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Heather Cox Richardson: Democracy Awakening

We've all been through a lot in the past five years, but it's difficult to figure out what it all means, and how it applies to our shared existence in this democratic experiment. Heather Cox Richardson aims to remedy that. 

As a historian she has been examining and explaining modern events aided by her deep understanding of history and insight into the forces working for and against democracy. In her new book  Democracy Awakening , Heather Cox Richardson looks at the state of American democracy and the forces that have been driving it toward authoritarianism. In whose interest is the obfuscation of history? Who benefits if Americans are turned off or prevented from taking part in democratic acts? Who and what can help change things and rededicate this country to its founding ideals?

Join us in person as she explains how we got to this perilous point, what our history tells us about ourselves, and what the future of democracy can be.

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s Future of Democracy Series, supported by Betsy and Roy Eisenhardt.

Photo courtesy the speaker.

The Commonwealth Club of California 110 The Embarcadero Taube Family Auditorium San Francisco , CA 94105 United States

Audio Recording

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Heather Cox Richardson

Professor of History, Boston College; Author, Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America ; Twitter @HC_Richardson

In Conversation with T.J. Stiles

Biographer; Historian; Author; Twitter @TJStiles_Author

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The views of Club speakers are their own and their participation does not constitute or imply endorsement or recommendation by Commonwealth Club World Affairs.

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Heather cox richardson [8pm start], with "democracy awakening".

Please Note: Due to unforeseen travel delays, the Heather Cox Richardson event is delayed to 8pm. 

In the midst of the impeachment crisis of 2019, Heather Cox Richardson launched the popular daily newsletter Letters from an American, and its readership ballooned to more than 2 million dedicated readers relying on her plainspoken and informed take on the present and past in America. 

In Democracy Awakening , Richardson crafts a compelling and original narrative, explaining how, over the decades, a small group of wealthy people has made war on American ideals. By weaponizing language and promoting false history, they have led us into authoritarianism — creating a disaffected population and then promising to recreate an imagined past where those people could feel important again. She argues that taking our country back starts by remembering the elements of the nation’s true history that marginalized Americans have always upheld. Richardson sees this history as a roadmap for the nation’s future.

In her trademark calm prose, she is realistic and optimistic about the future of democracy. Her command of history allows her to pivot effortlessly from the Founders to the abolitionists to Reconstruction to Goldwater to Mitch McConnell, highlighting the political legacies of the New Deal, the lingering fears of socialism, the death of the liberal consensus, and the birth of “movement conservatism.”  

Many books tell us what has happened over the last five years. Democracy Awakening explains how we got to this perilous point, what our history really tells us about ourselves, and what the future of democracy can be.

Heather Cox Richardson is Professor of History at Boston College. She has written about the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the American West in several award-winning books. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and The Guardian , among other outlets. She is the cohost of the Vox Media podcast, Now & Then .

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Democracy Awakening

Heather cox richardson a new york times bestseller.

From historian and author of the popular daily newsletter LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN , a vital narrative that explains how America, once  a beacon of democracy, now teeters on the brink of autocracy -- and how we can turn back.

In the midst of the impeachment crisis of 2019, Heather Cox Richardson launched a daily Facebook essay providing the historical background of the daily torrent of news. It soon turned into a newsletter and its readership ballooned to more than 2 million dedicated readers who rely on her plainspoken and informed take on the present and past in America. 

In Democracy Awakening , Richardson crafts a compelling and original narrative, explaining how, over the decades, a small group of wealthy people have made war on American ideals. By weaponizing language and promoting false history they have led us into authoritarianism -- creating a disaffected population and then promising to recreate an imagined past where those people could feel important again. She argues that taking our country back starts by remembering the elements of the nation’s true history that marginalized Americans have always upheld. Their dedication to the principles on which this nation was founded has enabled us to renew and expand our commitment to democracy in the past. Richardson sees this history as a roadmap for the nation’s future.

Richardson’s talent is to wrangle our giant, meandering, and confusing news feed into a coherent story that singles out what we should pay attention to, what the precedents are, and what possible paths lie ahead. In her trademark calm prose, she is realistic and optimistic about the future of democracy. Her command of history allows her to pivot effortlessly from the Founders to the abolitionists to Reconstruction to Goldwater to Mitch McConnell, highlighting the political legacies of the New Deal, the lingering fears of socialism, the death of the liberal consensus and birth of “movement conservatism.”  

Many books tell us what has happened over the last five years. Democracy Awakening explains how we got to this perilous point, what our history really tells us about ourselves, and what the future of democracy can be.

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Praise for democracy awakening.

"A fresh historical interpretation of American democracy and its many challenges...Reminding us that 'how it comes out rests…in our own hands,' Richardson empowers us for the chapters yet to come." —Kirkus *Starred Review*

“This is a vibrant, and essential history of America's unending, enraging and utterly compelling struggle since its founding to live up to its own best ideals. It's both a cause for hope, and a call to arms.” — Jane Mayer, author Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right “With her characteristic powerful prose, Heather Richardson explores the raging (in every sense of the word) political, cultural, and social forces that an elite minority has fostered to divide Americans, erode democracy, and rise to power.” — Joanne Freeman, Professor of History at Yale University and author of Field of Blood   "A cogent, challenging, thoughtful, riveting and beautiful narrative. Brava!" — Ken Burns, Filmmaker   “In Democracy Awakening , Richardson goes beyond the news cycle to explain how we got here, placing our current political crisis against the age-old struggle to expand civil rights and economic opportunity. What emerges is a brilliant and honest account of our nation’s past and present. If you care about American democracy—and are engaged in the fight to preserve it—this book is a must-read.” — Preet Bharara, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York

Heather Cox Richardson

Heather Cox Richardson is Professor of History at Boston College. She has written about the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the American West in award-winning books whose subjects stretch from the European settlement of the North American continent to the history of the Republican Party through the Trump administration. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post , the New York Times , and The Guardian , among other outlets. She is the cohost of the Vox podcast, Now & Then .

An Evening with Heather Cox Richardson, "Democracy Awakening"

Tue Oct 17 2023 at 06:50 pm to 08:30 pm

Lars Hockstad Auditorium | Traverse City, MI

In her compelling new book, "DEMOCRACY AWAKENING: Notes on the State of America" (Viking; On Sale: 9/26/23), Richardson explains how a small group of wealthy people have made war on American ideals, leading us down a dangerous path to authoritarianism. By weaponizing language and promoting a false history, they have created a disaffected population and then promised to recreate an imagined past where those people could feel important again. Richardson argues that taking our country back starts by remembering the elements of the nation’s true history that marginalized Americans have always upheld – their dedication has sustained our democracy in the past and can be a roadmap for our future.

