If you attended the RAISE OUR VOICE event last week — or if you stopped by our #NoKings booth for beads, crowns, or zines — welcome! We’re so glad you’ve joined us.
A full house at Raise Our Voice, a full table at No Kings
We’re a group of ordinary folks who are doing what we can to weave together a community that is empowered to meet this moment.
We’ve got fun plans & big goals for the weeks & months ahead — including plenty of Hot Midterm Action. So whether you’ve been with us for a year or a week, we’re glad you’re with us. We’re smarter & stronger together!
Next Wednesday: Our Spring Meeting 🌺
We’ve been waiting a long time for this one!
Here’s a little backstory: during a protest at the Capitol last spring, Rep. Lloyd Doggett announced an initiative called “Adopt a Winner” to encourage folks to concentrate their efforts on winnable Congressional races, with the goal of taking back the U.S. House this November.
Our FORWRD-TO-WIN committee took Congressman Doggett’s idea and ran with it. They’ve spent months interviewing candidates, researching districts, and waiting for redistricting (and the ensuing lawsuits!) to determine the field.
They made some strategic decisions along the way, like staying focused on Texas, instead of supporting a candidate from afar. As the Longhorns remind us, what starts here changes the world. Flipping red seats in 2026 could mean the beginning of true accountability and oversight heading into 2028 … when our 40 electoral votes could help lock MAGA out of the presidency forever.
Now our stalwart committee is ready to present their two finalists — and we’ll vote at the meeting to decide where to focus our efforts. It’s going to be exciting! You won’t want to miss it!
We’ll send more info on our finalists next week for those of you who want to do a deep-dive … meanwhile, if you’d like to get a jump on things, here are our two contestants:
District 15, where popular Tejano musician Bobby Pulido is running against incumbent Monica de la Cruz, and
District 23, where Katy Padilla Stout will face gun enthusiast Brandon Herrera, who became the nominee after disgraced incumbent Tony Gonzales was forced to resign.
Now’s the time to get busy! Trump is bleeding support from his voters, and it’s opening up new opportunities in deep-red districts. Working together, we can make a difference in these districts — and the reverberations will be felt nationwide! It all starts next Wednesday at the Cherrywood Center!
Big Bend in the Crosshairs
This week, West Texas residents documented the arrival of equipment in the Big Bend area, preparing for construction of the border wall.
Link to video: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DWkV53GEcs0/
We need to act NOW before they turn those machines on and it’s too late. Here are two things we can do this weekend:
Come to Big Love for Big Bend Saturday at 2 pm to make signs, send postcards, pass out flyers, and get an update.
Attend the Save Big Bend rally Saturday at 4 at the Capitol.
Saving Big Bend isn’t a right vs. left issue; it’s a right vs. wrong issue. Texans of all political persuasions are united in opposition to this plan. Example: here’s CD23 GOP candidate Brandon “The AK Guy” Herrera encouraging his supporters to attend (immediate predictable response included) > > >
Red or blue, let’s SHOW UP TOMORROW FOR BIG BEND! Once it’s gone we can’t get it back!
Mark your calendars for a Social Justice Block Party on Saturday, April 18, 1:00-4:00 at Violet Crown City Church!
Good news: FORWRD-ATX will have a table at this event … if you’re in the Crestview/Brentwood area, can you come and help us spread the FORWRD love? We’ll bring the crowns, beads, zines, and our PARTY PLAYLIST. Come hang out with us!
🗓️ Calendar Highlights
For Friday, April 3rd: Keep the Momentum Going!
💜= FORWRD member recommended
In Person Events
💜💜💜Saturday, April 4th 4:00-6:30 PM Save Big Bend Protest Join us to protect Big Bend and preserve it for future generations. We rally at the Austin Capitol 4/4. We need local organizing and need nationwide protests ASAP. This is bigger than West Texas now. See y’all outside.
💜Saturday, April 4th 2:00-4:00 PM Big Love for Big Bend Poster Party BEFORE THE PROTEST - Join lovers of Big Bend to make signs, write postcards to elected officials, hand out flyers to pedestrians, and learn more about the effort to prevent a wall and other infrastructure to be built along the Rio Grande in the Big Bend region. Then walk over to the Capitol with us!
💜💜💜Wednesday, April 8th 6:30-8:00 PM FORWRD Convening Join us in person to connect with our community, learn about our FORWRD to Win efforts, and continue the momentum after No Kings 3!
💜Saturday, April 18th 1:00-4:00 PM Social Justice Block Party Gather with neighbors in the Crestview/Brentwood neighborhood and celebrate ALL of our neighbors with music, food, fun, and commUNITY!
💜💜Save the Date: Saturday, April 18th Caravan to the Dilley Detention Center
💜💜Save the Date: Friday, May 1st May Day Strong Rally
Recurring Events:
MONDAYS in April:
5-7 PM Bannering in Cedar Park Help show Cedar Park how many of us work to end GOP fascism and corruption -- ICE OUT! No War! No Kings & No Dictators, End GOP Corruption, Fund the ACA, and more. **NOTE: Starts April 13th
💜💜 5:00-5:30 PM Weekly Protest at the Menchaca Library Join FORWRD members in holding up signs at the Menchaca Library every Monday. Bring your own sign or borrow one of ours!
7-8 PM Austin Resistance Choir Hangout Need a happy way to start your week? Join the Austin Resistance Choir for a pop-in, no-experience-necessary hangout every Monday night at Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches.
TUESDAYS in April:
8:00-9:30 AM West Side Banners Over Austin with the Rosedale Huddle. These are super fun, peaceful, energetic! We will be holding banners and signs over the interstate at peak traffic /visibility times - we wave flags, support our banners and thumbs up to the many honks and waves from cars and trucks below. (Fan favorite? “Stop Truth Decay!”) At Far West and MoPac
WEDNESDAYS in April:
8:00-9:30 AM Banners Over South Austin with the Rosedale Huddle. Come help us fly Flags, Banner, and Signs like ICE OUT and HANDS OFF OUR LIBERTY on this bridge that no-one has noticed ... til NOW! Grab that coffee and meet us at 8AM for a workout waving and flagging to Lots of Honks and Waves from the many many commuters below.
8:00-9:00 AM ICE Out Rally N. Lamar & W. Rundberg Wednesdays Bring signs in English and/or Spanish
FRIDAYS in April:
8:00-9:30 AM East Side Banners Over Austin NEW TIME! Join the Indivisible Rosedale Huddle at the 12th St bridge over IH-35 to wave signs and bring attention to current events.
SUNDAYS in April:
12-2 PM ICE Out for Good in Pflugerville Join us on Sundays to protest the presence of ICE in Pflugerville
Online Events:
Thursday, April 9th 6:00-7:00 PM May Day 2026 Organizing Call Join our national call to hear the latest from the May Day Strong network: including our demands for May 1, the cities that have committed to No Work No School No Shopping, and how we are building the power needed to stop the billionaire agenda and build a future for our families. We’ll break down what's happening May 1st, why it matters, and how you can join us.
Tuesdays 6-7 PM: How We Win in 2026: Relational Organizing Training Join Blue Action in an interactive training session where you’ll learn the essentials of relational organizing—a proven strategy for building powerful, people-centered movements. Great for new and experienced organizers alike.
A few of our favorite NO KINGS signs from across the country:
