advance racial equity through electoral reform, the series offers historical context, personal stories, and expert interviews, “to inspire listeners to consider radical changes that can lead to a more equitable and representative democracy.”
Rest, Resilience, and Joy in Tough Times
More PlayFull Than Ever Podcast
“Kristine Michie and a group of changemakers discuss resilience and joy post-2024 election. They share anecdotes, reflections, and strategies on rest, ancestral wisdom, and community in advocacy. This episode inspires and offers practical ways to make an impact, blending play and purpose.” Some of the insights include: joyful communal experiences strengthen bonds and inspire hope; rest as resistance ensures sustainable advocacy; ancestral wisdom provides grounding and strategies for modern challenges; and, role modeling uplifts the next generation, fostering a legacy of advocacy.
Explore Further
- More resources from the Horizons Project – and sign up to The Vista email
- Choose Democracy: What can I do to stop this coup? and Resist List
- Democracy Resource Hub
- Democracy Resource Hub Directory of Networks, Training Organizations, and Resource Libraries
- Democracy Resource Hub: Intermestic Learning Series
- Authoritarianism: How You Know It When You See It
- Strengthening Democracy: A Democracy Resource Hub Guide
- Power-Building and Nonviolent Action: A Democracy Resource Hub Guide
- Harnessing Our Power to End (HOPE) Political Violence
- Democracy Undone: The Authoritarian’s Playbook