Richardson’s talent is to distill bleak headlines and wide swaths of history into a coherent story that singles out what we should pay attention to and what the precedents are. "DEMOCRACY AWAKENING" examines the origins of our modern rightwing swing, from the deep roots of racism, oligarchy, and minority rule to the courage of heroes now and then, fighting back for progressive causes. Far from dry, inaccessible, or unwieldy history, this book is instead like having a world-class scholar talk to you over the dinner table, decoding a confusing world and making you feel smarter and more knowledgeable than you did before.

Unlike many historians, Richardson is optimistic about America’s future – she firmly believes that we can preserve our democracy, in spite of the many mistakes and missteps that we have made since the founding. Many books tell us what has happened over the last five years, but "DEMOCRACY AWAKENING" explains how we got to this perilous point, what our history really tells us about ourselves, and what the future of democracy can be.

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Heather Cox Richardson, author of Democracy Awakening.

Jimmy carter presidential library and museum, carter center theater online.

From the historian and author of the popular daily newsletter Letters from an American , comes a vital narrative that explains how America, once a beacon of democracy, now teeters on the brink of autocracy -- and how we can turn back.

A Cappella Books and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library are honored to present Heather Cox Richardson for a live virtual event to discuss her highly-anticipated new book, "Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America," on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at 7 PM. The author will appear in conversation with Georgia WIN List Executive Director Melita Easters.

Tickets are limited. Pre-order a copy of  “Democracy Awakening,” which includes a signed bookplate, via the Reserve a Seat link to obtain your private invitation link. Please be sure to include your current email address at checkout. Your access code will arrive via email from A Cappella Books a day ahead of the program.

All events listed in the calendar are free unless noted.

Evening With Heather Cox Richardson

Friends of the lbj library | oct, 18 2023 6:30pm - 7:30pm.

Bundled tickets for the general public are now SOLD OUT. 

For details to the Friends of the LBJ Library membership program and speaker series,   please click here . Members receive free admission to this event and many more as a benefit of membership at the Individual level or above.

Join us on October 18 for an evening with Heather Cox Richardson, historian and author of the daily newsletter Letters from an American . Cox Richardson will talk about her new book, Democracy Awakening , a vital narrative that explains how America, once a beacon of democracy, now teeters on the brink of autocracy -- and how we can turn back. Mark Lawrence, Director of the LBJ Presidential Library, will moderate the conversation.

This program will be held in-person in the Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium located at the LBJ Presidential Library.

The Store at LBJ will be selling copies of Democracy Awakening onsite in the upper lobby of the LBJ Auditorium before and after the program. Cox Richardson will be available to sign copies purchased through the Store at LBJ from 5:30-6:15 p.m. By purchasing through the Store at LBJ, you support a local cultural institution. All proceeds from sales support our programming, exhibits, and educational initiatives at the LBJ Presidential Library.  

About the speaker:

Heather Cox Richardson is a professor of history at Boston College and an expert on American political and economic history. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning  How the South Won the Civil War . Her work has appeared in  The Washington Post ,  The New York Times , and  The Guardian , among other outlets. Her widely read newsletter,  Letters from an American , synthesizes history and modern political issues.

About the book:

In her new book, Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America (Viking; on sale: 9/26/23), Richardson explains how a small group of wealthy people have made war on American ideals, leading us down a dangerous path to authoritarianism. By weaponizing language and promoting a false history, they have created a disaffected population and then promised to recreate an imagined past where those people could feel important again. Richardson argues that taking our country back starts by remembering the elements of the nation’s true history that marginalized Americans have always upheld – their dedication has sustained our democracy in the past and can be a roadmap for our future.

Richardson’s talent is to distill bleak headlines and wide swaths of history into a coherent story that singles out what we should pay attention to and what the precedents are. Democracy Awakening examines the origins of our modern rightwing swing, from the deep roots of racism, oligarchy, and minority rule to the courage of heroes now and then, fighting back for progressive causes. Far from dry, inaccessible, or unwieldy history, this book is instead like having a world-class scholar talk to you over the dinner table, decoding a confusing world and making you feel smarter and more knowledgeable than you did before.

Location and Parking

The LBJ Auditorium is located on the lower level of the LBJ complex at 2313 Red River St. Access to the auditorium will be through the lobby of the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Free parking will be available in the LBJ Library visitors' lot (#38), and lots #37 and #39 after 5 p.m.

Please note that Red River Street is closed between Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Clyde Littlefield Drive. Red River Street is open and accessible from E. Dean Keeton Street; please plan your route accordingly.

The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. to allow plenty of time for guests to enter the LBJ Auditorium.

FRIENDS MEMBERS (at the Individual level and above) : Please register using the form below. You must be a current member of the Friends at the  Individual level or above  to register. Museum and Family Museum members do not receive admission to the programming series as part of their membership benefits.

GENERAL PUBLIC:  Bundled tickets for the general public are now sold out.

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Look Inside

Democracy Awakening

Notes on the State of America

By Heather Cox Richardson

By heather cox richardson read by heather cox richardson, category: u.s. history | domestic politics, category: u.s. history | domestic politics | audiobooks.

Oct 24, 2023 | ISBN 9780593792612 | 6-1/8 x 9-1/4 --> | ISBN 9780593792612 --> Buy

Sep 26, 2023 | ISBN 9780593652961 | 6 x 9 --> | ISBN 9780593652961 --> Buy

Sep 26, 2023 | ISBN 9780593652978 | ISBN 9780593652978 --> Buy

Sep 26, 2023 | 509 Minutes | ISBN 9780593789476 --> Buy

Buy from Other Retailers:

Oct 24, 2023 | ISBN 9780593792612

Sep 26, 2023 | ISBN 9780593652961

Sep 26, 2023 | ISBN 9780593652978

Sep 26, 2023 | ISBN 9780593789476

509 Minutes

Buy the Audiobook Download:

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About Democracy Awakening

From historian and author of the popular daily newsletter LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN, a vital narrative that explains how America, once  a beacon of democracy, now teeters on the brink of autocracy — and how we can turn back. In the midst of the impeachment crisis of 2019, Heather Cox Richardson launched a daily Facebook essay providing the historical background of the daily torrent of news. The essays soon turned into a newsletter and, spread by word of mouth, its readership ballooned to more than 2 million dedicated readers who rely on its plainspoken and informed take on the present and past in America.  In Democracy Awakening, Richardson crafts a compelling and original narrative, explaining how, over the decades, a small group of wealthy people have made war on American ideals. By weaponizing language and promoting false history they have led us into authoritarianism — creating a disaffected population and then promising to recreate an imagined past where those people could feel important again. She argues that taking our country back starts by remembering the elements of the nation’s true history that marginalized Americans have always upheld. Their dedication to the principles on which this nation was founded has enabled us to renew and expand our commitment to democracy in the past. Richardson sees this history as a roadmap for the nation’s future. Richardson’s unique talent is to wrangle our giant, meandering, confusing news feed into a coherent story that singles out what we should pay attention to, what the historical roots and precedents are, and what possible paths lie ahead. Writing in her trademark calm prose, she manages to be both realistic and optimistic about the future of democracy. Richardson’s easy command of history allows her to pivot effortlessly from the Founders to the abolitionists to Reconstruction to Goldwater to Mitch McConnell, highlighting the political legacies of the New Deal, the lingering fears of socialism, the death of the liberal consensus and birth of “movement conservatism.”   There are many books that tell us what has happened over the last five years. Democracy Awakening explains how we got to this perilous point, what our history really tells us about ourselves, and what the future of democracy can be.

