About us: CVAntifa is an Antifascist collective that has operated in Corvallis, Oregon since 2018. We began in response to increasing local and regional far-right activity, and neo-Nazi attacks on minority and left-wing groups. We aim to serve Corvallis and the larger Willamette Valley by providing accurate intelligence about Fascist and far-right groups, disrupting their activity, and offering community defense. CVA joined the Torch Antifa Network in 2020. Torch is the largest network of Antifascist collectives in the country. It was founded in 2013 out of Anti Racist Action, a nationwide youth movement that dates back to the 1980s. More information about Torch can be found at torch-antifa.org. See our work at CVAntifa.noblogs.org and on socials at: Twitter: @CVAgainstFash Mastodon: @CVAntifa@Kolectiva.Social Instagram: @CVAntifa About this guide: Every year, we publish this guide in order to inform the Corvallis community about local, regional, and national Fascist threats. It has since expanded to include our members’ political analysis of Antifascist struggle, and discussions regarding the history of organizing against the far-right in Corvallis. We urge readers to reach out to us if they come across far-right or Fascist organizing in Corvallis or the region at large. Tips help us tremendously in our mission to keep our town Nazi free! Table of Contents: Notable Local Fash Regionally Active Fascist Groups Fascist Symbols to Look Out For Local Businesses to Avoid Exposed: WLM-OR Exposed: PNW Wolfpack Anatomy of a Good Tip Looking Forward in 2025 History of Local Fascism: A Stabbing at the Peacock Towards Sustainable Intersectional Organizing Notable Local Fash: Benjamin Baker Benjamin Baker, aka Angel Cullen, is a white supremacist from Corvallis. He has previously affiliated with the Proud Boys, Patriot Front, and other minor organizations. Ben has a documented history of violence and preying on children. He once petitioned the state of Oregon to allow him to have a romantic relationship with a minor. In 2020 he was arrested for discharging a firearm during an altercation at the Corvallis skatepark. Read our most recent piece about Ben at cvantifa.noblogs.org/kyle Quentin Storey Quentin Eric Storey is an OSU student in the College of Economics. Quentin has spent much of the past two years harassing LGBTQ+ events in Corvallis. He is responsible for hundreds of racist, transphobic, and otherwise distasteful stickers that have been posted across the city in 2024. Read our piece exposing Quentin at cvantifa.noblogs.org/quentinstorey Paul Bonnen Paul Bonnen is a neo-Nazi pedophile who has lived and organized around Corvallis. He is affiliated with the NSBM (National Socialist Black Metal) scene, and has played in the bands Xenocide and Immortal Pride. He has also helped run the labels Kulturkampf Productions and Vinland Elite Productions. Bonnen is a 2nd degree sex offender who was convicted of raping a minor after getting them drunk. He drifts from town to town, but can often at his mother’s house on the 1700 block of Menlo Ave. Read our piece about Paul at cvantifa.noblogs.org/community-alert-paul-bonnen-and-vinland-elite- productions Jeremy Roberts Jeremy Wayne Roberts is a white supremacist currently living in Albany. Roberts spent most of his young adulthood in state prison, where he became affiliated with neo-Nazi prison gangs. During his incarceration, he developed a friendship with David Pederson, who would later go on a racist murder spree down the west coast. After Roberts was released from prison, he racked up multiple domestic abuse charges. During the George Floyd uprising in 2020, He became deeply involved in militant Fascist resistance to racial justice protests across the PNW, working with Salem Proud Boys and the now defunct CopsNW. Regionally Active Fascist Groups: White Lives Matter White Lives Matter is an international crypto-Fascist group that attempts to radicalize white “normies” into neo-Nazi activists through subversive propaganda. The group primarily does this by engaging in subversive agitprop. They frequently put up stickers and will occasionally do a banner drop or rally. We recently infiltrated and exposed the Oregon chapter. Our article on them can be found at: CVAntifa.noblogs.org/WLM Rose City Nationalists Rose City Nationalists is a part of the Active Club movement, an international milieu of neo-Nazi fight clubs. Rose City Nationalists is Portland-based, but has members across the Willamette Valley. The group is famous for their intense infighting with other right-wing groups, and famously got their asses kicked by Proud Boys in Oregon City. We have exposed multiple members of RCN. Check out the most recent at: cvantifa.noblogs.org/jaren-huber Patriot Front Patriot Front is a national neo-Nazi organization with a small presence in Oregon. They engage in graffiti, banner drops, and occasional flash rallies. They are strictly controlled by their leader Thomas Rousseau. The group was thoroughly infiltrated in 2022, and many of their members can be found at: patriotfail.blackblogs.org Proud Boys The Proud Boys are a militant far-right group with many white nationalist and neo-Nazi members. The Proud Boys have been active in Oregon since 2015. For years, they frequently engaged in violence at rallies in Salem and Portland. Following J6 indictments, the group’s activity decreased significantly. However, we expect them to ramp up again under a second Trump presidency. Asatru Folk Assembly The Asatru Folk Assembly is a white-only Fascist pagan organization. They have several physical churches across the US, and have a handful of groups operating in Oregon and Washington. Members are often associated with other dangerous groups such as the KKK, Hammerskins, and Atomwaffen. They offer a space for outcast Fascist familial units to congregate and to raise their children in an environment of militant bigotry. Further reading: cvantifa.noblogs.org/asatrumasons Three Percent Militia The Three Percent Militia is the largest right-wing militia in the US. It is fractured into numerous sects, and many members do not engage in political activity. Militia members have shown up armed to many protests across the state, and have been active in moments of political tension across the country. Goyim Defense League The Goyim Defense League is an extremely antisemitic conspiracy propaganda organization. They have disrupted Corvallis city council meetings with hateful phone calls, and are known to throw conspiracy flyers into people’s yards. They continue to prove themselves to be nuisances hiding in primarily online spaces. Many members have been exposed and can be viewed here: goyimdefenseleague.noblogs.org People’s Rights The People’s Rights Network is a militia network active across the western United States. The group made significant impact in Oregon during the Malheur standoff, and had remained active in the state. The Oregon Branch of the group is led by BJ Soper of Redmond, Oregon. Fascist Symbols to Look Out For SS Shield Sonnenrad Algiz Odal Wolfsangel SS Runes Totenkopf Celtic Cross 14 88 14/88 Fasces Northwest Front (Blue, White, Green) Stonetoss Comics LaVoy Finnicum Rock Against Communism KKK Blood Cross This is a selection of racist and far-right symbology we have seen used across the state. If you see these, or any other Fascist symbols / dog whistles in Corvallis or elsewhere in the region, don’t hesitate to document it and reach out to us at CVAntifa@noblogs.org Each of these symbols means something different and can signal affiliations. If you are interested in understanding these differences, we encourage you to research them, and to read our body of work at CVAntifa.noblogs.org. Businesses to Avoid Tick Licker Firearms 1880 SW Third St Tick Licker Firearms is a gun shop with locations in Salem and Corvallis. They have a cozy relationship with far-right groups in Salem and sell right-wing paraphernalia. In May 2021, they co-sponsored a rally with the Proud Boys and other Fascist groups during which attendees beat and maced a passerby without provocation. ProPrint 563 NW Monroe Ave. ProPrint is a printshop and graphic design studio located in Corvallis. Many will know it as the shop with the shitty 90s fonts covering the windows. It is operated by Carter "Skip" Hamilton. Carter has a history of producing and displaying right-wing conspiracy propaganda on the window. He claims to be a member of the Oathkeepers Militia, which participated in the J6 capitol riot. Philomath Boulevard Safeway The Philomath Boulevard Safeway location has concerning history of employing open neo- Nazis. In the past, they have employed Bart Degeneffe, Benjamin Baker, and Daniel Devlin Dorson. Dorson is a neo-Nazi skinhead and member of European Kindred. He is currently serving a prison sentence for being a part of a gang beating of a Black man in Olympia, WA. Dorson continued to work at the Safeway after having been arrested for the aforementioned crime. The Safeway has refused to fire any of the aforementioned Nazis after being repeatedly alerted to their presence in the store. More at: cvantifa.noblogs.org/safewaynazis Exposed: White Lives Matter Oregon White Lives Matter (WLM) - an international organization that focuses on promoting white supremacy through demonstrations and agitprop. The group utilizes somewhat innocuous sloganeering in an attempt to indoctrinate white people into their racist worldviews. However, the organization is entirely composed of unrepentant neo-Nazis with a penchant for violence. Last year, two separate associates of the group were convicted of a bombing and a chemical attack at churches in Ohio and New Jersey. We have infiltrated the Oregon WLM Chapter twice, most recently in spring 2024. During this infiltration, we revealed the identities of the group’s members, and leaked excerpts of their chats. The group has since collapsed on a statewide level. Prior to our article, WLM-OR was being led by Cruz Walters of McMinnville. Walters is a Marine vet, who was previously active in the Goyim Defense League. Second-in-command of WLM was Michael "Whit" Gantenbein of Coos Bay. Gantenbein is deeply imbedded within Oregon’s Patriot Movement, and works to radicalize right-wingers into neo- Nazi ideology. Within Coos Bay, he owns and operates Whit Industries, a marine fabrication company. Gantenbein uses Whit Industries to further his far-right organizing, including by having his employees print most of the stickers used by WLM-OR. He recently attempted to buy Giddings shipworks, a major shipbuilder in the Charleston Marina, but community pushback prevented him from doing so! Further reading: cvantifa.noblogs.org/WLM