How We Grow Our Power with Linda Burnham
Episode Description
In this season three premiere of The Fascism Barometer, Ejeris Dixon sits down with legendary activist, writer, and strategist Linda Burnham for a clear-eyed conversation about what it will take to fight fascism in this moment and for the long haul. Drawing on more than six decades of movement work, Linda names the dangers of fascist targeting, the need to broaden anti-fascist alliances, and the importance of building real power across elections, culture, economics, and the streets. Together, Ejeris and Linda explore why movements must learn to collaborate beyond political comfort zones, think generationally, and bring each person’s unique gifts into the anti-fascist fight.
About Linda
Linda Burnham has been an activist, writer and strategist, focused on women’s rights and racial justice, since the 1960s. She is a co-creator of the 2023-24 online series Fascism101 and the lead author of Project2050, a 2023 report, based on 80 interviews, that explores long-term strategic thinking on the US left. She also co-edited and contributed to the 2022 book Power Concedes Nothing: How Grassroots Organizing Wins Elections.
Burnham served as National Research Director and Senior Advisor at the National Domestic Workers Alliance for nearly a decade. She co-authored Home Economics: The Invisible and Unregulated World of Domestic Work. Burnham co-founded the Women of Color Resource Center and served as the organization’s Executive Director for 18 years. In the 1970s, she was a leader in the Third World Women’s Alliance. Burnham has published numerous articles on African-American women, African-American politics, and feminist theory in a wide range of periodicals and anthologies. She serves on the boards of Center for Constitutional Rights and Political Research Associates. For the past few decades, Burnham has been a mentor to leading social justice organizers and advocates.
About Ejeris
Ejeris is a political strategist passionate about strengthening liberation movements and building community safety. Ejeris serves as the Fascism Barometer's "movement meteorologist," exploring the impact of fascist movements on communities of color, queer and trans communities, and all marginalized people. Having worked for the past twenty-five years at the intersections of racial justice, LGBTQ liberation, anti-violence, transformative justice, and economic justice movements, Ejeris focuses on creating political and strategic experiments to strengthen social justice movements through the organization Ejerie Labs.
Resources
Read
“Toward the Development of a Shared Strategic Framework of the US Left” by Project 2050
“Power Concedes Nothing: How Grassroots Organizing Wins Elections” Edited by Linda Burnham, Max Elbaum and Maria Poblet
“Home Economics: The Invisible and Unregulated World of Domestic Work” by Linda Burnham, Nik Theodore
“Mobilizing Resentment: Conservative Resurgence From The John Birch Society To The Promise Keepers” by Jean Hardisty
“Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America” by Nancy MacLean
African American Poetry: 250 years of Struggle & Song by Kevin Young
Strategic Power Building Alignments by Grassroots Power Projects
The Ideological Traffic Jam + the River That Can Break It:Strategic Direction for Pro-Democracy Leaders Report and Discussion Guide by 22nd Century Initiative
“Mobilize Everybody”: Minneapolis Organizers Share Lessons From Their Struggle by Kelly Hayes
If an Agent Knocks (Know your rights guide) by Center for Constitutional Rights
News Sources from Roundup
Listen
Fascism Barometer: What Type of Collaborators Can Defeat Fascists by Ejeris Dixon, Isaac Ontiveros
Watch
Fascism 101 Training Series by Linda Burnham, Ejeris Dixon, Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, Malkia Cyril, Right to the City, Highlander Research and Education Center
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