Vibe Check: 🐲

Good Things Happen In Person, Chapter 3

We might be a little biased, but hoo boy, that was a great meeting on Wednesday evening.

To get the flavor of it immediately, just take a look at this picture:

We connected with each other. We shared ideas and perspectives. We laughed and had fun! And we left feeling energized, empowered … even hopeful about what lies ahead.

We think this is the “secret sauce” of FORWRD-ATX: weaving a durable community that can take action together and individually, armed with knowledge and confidence.

A few key takeaways:

• George from Sun Dragon Martial Arts was the peaceful warrior we needed to hear from, condensing a 3-5 hour workshop on de-escalation into an extremely useful 30-minute presentation, and leaving behind this handy PDF of De-Escalation Skills to practice.

• Allison Lowery shared the story of how she planned the McCaul Town Hall with two strangers who became lifelong friends. (They even have a fun nickname … the ‘Caul Girls!) She encouraged the audience to lean in to their ideas and trust that the mighty ladies of FORWRD-ATX will have their back, with all the support they need. (Fact check: TRUE ✅)

• Sam Church showed us that the future of journalism is bright, providing a chilling account of what he and his fellow Crimson reporters are seeing on the ground at Harvard. (Sam had to leave early to cover the breaking story about Trump’s latest executive orders directly targeting his fellow students …)

• Sam’s mom DeDe was a great emcee! 🎤

• Sophia Mirto from Hands Off Central Texas gave us an update on their plans for the NO KINGS rally next Saturday evening. They’re expecting a crowd of at least 7,000 … but we KNOW Austin can beat that estimate.

• We closed the evening with powerful poetry by Tina Williams, a local poet who agreed to show up, read for us, and let us share her work with all of you. (See below!)

• All of our speakers generously donated their time and talents; if you’d like to connect with them or support their ongoing work, scroll down for more info. 💜

We’re so grateful to all of you who attended, presented, donated money, brought snacks, wine, posterboard or Sharpies. We can’t wait to do it again!

Guild Banners: 3,000+ Years of Smart Advertising

Signage, wayfinding, branding, marketing, advertising — your good old-fashioned guild banner has been a cost-effective, all-in-one solution since the Zhou Dynasty in the 11th Century, B.C.

So our Arts & Culture group decided to build a few — to unite our community, provide helpful gathering points, and express our disapproval of the disastrous funding cuts that will devastate our local arts organizations.

These talented folks have a plan to construct SIX banners before next weekend’s NO KINGS Rally. Carolyn Cohagan unveiled the first one at our meeting this week:

Simple graphic, clear message: it’s a branding win! If you’ve got friends who are artists, writers, musicians, dancers or filmmakers, please invite them to look for “their” banner and walk with their peers at next week’s rally.

Make way, ye Knights of the Round Table, for the Knights of the Upright Finger are advancing ….🖕🏽

What Are YOUR Six Words?

During the meeting, we took some time to write our “six word memoirs” about why we’re showing up in this moment. The answers reflected our rage, humor, alarm, and understanding of what we’re facing — here’s a small sample:

Tina Williams’ Poems

Poem to Rumi
for my granddaughter

A week before the election,
my neighbor next door overnight
posted a Women for Trump
sign and I was too incensed
the next day to wave to her
as she stood on her porch
with a smile as big as Texas
which is where we live
and where my 17-year-old
granddaughter could be raped
tomorrow and made to bear
the damage done
no questions asked.

Meanwhile Rumi 
calls from a wall
in my office
that out beyond 
the ideas 
of wrongdoing 
and rightdoing
there is a field
and that we should 
meet each other there
but, Rumi, my dear 
dead Sufi poet,
you never met 
my neighbor’s 
grab ’em 
by the pussy hero.

You never saw
freckles dance
on my 
granddaughter’s
cheeks.

In some poems 
there is a field 
too far.

copyright 2025, Tina Williams

🗓️ Calendar Highlights

Friday, June 6 Calendar Updates

Make a date and keep the momentum going!

