Call to Action
American democracy is under attack.
As writers and citizens, we cannot stand by and see our institutions dismantled. Please join us in the battle of our lives.
See our statement below discussing possible actions you can take to oppose the oligarchy taking shape in our nation!
Participate in the 24-Hour February 28th Economic Blackout!
Consider writing an OpEd for one of our nation’s online or print publications (see guidelines below).
Join Writers for Democratic Action. We’ll keep you informed of specific campaigns and opportunities to volunteer locally.
Don’t have a state WDA chapter? Form one. Contact us, and we’ll get you started.
Please join us for a DEMOCRACY BOOK CLUB conversation!
Seeking Sanctuary: Refugees, Migrants, Immigrants and the Protection of Human Rights
Sunday, March 30, 4:00pm ET / 3:00pm CT
REGISTER HERE
SOPHIA BALAKIAN
Author of Unsettled Families
&
STEPHANIE ELIZONDO GRIEST
Author of All the Agents and Saints
Moderated by Robin Davidson & in conversation with
FRANCES DE PONTES PEEBLES
Chair of the Board of Directors, The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights
With warmest thanks to our host, Books & Books!
See more information here.
We Stand with Mahmoud Khalil and Condemn the Criminalization of Constitutionally-Protected Activism.
Writers for Democratic Action condemns the illegal arrest and attempted deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist and legal U.S. resident. The disappearance of Khalil from his Columbia University housing, in front of his pregnant wife, at the hands of unnamed plainclothes agents, is a chilling escalation of state repression—one that evokes the darkest chapters of history, where unaccountable forces abduct dissenters under the cover of “un-American activity.” The constitutional right to protest is at the core of what it means to live in America.
This is not just an attack on Khalil; it is a warning to all who dare to speak out against injustice. It is an act of intimidation meant to silence those who stand for Palestinian rights, for justice, for freedom. We refuse to be intimidated. We refuse to be silent.
These are dangerous times, in which Gestapo-style tactics are being normalized in the United States. If we do not resist, if we do not demand accountability now, then we accept a future in which no one is safe from the State’s unchecked power. We demand Mahmoud Khalil’s immediate release. We demand transparency, due process, and the protection of all those targeted for their political beliefs. And we demand an end to the criminalization of constitutionally-protected activism.
Oppose the American Oligarchy!
Right now, an oligarchy is taking shape in the United States. Elon Musk, a billionaire who has no political experience, is not eligible to hold executive public office, and who has not been vetted by the FBI has been granted access to federal payment systems and the social security database. President Trump may have been democratically elected, but Elon Musk was not. We must hold our elected officials accountable to protect democracy. Use these phone numbers and call scripts to act now.
WRITERS RESIST!
Donald Trump and his administration have drafted an executive order to eliminate the US Department of Education, which was created in 1979 to coordinate most financial assistance to education. The Department's mission is to serve America's students by ensuring equal access. Make no mistake: this is an attack against the marginalized. This is an attack against literacy. This is an attack against our fundamental rights.
CALL NOW TO PROTECT EQUAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION.
Consider writing an OpEd for one of our country’s prominent online or print publications!
See The OpEd Project guidelines here.
WDA TOWN HALL, February 22, 3pm ET
In this time of crisis every citizen of conscience is called to engage, resist, and push forward. The Town Hall was an open meeting for all who wish to come and discuss strategies for resisting the Trump administration and the dismantling of our democratic system, governance structure, and the Constitution. Featured speakers included former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, scholar Nancy Rosenblum, co-author of Ungoverning, Harold Myerson, editor of The American Prospect, Robert Edwards, author of Resisting The Right, and others. WDA National Steering Committee Members James Carroll and Rachel DeWoskin hosted.