A New York Times Bestseller A vital and urgent call to action about the precarious state of American democracy, charting its historical challenges and current threats, from one of our era’s most important and insightful historians. “Magisterial.” –The Washington Post “An excellent primer for anyone who needs the important facts of the last 150 years of American history–and how they got us to the sorry place we inhabit today.” –Guardian At a time when the very foundations of democracy seem under threat, the lessons of the past offer a roadmap for navigating a moment of political crisis. In Democracy Awakening , acclaimed historian Heather Cox Richardson delves into the tumultuous journey of American democracy, revealing how the roots of Donald Trump’s “authoritarian experiment” can be traced back through the earliest days of the republic. She examines the historical forces that have led to the current political climate, showing how modern conservatism has preyed upon a disaffected population, weaponizing language and promoting false history to consolidate power. With remarkable clarity and the same accessible voice that brings millions of readers to her newsletter, Letters from an American, Richardson wrangles a chaotic news feed into a coherent story that singles out what we should pay attention to and what possible paths lie ahead. Her command of history and trademark plainspoken prose allow her to pivot effortlessly from the Founders to the abolitionists to Reconstruction to Nixon to the January 6 insurrection, highlighting the political legacies of the New Deal, the lingering fears of socialism, the death of the liberal consensus, and the birth of “movement conservatism.”   An essential read for anyone concerned about the state of America, Democracy Awakening is more than a history book; it’s a call to action. Richardson reminds us that democracy is not a static institution but a living, evolving process that requires constant vigilance and participation from all of us. This powerful testament to the resilience of democratic ideals shows how we, as a nation, can take the lessons of the past to address today’s challenges and secure a more just and equitable future.

Listen to a sample from Democracy Awakening

About heather cox richardson.

Heather Cox Richardson is Professor of History at Boston College. She has written about the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the American West in award-winning books whose subjects stretch from the European settlement of the North American continent to… More about Heather Cox Richardson

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The Washington Post ‘s “50 Best NonFiction Books of 2023” Kirkus Review’ s ”2023 Best NonFiction Books of the Year” “[ Democracy Awakening ] is the most lucid just-so story for Trump’s rise I’ve ever heard. It’s magisterial.” –Virginia Heffernan, Washington Post “Necessary U.S. history … an excellent primer for anyone who needs the important facts of the last 150 years of American history – and how they got us to the sorry place we inhabit today.” –Guardian US “Heather Cox Richardson’s Democracy Awakening is an important addition to the burgeoning literature and scholarship on what I have characterized as America’s Third Reconstruction…she is at her best simply telling us the story of how we came to be living on the brink of ending our nearly 250-year democratic experiment.” –Peniel Joseph, Democracy “A fresh historical interpretation of American democracy and its many challenges…It’s an unusual but effective structure, allowing Richardson to do what she does best: show her readers how history and the present are in constant conversation. Reminding us that ‘how it comes out rests…in our own hands,’ Richardson empowers us for the chapters yet to come.” —Kirkus Review (starred review) “Engaging and highly accessible.” — Boston Globe “This is a vibrant, and essential history of America’s unending, enraging and utterly compelling struggle since its founding to live up to its own best ideals. From yesterday’s enslavers to today’s authoritarians, it shows how bad actors have always tried to twist history to serve their own purposes, but again and again, less powerful challengers have risen and often won. It’s both a cause for hope, and a call to arms.” — Jane Mayer, author Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right   “With her characteristic powerful prose, Heather Richardson explores the raging (in every sense of the word) political, cultural, and social forces that an elite minority has fostered to divide Americans, erode democracy, and rise to power. By reclaiming this history, she reminds us that democracy is a process, not an endpoint — and that it demands our efforts now, more than ever.” — Joanne Freeman, Professor of History at Yale University and author of Field of Blood   “No one understands the warp and woof of the complicated tapestry that is the United States, no one apprehends the undertow and disparate forces that have directed the tides of American politics, no one forges the connections between then and now better than Heather Cox Richardson does. The result is a cogent, challenging, thoughtful, riveting and beautiful narrative.  Brava!” — Ken Burns, Filmmaker   “For the last several turbulent years, millions have looked to Heather Cox Richardson’s daily letters for vital historical perspective, wisdom, and moral clarity. In Democracy Awakening , Richardson goes beyond the news cycle to explain how we got here, placing our current political crisis against the age-old struggle to expand civil rights and economic opportunity. What emerges is a brilliant and honest account of our nation’s past and present. If you care about American democracy—and are engaged in the fight to preserve it—this book is a must-read.” — Preet Bharara, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York

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Democracy Awakening review: Heather Cox Richardson’s necessary US history

The Boston College professor offers a valuable primer on Republican extremism – but also progressive achievement

I n a media landscape so polluted by politicians addicted to cheap thrills (Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Orange Monster) and the pundits addicted to them (Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Steve Bannon), the success of Heather Cox Richardson is much more than a blast of fresh air. It’s a bona fide miracle.

The Boston College history professor started writing her newsletter, Letters from an American , almost four years ago. Today her daily dose of common sense about the day’s news, wrapped in an elegant package of American history, has a remarkable 1.2 million subscribers, making her the most popular writer on Substack. Not since Edward P Morgan captivated the liberal elite with his nightly 15-minute broadcasts in the 1960s has one pundit been so important to so many progressive Americans at once.

In the age of social media, Richardson’s success is counterintuitive. When she was profiled by Ben Smith in the New York Times a couple of years ago, Smith confessed he was so addicted to Twitter he rarely found the time to open her “rich summaries” of the news. When he told Bill Moyers, one of Richardson’s earliest promoters, the same thing, the great commentator explained: “You live in a world of thunderstorms, and she watches the waves come in.”

Richardson’s latest book shares all the intelligence of her newsletter. It doesn’t have the news value of her internet contributions but it is an excellent primer for anyone who needs the important facts of the last 150 years of American history – and how they got us to the sorry place we inhabit today.

Like other recent books, including The Destructionists by Dana Milbank , Richardson’s new volume reminds us that far from being an outlier, Donald Trump was inevitable after 70 years of Republican pandering to big business, racism and Christian nationalism.