• Friday, June 6th 5-8 PM (in person) HandsOff Veterans March Join this protest in solidarity with veterans protesting what is happening in our government

• Saturday, June 7th 9-11 AM (in person) There are TWO Tesla Takedowns happening in Austin - one at the NORTH (183 and McNeil) Tesla Gallery and one at the SOUTH (St. Elmo) Tesla Gallery - note the new earlier time! The #TeslaTakedowns are working!

• Saturday, June 7th 11 AM - 2:30 PM (in person) World Refugee Day raises awareness of the plight of refugees throughout the world. The Austin celebration, sponsored by the Bullock Museum and member organizations of the Austin Refugee 

• Monday, June 9th 6-7 PM (online) Grassroots Relational Organizing 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. 

• Tuesday, June 10th 8-9:30 AM (in person) Far West Banner Drop - NEW!! Rosedale Huddle added a Tuesday morning banner drop over MoPac! To join in the “Honking for Democracy” Tuesday banner drops, email [email protected]\

• Tuesday, June 10th 12-1 PM (webinar) Democracy on the Line: How we start an authoritarian takeover with Steven Levitsky and Heather Cox Richardson Please join the Center for American Progress for a virtual event featuring a conversation moderated by former Alabama Sen. Doug Jones (D) featuring two renowned experts who will discuss the significance of what is happening to American democracy and how we can prevent authoritarianism from taking root.

• Wednesday, June 11th 11-12 (in person) Cornyn/Cruz Protest Rally Join us every 2nd & 4th Wednesday from 11:00-12:00 for a Cornyn/Cruz Protest Rally at Republic Square, in front of US Federal Building on 5th Street between Nueces & Guadalupe Streets. Great NEW location with wide open space, no barriers & access to benches & bathrooms. Street Parking: on Nueces Street Paid Public Parking: 1. 6th & Guadalupe at old post office 2. 504 Lavaca. Bring signs, loud voices, and recruit others to join you!

• Wednesday, June 11th and Thursday, June 12th 10-11:30 AM (phonebanking) Phonebank to Stop the Trump Tax Scam join Indivisible for a phonebank where we’ll be calling voters and connecting them directly to their Senator. Together, we’ll urge Republicans to oppose the Trump Tax Scam—a reckless GOP tax plan that prioritizes billionaires like Elon Musk while selling out working families.

• Friday, June 13th 8-9:30 AM (in person) 12th Street Banner Drop with the Rosedale Huddle - To join in the “Honking for Democracy” Friday banner drops, email [email protected]

• Saturday, June 14th 2-3:30 PM (in person) City to Senate Town Hall with Zo Qadri and Sarah Eckhardt Zo Qadri (Austin District 9) and Sarah Eckhardt are coming together for a town hall to talk with you about everything happening down at City Hall and under the pink dome.

• Saturday, June 14th 5-8 PM (in person)  No Kings/Kick Out The Clowns National Day of Defiance Join us at the Texas State Capitol for No Kings, Kick Out the Clowns —a nonpartisan, peaceful, creative, wildly satirical grassroots street circus – to say loud and clear: No Kings in America. - Let us know if you need a sign!

Re. Musk v. Trump:

How to Connect with The Folks Behind Our Meeting

****We have the chance to set up a special in-person training with George and Koty at Sun Dragon Martial Arts in the future, so be on the lookout for a link to sign up for that and get MORE George in your life! 🥋

In the meantime, you can click on the links below to learn more about the amazing people who shared their talent on Wednesday night:

Our delightful hosts, The Griffin School
Our energetic emcee, DeDe Church
Our Calendar Keeper, Wendy Salome
On the frontlines of the assault on Higher Education, Sam Church
The Lead Wrangler of HandsOffCentralTX, Sophia Mirto
To learn more about Sun Dragon Martial Arts - you can make a donation, sign up for a class, or read more about George and Koty 
You can read more of Tina’s poetry in the Stone Poetry Journal, As it Ought to Be Magazine, and The New Verse News.