investigatewest.org/investigatewest-reports/ recordings-reveal-oregon-port-contractor- praising-hitler-using-slurs-now-officials- face-a-quandary Exposed: Pacific Northwest Wolfpack Pacific Northwest Wolfpack (PNWWP) is a Neo-Nazi Asatru group based in western Washington. Similar to the Asatru Folk Assembly, PNWWP operates as a spiritual movement with the goals of indoctrinating members, especially children, into a lifetime of genocidal beliefs and white racial superiority. They do this through incorporating their belief system into most aspects of members’ daily lives, including running numerous activities geared towards children. Members of PNWWP are often recruited from neo-Nazi groups and bonehead prison gangs. Many members of PNW Wolfpack have histories of extreme violence and even murder. One member, Brandon Gerner was recently convicted of a double homicide and horse slaying. The group contains multiple murderers and members of extremely violent criminal organizations. In 2024, PNWWP constructed Freyrshof, a compound outside of Elma, Washington. This compound’s purpose is to serve as a regional hub for racist pagan community building, recruitment, and organizing. The compound has largely been funded by raffles of donated items from PNWWP-affiliated small businesses. Key PNWWP members included Joshua Cache McCallam, a former member of the neo-Nazi American Front; James Smith, a white supremacist and member of a violent motorcycle club, and Dale "Thorson" Ball, who has contributed heavily to the construction of their organizing compound. We have exposed multiple members of the group. Further Reading: cvantifa.noblogs.org/freyrshof cvantifa.noblogs.org/defang Anatomy of a Good Tip We receive a lot of tips, and often struggle to get valuable information from them. We ask that those who reach out to us try to be as descriptive as possible when contacting us so that we may be able to act quickly. Pictures are best, but thorough descriptions help as well. When sending us tips, please use the SALUTE acronym to help organize the information you're communicating. SALUTE stands for: S-Size (How many people are in the context) A-Affiliation (What group is being repped) L-Location (Be specific. Where did this occur) U-Uniform (Were the individuals in question in colors) T-Time (When did this occur) E-Equipment (What weapons / other accouterments were involved) Bad tip: I saw some Proud Boys at The Peacock last night. Good Tip: Last night at about 10pm, I saw two men wearing Proud Boys shirts at the Peacock. One of them was approximately 5'5" with slicked black hair and the other was about 6' tall, bald, and has a sleeve tattoo on his left arm. The shorter one was poorly concealed-carrying, and his pistol was printing. Please submit tips via email to CVAntifa@riseup.net Looking Forward in 2025: As we enter 2025, conditions feel bleak. We are facing a second Trump presidency, increasing popular support of fascistic political positions, and an emerging class of far-right technocrats. The times are daunting, but we cannot succumb to despair. We live in a political moment full of opportunity. The regular people of this country did not, as a mass, make a swing to the right. The most apparent trend from this election has been a repudiation of the status quo. Trump only picked up a couple million votes, while 14 million fewer people voted for the Democratic candidate in 2024 compared to 2020. Good-hearted Americans are beginning to understand the failures of Democratic party politics, and many are looking towards radical, liberatory alternatives. We have survived a Trump presidency before. Major Fascist mobilizations such as the Malheur refuge occupation, the rise of the Proud Boys, and the federal response to the George Floyd uprising have hardened Oregonians in the face of Fascism. Regional threats like Oregon Aryans, Northwest Nationalist Network, and the Proud Boys have been successfully defanged. Through these struggles, our community has built solidarity and strength by surviving right- wing mobilizations and state violence. Threats, both local and national, grow on the horizon, but there are millions of people who have experience with these conditions and have continued organizing and building the capacity to survive whatever comes our way. As many of our neighbors lose faith in democratic systems of governance and face four years of violence and repression, is is important that radicals step up by offering visions of a world free from hate and by providing the tools to get us there. There are millions of people who are dissatisfied with the world as it is today, it is our mission to organize these people and to fight for a better tomorrow. Do not let the fight end before it has begun; find your hope and gather around your community to build upon this legacy which brings us closer to a better world with every movement. We encourage readers to stand up and fight on behalf of those who will be dealing with the most significant repression in the coming years. Material and meaningful solidarity with immigrants, trans people, and other marginalized communities is essential. If nothing else, become connected with those fighting the good fight in our local and regional community. There are dozens of groups doing phenomenal organizing in Corvallis, and we encourage you to