Where Do We Go From Here?

Where Do We Go From Here?

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Where-Do-We-Go-From-Here-207628189680452

We're a nonpartisan, progressive community action group dedicated to grassroots organizing in the northern Iowa region. Change starts with us! We are a non-partisan community action group dedicated to progressive political and social change. Our group plans to accomplish this goal through grassroots organizing and local activism. We believe it is crucial that everyday Americans become engaged in politics, which happens when the focus is placed on the issues and their solutions instead of party lines. Regular meetings are every other Thursday at 6:30pm-8pm in the basement of First Congregational UCC in Mason City, accessible through the side alley entrance. Page admins are Tahmyrah Lytle and Katie Straw-Platt. --- Our story: Hi! I'm Tahmyrah Lytle, the founder and lead organizer of grassroots action group 'Where Do We Go From Here?' The name was originally just the main theme of a meetup I planned 11 days after the election. I expected to see perhaps 5 or 6 friends from my time as an Organizing Fellow on the Bernie Sanders campaign, but that night, I was surprised with a showing of about two dozen people from all political backgrounds, all reeling about the election results. After a couple hours of passionate discussion about the concerns the new administration caused, many were looking for a way to fight back. I saw an opportunity to organize a group committed to positive grassroots action, and we decided then to make a Facebook page to stay in touch. Our first action was to throw a #NODAPL soup supper; the Dakota Access/Bakken Pipeline is a very personal issue to Iowans, as the pipeline cuts diagonally across our state. During the dinner we had speakers inform the public of the harsh realities of Standing Rock, the environmental impact, and the issue of eminent domain. We had 60 people in attendance and raised over $600 in free will donations for the Standing Rock Legal Defense Fund, which we hailed as a victory for small town organizing in a now-red state. Since then we’ve been very busy. We hold meetings regularly: it is a Thursday evening ritual to gather in the basement of Mason City’s First Congregational UCC from 6:30pm to 8pm. We drink coffee to stay alert, as we plan the next step to take to make a difference in our community. Sometimes Pastor Chuck Kelsey stops by to offer words of encouragement. In our 10 months we’ve organized our region’s General Strike, A Day Without A Woman and Rally/March for Science, as well as hosted phone banks, progressive candidate forums, protests, and a cheeky “Where is Joni Ernst?” town hall. We work with our sister group, Worth County Progressives, and have liaisons to several other local groups. We’ve been reported in local news, and one of our rallies was even acknowledged nationally. With help, we have established momentum here, which is amazing for a place like rural Iowa. With help from all who are willing we can continue to grow a successful grassroots movement. We need a revolution to start in our own neighborhoods before we can hope for change above. Let's start a revolution!

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