So many direct lines can be drawn from the dawn of modern conservatism to the insanity of the Freedom Caucus today. It was William F Buckley Jr, the most famous conservative pundit of his era, who in 1951 attacked universities for teaching “secularism and collectivism” and promoted the canard that liberals were basically communists. Among Buckley’s mortal enemies, Richardson writes, were everyone “who believed that the government should regulate business, protect social welfare, promote infrastructure and protect civil rights” – and who “believed in fact-based argument”.

In place of the liberal consensus that emerged with Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, Buckley and his henchmen wanted a new “orthodoxy of religion and the ideology of free markets”. A few years later, the Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater ran on a platform opposing the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Four years after that, Richard Nixon’s Southern Strategy included promises to slow down the desegregation the supreme court had ordered 14 years before.

In one of the most notorious dog whistles of all time, Ronald Reagan began his 1980 presidential campaign by declaring his love for states’ rights in Philadelphia, Mississippi – made infamous by the murders of the civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner in 1964.

Since the 1950s, Richardson writes, conservatives have fought to destroy “the active government of the liberal consensus, and since the 1980s, Republican politicians [have] hacked away at it” but still “left much of the government intact”. With Trump’s election in 2016, the nation had finally “put into office a president who would use his power to destroy it”. Republicans fought for 50 years for an “end to business regulation and social services and the taxes they required”. Trump went even further by “making the leap from oligarchy to authoritarianism”.

Richardson is refreshingly direct about the importance of the fascist example to Trump and his Maga movement. When he used the White House to host the Republican convention in 2020, the first lady, Melania Trump, wore a “dress that evoked a Nazi uniform”. And, Richardson writes, the big lie was a “key propaganda tool” for the Nazis, which Hitler himself explained in Mein Kampf, the book Trump may have kept on his night table at Trump Tower (or maybe it was a collection of Hitler’s speeches).

Richardson even uses the psychological profile of Hitler by the Office of Strategic Services, the US intelligence agency during the second world war, to remind us of similarities to Trump. The OSS said Hitler’s “primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy … never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong”.

But Richardson’s book isn’t just a recitation of the evil of Republicans. It is also a celebration of progressive successes. She reminds us that before Vietnam ruined his presidency, Lyndon Johnson compiled an incredible record. In one session, Congress passed an astonishing 84 laws. Johnson’s “Great Society” included the Voting Rights Act of 1965; the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provided federal aid for public schools; launched Head Start for the early education of low-income children; the social security amendments that created Medicare; increased welfare payments; rent subsidies; the Water Quality Act of 1965; and the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

These laws had a measurable impact. “Forty million Americans were poor in 1960”; by 1969, that had dropped to 24 million.

Addressing graduates of the University of Michigan in 1964, Johnson used words that are apt today:“For better or worse, your generation has been appointed by history to … lead America toward a new age … You can help build a society where the demands of morality, and the needs of the spirit, can be realized in the life of the nation.”

Johnson rejected the “timid souls” who believed “we are condemned to a soulless wealth. We have the power to shape the civilization that we want. But we need your will, your labor, your hearts, if we are to build that kind of society.”

Democracy Awakening is published in the US by Viking

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Heather Cox Richardson, queen of Substack, delivers more bingeable history

‘democracy awakening,’ by the author of the popular newsletter ‘letters from an american,’ assesses america at its current crossroads.

“Look at me! I’m reading the Economist! Did you know Indonesia is ‘at a crossroads ’?”

Ever since Homer Simpson developed a split-second interest in Indonesia in 2004, the “crossroads” conceit seems to have been banished from jet-set magazines. Just as well. The image, which suggests that a nation’s history is as legible and linear as a road map, has long lacked explanatory power. And yet the crossroads is back — and it’s where America, of all places, finds itself in Heather Cox Richardson’s “ Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America .” Hey, Homer: “America is at a crossroads.”

Richardson is a professor of 19th-century history at Boston College and the author of five highly regarded academic books, many of them about the evolution of Republican ideology. She is also the writer of Substack’s most successful — by far — newsletter: By one estimate, Richardson’s daily newsletter, “ Letters From an American , ” rakes in $5 million per year. It could even be called cult-y, if cults had several million adherents who yearned for literate, principled and clearheaded analysis of the day’s news.

If anyone can be trusted with the crossroads cliché, then, it’s Richardson. And in “Democracy Awakening,” “the crossroads” serves less as a philosophical crux than as a crime in a detective novel, its discovery kicking off Richardson’s investigation. Her focus is the current anxious era, when, during a presidential campaign with a familiar cast of characters, we’re borne back ceaselessly into the past, assessing the disturbing period in American history that started with the presidential election on Nov. 8, 2016, and crescendoed with the violent insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021 . With any luck, we’re in the denouement now, when mysteries are cleared up — and arrests made. If so, Richardson is our ideal Miss Marple.

She has an intriguing origin point for today’s afflictions: the New Deal. The first third of the book, which hurtles toward Donald Trump’s election, is as bingeable as anything on Netflix. “Democracy Awakening” starts in the 1930s, when Americans who’d been wiped out in the 1929 stock market crash were not about to let the rich demolish the economy again. New Deal programs designed to benefit ordinary people and prevent future crises were so popular that by 1960 candidates of both parties were advised to simply “nail together” coalitions and promise them federal funding. From 1946 to 1964, the liberal consensus — with its commitments to equality, the separation of church and state, and the freedoms of speech, press and religion — held sway.

But Republican businessmen, who had caused the crash, despised the consensus. Richardson’s account of how right-wingers appropriated the word “socialism” from the unrelated international movement is astute. When invoked to malign all government investment, “socialism” served to recruit segregationist Democrats, who could be convinced that the word meant Black people would take their money, and Western Democrats, who resented government protections on land and water. This new Republican Party created an ideology that coalesced around White Christianity and free markets.

But winning voters without serving their interests is always a tall order. So in the early ’70s, in Richardson’s telling, Republicans began to harbor doubts about democracy itself. They developed nasty backup plans for when elections didn’t go their way, including gerrymandering, cheating and packing the judiciary with right-wing ideologues. The elections of Richard Nixon in 1972 and George W. Bush in 2000 exposed forms of electoral gameplay that didn’t require delivering anything of value to voters.

And then a boom-bust businessman famous for allegations of racial bias and sexual misconduct won the presidency as a Republican with no coherent policy platform at all. Some of Nixon’s marquee tricksters even rode sidecar in Trump’s victory. “In 2016,” Richardson writes, “the Republicans would ride the themes of the past forty years to their logical conclusion.”

This is the most lucid just-so story for Trump’s rise I’ve ever heard. It’s magisterial. In my experience hosting the podcast “Trumpcast,” Trumpologists are typically aberrationists or continuists. Aberrationists believe that Trump is a black swan. Continuists, whose numbers include intellectuals such as Ezra Klein and Max Boot, see Trump on a continuum with Republicans of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Richardson is in this second camp — and, for my money, she gives the continuity thesis its best hearing.

The second two-thirds of “Democracy Awakening” contains material that is simultaneously too familiar and too fresh to submit entirely to a historian’s dispassionate analysis. The slides come fast. “The Apprentice” turns washed-up Trump into an authority figure. He descends the escalator. There are social media dark arts, Russian coordination, racist shock-jock stuff, “lock her up.” American carnage. The stomach-churning tales of James Comey’s 2016 news conference reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton, and later Trump’s admonition to white-nationalist terrorists: “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by.”

In Richardson’s telling, nearly every move Trump makes in his benighted term in office is anti-democratic — and documented. The Russia probe reveals interference in the 2016 election. The first impeachment reveals interference in the 2020 election. The second impeachment reveals efforts to overturn the 2020 election and incite an insurrection. It’s impossible to review all these attempts by a U.S. president to avoid doing actual public service and not ask, again, of Trump: Why didn’t you just try governing?

Having once described herself as a Lincoln Republican, Richardson never takes her eye off the party’s terrible metamorphosis. After the 2016 election, some Republicans had buyer’s remorse. Though “they wanted an end to business regulation and social services,” Richardson writes, “they did not want an apocalypse.” Later, as Trump was “delivering their wishlist,” the apocalypse became a risk they were willing to take. Finally, by August 2020, “the Republican Party, which had formed to stand against the enslavers … and restore democracy, was now on board with Trump’s dictatorship.” Ultimately, Trump’s “subversion of constitutional government made Watergate look quaint.”

But really, nothing in “Democracy Awakening” looks quaint. When Trump times get especially bleak, Richardson reaches for analogies past the New Deal, past the Gilded Age, to the Civil War period, her field of scholarship. Here Richardson unearths Southern arguments for slavery that include both white-supremacist dogma and a flat-out rejection (as “fundamentally wrong”) of the founders’ idea that all men are created equal. When Trump ran on what some heard as racist whoops and then executed policies like the Muslim ban, he openly set himself against America’s primary purpose. It was a small step to conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy against civil rights — just two of the 91 felonies Trump is now charged with.

Across her work, Richardson frequently cites a familiar quotation: “History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.” It would make sense for a poet to plug sonic association — rhyme — over repetition, reason or causality. But why would a historian? “Democracy Awakening” sometimes seems like a rhetorical exercise in making events from different periods illuminate one another by dint of mere juxtaposition. Richardson is deft, and often I can find the rhyme she hears, but just as often I wondered about historical and cultural contingencies that she might be leaving out in the effort to create such an aerodynamic story.

One of the reasons for the enormous appeal of Richardson’s journalism is her bedrock faith that the liberal consensus abides, whatever the attempts of the rich or bigoted minority to shatter it. I’m entirely convinced. It’s a hardy meme, that one about how we’re all created equal. Toward the end of the book, Richardson quotes Jimmy Carter: “We are all Americans together, and we must not forget that the common good is our common interest and our individual responsibility.” For those to whom this is common sense, “Democracy Awakening” will be a homecoming.

Virginia Heffernan writes about tech, politics and culture for Wired Magazine.

Democracy Awakening

Notes on the State of America

By Heather Cox Richardson

Viking. 304 pp. $30

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WATCH: Democracy Awakening: historian Heather Cox Richardson on the state of America

Time & Date

Tuesday, September 26, 2023, 6:30 pm

Event Location

WBUR CitySpace 890 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02215 Open in Google Maps

On Point host Meghna Chakrabarti moderated a conversation with historian Heather Cox Richardson about her new book, “Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America.”

Following the phenomenal success of her newsletter “ Letters from an American ,” Richardson continues her mission to distill bleak headlines and wide swaths of America’s past into a coherent story. With her command of history and her calm, accessible prose, Richardson masterfully explains how our country got to where it is today and the steps we must take to preserve democracy.

About Democracy Awakening In the midst of the impeachment crisis of 2019, Heather Cox Richardson launched a daily Facebook essay providing the historical background of the daily torrent of news. It soon turned into a newsletter and its readership ballooned to more than 2 million dedicated readers who rely on her plainspoken and informed take on the present and past in America.

In “Democracy Awakening,” Richardson crafts a compelling and original narrative, explaining how, over the decades, a small group of wealthy people have made war on American ideals. By weaponizing language and promoting false history they have led us into authoritarianism — creating a disaffected population and then promising to recreate an imagined past where those people could feel important again. She argues that taking our country back starts by remembering the elements of the nation’s true history that marginalized Americans have always upheld. Their dedication to the principles on which this nation was founded has enabled us to renew and expand our commitment to democracy in the past. Richardson sees this history as a roadmap for the nation’s future.

Richardson’s talent is to wrangle our giant, meandering, and confusing news feed into a coherent story that singles out what we should pay attention to, what the precedents are, and what possible paths lie ahead. In her trademark calm prose, she is realistic and optimistic about the future of democracy. Her command of history allows her to pivot effortlessly from the Founders to the abolitionists to Reconstruction to Goldwater to Mitch McConnell, highlighting the political legacies of the New Deal, the lingering fears of socialism, the death of the liberal consensus and birth of “movement conservatism.”

Many books tell us what has happened over the last five years. “Democracy Awakening” explains how we got to this perilous point, what our history really tells us about ourselves, and what the future of democracy can be.

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Heather Cox Richardson with Marcus Harrison Green

Notes on the State of America

Although social media may not be a typical source of enlightenment, historian Heather Cox Richardson decided to become an exception to the rule. 

It all started during the 2019 impeachment when Richardson launched a daily Facebook essay providing historical background for the daily torrent of news. It soon morphed into a popular Substack newsletter,  Letters From an American,  and a readership that swelled to more than two million readers dedicated to her take on both past and present.

Richardson condenses the content of news feeds into coherent stories. She aims to pinpoint what we should pay attention to, what the precedents are, and what possible paths lie ahead. Through her rich historical knowledge, Richardson can pivot from the Founders to the abolitionists, from the New Deal to Mitch McConnell, and anywhere in between. Some topics reverberate throughout history, like the lingering fears of socialism, the death of the liberal consensus, and movement conservatism.

Democracy Awakening  offers an explanation for how we arrived at this point, what our history really tells us about ourselves, and how this history serves as a roadmap for the nation’s future and shows us what democracy can be.

Marcus Harrison Green  is a columnist for  The   Seattle Times . A long-time Seattle native, he is the founder of the  South Seattle Emerald , which focuses on telling the stories of South Seattle and its residents.

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Upcoming Events

Rental Partner: University of Washington Office of Public Lectures presents

Robert Bullard

The Quest for Environmental and Climate Justice

Climate change is the defining global environmental justice, human rights and public health issue of the twenty-first century. The most vulnerable populations in the United States and around the world will suffer the earliest and most damaging setbacks because of where they live, their limited income and economic means, and their lack of access to health care. Professor Bullard’s presentation will focus primarily on the U.S. and the need for empowering vulnerable populations, identifying environmental justice and climate change “hot-spot” zones,…

Jonathan Metzl with Florangela Davila

Reframing the Conversation on Gun Control

In 2018, there was a mass shooting with an AR-15 at a Waffle House. The racially charged act of violence led Dr. Jonathan M. Metzl, a Nashville-based gun policy scholar and author, to advocate for gun reform. But how can we stop gun violence in a nation that sees hundreds of mass shootings every year? As Metzl examined the crime, he began having doubts about continuing to approach gun reform through the lens of public health that he had championed long…

Replay Matinee: Bonnie J. Rough

Beyond Birds and Bees

Town Hall’s new Replay Matinee series invites you to come together in our building to enjoy screenings of our greatest hits – during the day! This community program is free to all participants. Note: this is a screening of a previous in-person event. The speakers will not be in attendance. This Replay Matinee features Bonnie J. Rough, who came to the Town Hall stage in 2018 to discuss her book Beyond Birds & Bees.

• Saturday, April 16
• Sunday, April 17
• Monday, April 18
• Full Program
• Nationwide Events

Friday, April 15th

11:15am Democracy Spring & DC Vote Rally for DC Emancipation Day Folks in town for the Democracy Awakening are encouraged to participate as they are able with our sister mobilization – Democracy Spring – in actions taking place Friday. Rally for full rights for District of Columbia residents on DC Emancipation Day, followed by a march around the Capitol and direct action. As with Awakening, anyone engaging in Spring direct action must complete training first. More information .

WHERE: The Rally will take place on the West Lawn of the Capitol

7pm Democracy Double Feature Movie Night : Free for All: One Dude’s Quest to Save Our Elections and Pay2Play: Democracy’s High Stakes

WHERE : St. Stephen’s Church, 1525 Newton St NW, Washington, DC 20010

7pm-9pm: Join us for pizza and a double feature of Pay 2 Play: Democracy’s High Stakes and Free For All: One Dude’s Quest to Save our Elections. These are two highly acclaimed, fun films that are on point about the problems we are facing with our money overpowering our democracy and electoral system. Both films offer viable solutions that will help prepare us for the weekend of action. The films will also be followed up with Q&As with the filmmakers. This is a joint activity with ally coalition Democracy Spring . RSVP .

Saturday, April 16th

Teach-In WHERE: All Souls Church Unitarian , 2835 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20009 Please enter on Harvard St. NW.

12pm-Art Build: make signs, learn how to silkscreen, and street art! – All Souls Gym (lower level)* Be part of making the democracy movement message powerful AND beautiful.*Note only the upper level of the gym is wheelchair accessible.

1pm-1:50pm: Kickoff: Voting Rights, Money In Politics United in Struggle – All Souls Sanctuary

Panelists: Moderator – Stacey Long Simmons ( National LGBTQ Taskforce ); Marge Baker (People For the American Way); Ari Berman (The Nation); Derek Cressman (author, When Money Talks)

2pm-2:50pm: 1st Workshop Block

Environment and Democracy -All Souls Sanctuary A panel discussion on the intersections of environment and democracy, highlighting examples of corporate influence as well as local solutions and victories. A Q&A and discussion will follow.

Presenters: Lindsey Berger (UnKoch My Campus); Brenda Brink (Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement); Wenonah Hauter (Food and Water Watch); Courtney Hight (Sierra Club)

Democracy at a Crossroads: Fighting the Interconnected Attacks on Unions, Voting Rights, and Campaign Finance Laws – Eaton Room The right to vote, the right to be heard in our elections, and the right to bargain for better treatment in the workplace — they’re all under attack in a concerted effort to increase political inequality by giving big donors and corporate interests more influence in our elections at the expense of everyone else. We’ll explore how these attacks on our democracy are part of a three-pronged effort to give an elite group of wealthy Americans too much power. We’ll show how groups like the Democracy Initiative are mobilizing millions of Americans to come together to fight back and create a more reflective democracy.

Presenters include: Moderator Jerame Davis (PRIDE at Work); Greg Moore (NAACP); Jessica Newman (Communications Workers of America); Nick Nyhart (Every Voice)

Billion $ Wars: How Money Out of Politics Will End American Militarism and Make a More Peaceful World – Longfellow Room, 2nd Floor Big money, private interests, and massive corporations aren’t just buying our elections– they are pushing our country towards costly, never-ending wars. By releasing our political system from the chokehold of big money, we are not only returning the US democracy to its rightful owners, the US citizens, we are striking a blow to the military-industrial complex.

This interactive workshop will help outline how war is about money too, and who is making billions while millions die in unnecessary warfare. Participate in fun activities and group discussions with key figures of the peace movement to see what we can do to create a more peaceful world.

Presenters: Medea Benjamin (CODEPINK); Phyllis Bennis (Institute for Policy Studies); Rebecca Green (CODEPINK); Michael Knox (U.S. Peace Memorial)

Separate & Unequal: DC’s Renewed Struggle for Voting Rights & Equality – Tupper Room Americans who live in Washington, D.C. are a separate and unequal class, bearing all the burdens of citizenship but denied voting representation in the U.S. Congress and the rights of local self-governance.

The workshop will explain the history of second-class citizenship of D.C. residents, and the emergence of the statehood movement in the 1990s, as D.C. grappled with financial and political crisis. Explore the recent circumstances that led to a renewed commitment to statehood as the most straightforward path to equality for the people of Washington, D.C. Learn about the nuts and bolts of creating the state of New Columbia, how we achieved significant momentum in the U.S. Congress since 2010, and the prospect for further advances in 2016.

Presenters will include: Johnny Barnes (Living With the Law); Franklin Garcia (D.C. Shadow Representative); Anisa Jenkins (Stand Up! For Democracy in DC); Kim Perry (DC Vote); Moderator Eugene Puryear (DC Statehood Green Party)

3pm-3:50pm: 2nd Workshop Block

Criminal Justice Reform and Democracy -All Souls Sanctuary With an awesome panel of activists and advocates, this workshop will explore how systemic problems in our democracy, including big money in politics and attack on the right to vote, impede criminal justice reform, and how democracy reforms can help advance criminal justice reforms. We will discuss challenges and identify solutions and opportunities for collective work.

Presenters include Daniel Carillo (Enlace); John P. Comer (Communities United’s successful campaign to restore the vote in Maryland); Damon L. Daniels (Demos); Tam Doan (Every Voice); April Goggans (Black Lives Matter DMV); Reginald Smith (Communities United’s successful campaign to restore the vote in Maryland)

Building Youth Power Around Democracy Issues – Pierce Hall Through our interactive, youth-led workshop, we will discuss issues relevant to youth voters, such as barriers to voting access for young people, the rising costs of college and student debt, and the influence of conservative investors on higher ed curriculum. We will have breakout sessions corresponding to the issues and will focus on the barriers, solutions, and tactics addressing each one. Participants will leave with a one-pager of tangible next steps.