seek them out and build solidarity. If you feel lost, check out Corvo Left Announcements, a local signal megathread run by reputable groups that will post opportunities to get involved. tinyurl.com/CVLeftist History of Local Fascism: A Stabbing at the Peacock Each year, this guide includes a passage dedicated to exploring the history of Fascism and Antifascism in Corvallis. We feel it is important to contextualize the work we do, and to educate our community on the history of this struggle. We must learn from the successes and failures of yesterday in order to better fight the battles of today and tomorrow. The following is a piece entitled The Ballad of “An Ode To Ken Death” which was graciously written for us by PFN, a founding member of Portland Anti Racist Action and former Corvallis punk. This story was originally told during the It Did Happen Here panel at the 2024 HotV AntiCapitalist BookFair. A zine version of this piece can be found on our website at cvantifa.noblogs.org/PeacockStabbing. _____________________________________________ I don't know if I was consciously entering the fight against White supremacy when I did. I was 14 years old, and my band, Ehgas (it came from a dream the guitar player had), were playing our first ever show 8 months after Ethiopian college student Mulugeta Seraw was murdered in southeast Portland by members of the racist skinhead gang East Side White Pride. One of the three murderers was known by the name Ken Death, and from reports on the murder, it was Ken who struck the final blow that ended Seraw's life. Ken was a known entity in Portland's hardcore punk scene prior to becoming a murderer, having been a bouncer at Portland's largest all-ages club, The Pine Street Theater, and having been the lead singer in a metalcore band that had opened for The Accused and Poison Idea (the biggest hardcore bands in the Northwest at the time) at a packed show at Pine Street only 8 days before killing Seraw on November 13 th , 1988. Seraws's murder brought home the reality that the Nazi skinheads who had been increasing terrorizing the Portland punk scene with unbridled violence knew no limit. The swastikas and sieg heils were not cosplay, the unprovoked punches were not just roughhousing. My friends and I were stunned and outraged, and it led our guitar player, Spot, to write song about how we were feeling called Ode to Ken Death. I knew the moment I heard it that it was going to be our best song, and fully supported the sentiment behind it, despite the passing thought that it might REALLY piss off some very dangerous people. As was common among political hardcore bands of the time, we created a photocopied lyric sheet to hand out at the show, and Spot added his address and phone number to it in hopes that people would contact us and ask us to play more shows (This was ultimately short- sighted on his part). We played our set as the openers of an all-day, 8 band benefit show, and were received well, if for no other reason than who doesn't like seeing 14 and 15 year-olds playing their first show? I noticed a small group of skinheads there, but their vibe was observational more than aggressive, which was unusual for the skins I had previously encountered at shows, so I and presumably everyone else assumed that they were not Nazis, and not there to cause trouble. Notably their matching dark blue flight jackets and overall clean and composed appearance presented a stark contrast to that of the Nazi skinheads who marauded around Portland punk shows. Guys in East Side White Pride often looked like they had woken up in their own vomit. About a week after the show, my teenage band mates and I were hanging out in Spot's bedroom where we practiced when he got a call that sounded like a prank. A young woman was on the other end saying she was a part of anti-racist group in Texas that monitors the activity of racist groups such as former KKK grand dragon Tom Metzger's White Aryan Resistance (W.A.R.), and did we know that on his weekly address to his followers on the W.A.R. hotline that he had implored them to let us know what they thought of our characterization of Ken Death and the violent acts that he committed. This had to be a joke, right? The most powerful and dangerous bigot in America had just sicced his legions of militant White supremacists on us, three teenagers in a little town outside of Portland? It was not, in fact, a joke. Within days the letters started pouring in, mostly with U.S. postmarks, but some coming from as far as Europe. The tone of these letters ranged from your standard “Fuck you go die race traitors” to carefully crafted appeals to our intellect and anti-authoritarian sensibilities, expressing concern that we had been misled by mainstream media reports on the Seraw murder. Wisely, none of the mail we received (roughly 20 letters, from my recollection) threatened us with actual harm, as this would have been a legal offense. We responded to this situation with the kind of exhilaration a person whose life is very boring experiences when something interesting finally happens, while at the same time carrying a collective pit in our stomachs. Our next show was about a week later in Corvallis at The Peacock Ballroom (AKA The Top of The Cock), opening for Rhode Island's Verbal Assault, among others. As happens in college towns sometimes, the punk scene in Corvallis was exploding at that moment, and nearly all the shows were happening up that long flight of stairs. Getting to play a proper punk show opening for a bunch of touring bands was incredibly fun and exciting, but the traumatized child part of me was always hypervigilant when the threat of danger existed, even in moments where I was having a good time. So yes, I was watching the door all night, and yes I was the one to notice a couple of skinheads in dark blue flight jackets entering the club minutes after we played. I watched as they spoke to the person at the door, and after a moment saw them turn around and leave. Deductive reasoning told me those were the skins from our last show, who had very likely provided W.A.R. with our lyric sheet, and they were there to find us. The threat we experienced felt serious, and as teenagers without any real community or connections, it seemed to us that we had entered that fight alone. Having been ready for a name change as it was, we chose self-preservation and updated our name to Malcontent. Part of why the punk scene in Corvallis was thriving at this time in 1989 was because very few venues were hosting all-ages shows in Portland. The violence brought by Nazi skinheads to nearly every show was a likely reason for this, along with the restrictions imposed by Oregon Liquor Control Commission on clubs who dared selling alcohol to the 21+ crowd while minors were present in the same room. Meanwhile some folks in Corvallis found a good, cheap, mid-sized ballroom to rent out for shows, and soon bands from all over were stopping there to play in lieu of Portland. In December of that year, one of my favorite bands at the time, Neurosis, came up from the East Bay to headline at The Peacock. I'd love to tell you how thrilling it was to see a band that I had been obsessed with for more than a year prior, but I can't. They made it to The Top of The Cock, but they didn't perform. Like several towns in Oregon at the time, Corvallis too had a Nazi skinhead problem, and the biggest problem of them all was named Shanley. He was an oaf with a big mouth, and was always looking for trouble. Mike Arrogant, the guitar player for Portland's Deprived (later of Defiance), who were also on the bill that night, had a mouth of his own, and embodied some oaf-like tendencies when supplied with enough alcohol. But he was our oaf. Reports vary from about what happened when Mike and Shanley crossed paths outside of the club, but the end result was multiple stab wounds in Mike's abdomen from Shanley's knife. The stabbing occurred while punk legends The Detonators were warming up the stage for Neurosis. The kids were wild with anticipation when Mike emerged onto the stage, propped up by his girlfriend Pilar. He grabbed the mic from Bruce from The Detonators while lifting his shirt to show his grotesque stab wounds to the 350 or so kids in attendance, yelling “Shanley just fucking stabbed me!” We gawked at the disfigured flesh while trying to process his words. Once the message hit, it was as if someone had kicked an ant hill, and we were the inhabitants, out to seek revenge. The entire venue emptied in the span of 45 seconds, and kids flooded the streets of downtown Corvallis, screaming for vengeance and running in all directions, searching for the guy who harmed one of our own. It's easy to dismiss teenagers, and boy oh boy, they can be very silly without even trying, but what I experienced that night was my first real moment of solidarity in action. And it was powerful. Nearly every kid in that room had felt terrorized by a Nazi skinhead at some point in their short life, whether it had been in the pit at a hardcore show, in the halls of their high school, or walking down the street minding their own business. The rage expressed by every one of us was not just about seeing a guy from a band we liked with his guts poking out. It was a rage that had been simmering and finally came to a boil. I don't want to speak for everyone, but in that moment I did not only want justice for a member of my punk rock community. I wanted justice for every punk kid that had been fucked with or beaten by a skinhead. I wanted justice for Mulugeta Seraw, and I wanted justice for every person who had been harmed in any way in the name of White supremacy. The Nazi got away that night, but ultimately wound up in prison for the stabbing. One Nazi behind bars, however, was not going to solve the problem we were facing. First they came for Mulugeta Seraw, and we marched and wrote songs about it. Then they came for us, and we had not choice but to fight back. In November of 89, a month prior to the stabbing, Maximum Rock and Roll published an interview with a Minneapolis anti-racist skinhead named Kieran, who was one of the founders of an organization called Anti-Racist Action (ARA). In the article, he described the tactics of the group, their values, and the ways in which they were finding success in taking back their community and driving the Nazis underground. I can only image how many people reading that interview felt a sense of hope that something like that could happen in their town, and in their scene, and it most certainly played a part in my friends and I forming our own chapter in the months that followed. Nobody seems to recall the exact date or even month that the first meeting of Portland ARA took place, but based on the clothing we wore in the group photo taken that day, it must have been early spring, 1990. We met at the home of our friend, Karen, on Southeast Belmont Street. Karen seemed almost too old and mature for the 30 or so punks and skinheads who comprised that initial core of the ARA chapter, while perhaps too young and punk for the professional activists who made up Portland's most visible Antifascist organization at the time, the Coalition for Human Dignity (CHD). If I don't mention a single word here about Karen again, I want to be clear that without her, Portland ARA would have been far less functional, and might never have happened at all. I would love to say I had some important role in the inner-workings of our ARA chapter, but that just wasn't the case. At 15 I was the second-youngest member of our chapter, and much like now, a better listener than a talker. Regardless of how much I spoke up in those meetings, I deeply believed in the cause, and felt an adrenaline rush every time I sat with my friends and comrades scheming up ways in which we could take back our scene and drive the Nazis out of our community. When we put those plans into action, it was a strange euphoria where fear and joy become jumbled up together. The actions taken by ARA, in conjunction with SHARP, CHD and other community organizations, have thankfully been well-documented in the podcast and book, It Did Happen Here, so by all means go find those resources if you want an in-depth look at what we accomplished and how we accomplished it. For now, though, it's important to know that through coming together and utilizing our strengths as individuals and as organizations, the positive impact was undeniable and massive. By 1992, less than two years after the formation of Portland ARA, Nazis at punk shows in Portland or anywhere else in Oregon were an exceedingly-rare sight. Not to say that they disappeared, but they became ashamed and afraid to make themselves known. Pompadours and rocker dos became the new style for these Fascists in hiding, who found new homes in the more conservative rockabilly and metal scenes. Most moved to the outer edges of town, or left the area completely. An incredible win for our community, though like all things, impermanent, and emblematic of what John Steinbeck once wrote in a letter to a friend: “All the goodness and the heroisms will rise up again, then be cut down again and rise up. It isn’t that the evil thing wins — it never will — but that it doesn’t die”. - “PFN” Towards Sustainable Intersectional Organizing This piece is written by an individual CVA member. _____________________________________________ As a precursor, it should be stated that my thoughts and experiences are my own. Hopefully this can speak to feelings other minority folks feel in their own organizing spheres as a lot can be extrapolated from this. It's not easy to write this in divisive times like this. I strive to speak about the sort of nuanced perspective intersectional identities bring in the context of the trajectory the country seems to be on, and has been on politically for the last decade or so. The stir the election had on the larger liberal population of course brought up feelings of distrust, concern, and grief. But for a lot of vulnerable communities, sometimes it's not just who you vote for, but who you are willing to protect. There is a clear uptick in willingness to organize, especially as a means of channeling rage towards the capitalists that sit in lobbying boards and galas with those in political power. There is a really special energy a lot of us feel to jump forth and get involved and suddenly improve our communities for what is to come. I would implore us to take a more sustainable approach and work with each other to build capacity for this kind of work. There are things that can take away the glamour of local organizing if you are not prepared to experience them at least once. When we approach any of these problems, it is important to enter with a mind towards growth and transformative action. We must do absolutely everything we can to not shut each other down. While that doesn't mean everyone must be friends, it is so incredibly vital to recognize the inevitable conflict that comes about doing this work, how we can navigate it in good faith and with the larger fight in mind. We cannot be perfect, but casual sexism, racism, ableism, and bigotry are very real circumstances we encounter every day and only become amplified with every passing moment. Divide the enemy, not each other. Finally, speaking as a person of color, and with love, we have to listen to people of color (extremely specifically trans, disabled, and darker folk) so much better. I mean this in every scale, at the dinner table, in staff meetings, and in affinity groups. A lot of the time we are valued for our diverse perspectives when we also have integrative answers to the problems we face. Learning when to step back from conversation can be hard for all of us, but it will be paramount to listen to any socially structural weak points as we move in unity. We live in turbulent times; make space for new ideas, share resources and incoming needs, distribute any skills you have. To play the long game is to move gracefully and sincerely.