Presenters include: Erik Lampmann (Young People For); Elise Orlick (US PIRG).

Small Donor Democracy: Bringing a National Movement to District Elections – Eaton Room The workshop will focus on small donor empowerment solutions generally, and the DC Fair Elections Coalition in particular. The workshop will commence with an overview of a successful state small donor empowerment program from Maine or Connecticut, from one of the local leaders in the democracy community from those states. Representatives of the DC coalition, whose leadership reflects the diversity of the district, will then discuss how small donor empowerment will advance the cause of racial equity and empower everyday DC residents on issues ranging from housing affordability to living wages and the Exelon deal.

Presenters include: Delvone Michael (DC Working Families); Ericka Taylor (DC Fair Budget Coalition); Congressman John Sarbanes (MD-3); and moderator Emma Boorboor (U.S. PIRG)

How the TPP Trumps Democracy – Longfellow Room

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is the latest sneak attack on our democracy disguised as a “free trade agreement”. Negotiated in secret for seven years with undue influence of 500 corporate advisors, the TPP would expand disastrous rules that incentivize job offshoring, push down wages, threaten our climate, increase unsafe food imports, drive ever higher medicine prices, and subvert our democratic process and courts. The elite political class has systematically misread the depth of voters’ ire about the harm done by 20 years of so-called “free trade” deals supported by Democratic and GOP presidents. Learn how growing public ire about undemocratic, job-killing, polluter-friendly trade policies are shaping the election and how to fight back.

Presenters include: Melinda St. Louis (Public Citizen); Ben Beachy (Sierra Club’s Responsible Trade Program), Mike Dolan (Teamsters); Andrea Miller (People Demanding Action)

Digital Tools for Grassroots Activists – Library

In order for “We The People” to take back our democracy, we need to bring people together and build local campaigns to take back our democracy. We will share skills and tools that activists are using to build civic engagement and collective action at the national level and the local level in campaigns across the country. As a group, we will learn from each other’s experiences, and share digital and organizing strategies to win crucial fights in 2016 and the future.

Presenters will include: Moderator Izzy Bronstein (Common Cause); Emilia Gutierrez (Center for Community Change); Katy Kiefer (Food and Water Watch); Andrew Snyder (TurboVote)

4pm-4:50pm: Solutions – Sanctuary Learn about the top priority and most winnable state and city level campaigns for voting rights, big money in politics and assure the process works for confirming a Supreme Court nominee.

Presenters include: Jamiah Adams (MoveOn); John Bonifaz (Free Speech for People); Ellen Buchman (Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights); Chris Melody Fields Figueredo (Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law); Will Roberts (Every Voice); Zachary Roth (MSNBC)

5pm-5:50pm: State/Local Breakout Sessions – Sanctuary Don’t miss your chance to connect with others and take a stronger more unified movement group and plan home to your state or city. Facilitators will outline 1-2 winnable efforts for voting rights and money in politics reforms in each state, together we’ll come up with a game plan for how to work together after the mobilization and win.

Breakouts are confirmed for New York (Library), Connecticut, District of Columbia (Tupper Room), Maryland (Longfellow Room), and Virginia (Eaton Room) but will cover the mid-Atlantic and more than a dozen states in all from Texas to Michigan to Florida. If you are coming from the South, Midwest, Plains, Southwest or Western part of the country and know there will be 5+ people from your state at the teach-in, please email Dan Smith

6pm-6:50pm: Dinner Break – Pierce Hall Greek food will be available for purchase in limited quantity. Guarantee you’ll get a meal by reserving it in advance. There are other food options in the neighborhood within walking distance though timing is tight.

7pm-9pm: Volunteer & Non-Violent Direct Action Training Volunteers for the Sunday Rally must attend first part of training. Activists MUST attend a training in order to participate in Monday’s Direct Action: Sign up here

7pm-9pm: Evening Program & Film – Pierce Hall

Jamiah Adams (MoveOn) will introduce the premier of MoveOn’s new Voting Rights video with Robert Reich.

Hilary O. Shelton ( NAACP ) will give opening remarks regarding his experience advocating to save lives with background checks in Congress against the NRA’s well-funded opposition.

Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films presents Making a Killing: Guns, Greed and the NRA

Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and The NRA tells the stories of how guns, and the billions made off of them, affect the lives of everyday Americans. It features personal stories from people across the country who have been affected by gun violence, including survivors and victims’ families. The film exposes how the powerful gun companies and the NRA are resisting responsible legislation for the sake of profit – and thereby putting people in danger.

The film looks into gun tragedies that include unintentional shootings, domestic violence, suicides, mass shootings and trafficking – and what we can do to put an end to this profit-driven crisis. Through this film and campaign, Brave New Films will work with partners to fight for a country where public safety is more valued than profit. $5 suggested donation. RSVP

9pm-12 am: After Party at Club Heaven and Hell 2327 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Featuring music by Northeast Corridor , D.C.’s hottest cover band and #1 live karaoke band. Also featuring DC comedians: Max Wolfson ; Kevin Tit ; Matt Dundas ; Kasha Patel ; Dee Ahmed

Plus a special performance by comedian Lee Camp , host of Redacted Tonight with Lee Camp on RT America. $5 suggested donation.

Sunday, April 17th

The events will take place in front of the U.S. Capitol. Gather at 3rd St. NW in front of the Capitol Reflecting pool between Madison Drive NW and Maryland Ave SW.

12:30pm-1pm: Music and Gathering Funk band Aztec Sun will perform

1pm-3pm: Rally for Democracy The Rally for Democracy will feature live music and voices from the democracy movement across the nation who are making positive change for voting rights and the integrity of our elections.

Speakers include: Rev. William Barber II , President of the NC NAACP; Cornell William Brooks , President & CEO of the NAACP; David Goodman , President of the Andrew Goodman Foundation; Wenonah Hauter , Executive Director of the Food and Water Watch; Dolores Huerta , cofounder of the United Farm Workers Union with Cesar Chavez; Jim Hightower , radio commentator & activist; Annie Leonard , Executive Director of Greenpeace USA biologist; Aaron Mair , President of the Sierra Club; Sandra Steingraber , biologist & anti-fracking activist; Reverend Ezra Tillman , First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Flint, Michigan; Robert Weissman , President of Public Citizen

Award-winning a capella group Sweet Honey in the Rock , vocalist and songwriter Rochelle Rice , and jazz artist Mark Meadows will perform. More music and speaker information coming soon.

3pm-4 pm: March around the Capitol We will circle the Capitol to call on Congress to stand up for democracy and stop blocking the reforms we need. We’ll march by the U.S. Supreme Court that issued the disastrous Citizens United and Shelby County rulings which opened up our elections to sustained attack by anti-democratic action by state and private actors working to undermine our right to a voice in our own government. After circling the U.S. Capitol we’ll end up in at Columbus Circle in front of Union station where we’ll hold a Faith rally and folks can board their buses.

March Route

4:30pm-5:30 pm: Faith Rally in Columbus Circle

On Sunday afternoon after marching to Columbus Circle in front of Union Station, Democracy Awakening will be holding a faith vigil at 4:30pm where we will be gathering to lift our voices in prayer and action. Faith leaders will tell the story of “The Golden Calf” and explain how idolatry of money in the United States today is stifling our democracy and therefore that we must get money out of politics.

Presenters will include: Chief Dennis Coker (Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware); Imam Yahya Hendi (Chaplain at Georgetown University); Rev. William Lamar (Metropolitan AME); Rabbi Gilah Langner ; Rabbi Mordechai Liebling (Reconstructionist Rabbinical College); Rev. Linda Olson Peebles (Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington); Rabbi David Shneyer (Am Kollel Synagogue)

5:30-8pm: After the Rally Meet & Greet w/ Latinos Democracy Advocates event hosted by DC Latino Caucus

In support of Democracy Awakening, rally for food, drinks, and specials to meet/network with Latino activist and community leaders working for Democracy! The event will start at 5:30pm to 8pm at a great establishment in one of DC’s diverse neighborhoods, H street.

Where: PoBoy Jim Bar & Grill, 709 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002. Six blocks from Union Station (Columbus Circle)

A percentage of proceeds from sales will be donated to the DC Latino Caucus as we continue to actively work on behalf of Washington, DC residents and the democracy rights of the Latino Community. Facebook Event

7-9pm: Non-Violent Direct Action Training Activists MUST attend a training in order to participate in Monday’s Direct Action: Sign up here .

WHERE: St. Stephen’s Church St. Stephen’s Dining Room (Lower level) – Use side entrance through the small parking lot. 1525 Newton St NW, Washington, DC 20010

Monday, April 18th – Congress of Conscience

Monday please choose between taking part in Direct Action OR the Advocacy Day:

Direct Action

Training: Activists MUST attend a training on Saturday, Sunday, and/or the action briefing on Monday morning. Sign up for training.

Who: Democracy activists: labor, racial justice, faith, environmental groups & hundreds of concerned citizens

Bring: Your ID, $50 cash in case of arrest, your friends, essential medication in its proper prescription bottle.

Wear: Your “Sunday best” – it will show that we are unified and serious about this issue.

8am sharp: Training in the Columbus Club within East Hall inside of Union station . Come early to make sure you make it on time.

845 am: Kickoff Rally at Columbus Circle

9:45am: Step off for action

For more information: Check out direct action page and the Activist FAQ .

Advocacy Day

Gather with attendees from Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) for kickoff at Area 9 on Capitol Hill between Northwest Drive and 1st St SE directly to the right of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center

9am-9:45am: Kickoff begins On Monday morning, April 18th before the Democracy Awakening Lobby Day we will have a “sending forth” with faith leaders and members of Congress before we head to their offices to advocate for voting rights and getting money out of politics.

Presenters include: Marge Baker (People for the American Way); Doug Grace (Ecumenical Advocacy Days); Pastor Barry Hargrove (Prince of Peace Baptist Church, Baltimore); Rabbi Barbara Weinstein (Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism)

10am: Leave kickoff grounds

10:30am: Assemble at House and Senate staging areas for Lobby Day trainings (EAD folks will start meetings.)

11:30am: Complete trainings, including assignment and materials distribution

11:30am-12:30 pm: Lunch on your own – There are cafeterias in the House and Senate office buildings that offer very good food.

12:30pm-4:30pm: Meetings (targets and home delegations)

Pay2Play Screening and Panel Discussion at U.S. Capitol

7pm: Please join for a discussion on the influence of money in politics with Rep. Ted Lieu, Rep. John Sarbanes, Marge Baker, and Frances Moore Lappé followed by a viewing of the film Pay 2 Play: Democracy’s High Stakes hosted by Rep. Ted Lieu.

According to a 2015 New York Times Poll, 84 percent of Americans agree that money plays too large of a role in politics. At this event, there will be a conversation about how Congress can fix our broken democracy and bills that have been proposed to restore American’s faith in their elected officials. The film features experts including: Robert Reich, Lawrence Lessig, Jack Abramoff and more.

Speakers include: Rep. Ted Lieu ; Rep. John Sarbanes ; Marge Baker (People for the American Way); Frances Moore Lappé (Small Planet Institute, author of Diet for a Small Planet).

Where: U.S. Capitol Visitor Center North Theater, enter at First Street and East Capitol Street on the East side of the U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC.

RSVP here or by emailing [email protected].

SOLD OUT: Heather Cox Richardson with Rebecca Solnit / Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America

10/04/2023 7:00 pm PDT

First Presbyterian Church of Oakland

2619 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

From $36.00

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The Awakening Tour 2024 Announced

This fall Awakening Foundation, powered by Awakening Events, presents The Awakening Tour in October. Featuring award-winning artists Casting Crowns, We The Kingdom, Mac Powell, Katy Nichole, Terrian and David Leonard, The Awakening Tour will be an evening that will leave you feeling refreshed, inspired, and encouraged.

The Awakening Tour is not just a concert; it's a spiritual awakening, a gathering of souls united in the joy of music and the power of faith. Presented by Food For the Hungry, K-LOVE, and Air1, the tour will begin on October 2nd and run through the month concluding on the 26th.

Tickets go on sale Monday, April 15 at 12pm ET/11am CT. The artist line-up will vary by city, so please check the tour page and local listings for the details. Click here for tickets . Official tour dates are listed below. 

Oct. 2 - Jacksonville, FL - Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena

Oct. 3 - Sunrise, FL (Fort Lauderdale) - Amerant Bank Arena

Oct. 4 - Albany, GA - Albany Civic Center

Oct. 5 - Pensacola, FL - Pensacola Bay Center

Oct. 10 - Raleigh, NC - PNC Arena

Oct. 11 - Philadelphia, PA - Liacouras Center

Oct. 12 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Centre

Oct. 15 - Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Oct. 17 - Omaha, NE - Baxter Arena at University of Nebraska Omaha

Oct. 18 - Green Bay, WI - Resch Center

Oct. 19 - Rockford, IL - BMO Center

Oct. 20 - Cedar Rapids, IA - Alliant Energy PowerHouse

Oct. 23 - Corbin, KY - Corbin Arena

Oct. 24 - Columbia, SC - Colonial Life Arena

Oct. 25 - Clarksville, TN - F&M Bank Arena

Oct. 26 - Huntsville, AL - Propst Arena at Von Braun Center

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