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Authoritarianism is not just about seizing power in the abstract—it is also about stripping people of their rights. Nowhere is that more clear than in the assault on women’s autonomy, because autocracy thrives when fundamental freedoms are taken away.
This summer marked three years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, eradicating the federal protections on abortion and reproductive freedom, and handing states the power to impose extreme restrictions or outright bans. The fallout has been devastating. Women have been hospitalized, dragged into court, and some have died as a direct result of Roe’s reversal.
This week, I’m spotlighting a few places where we’ve been digging into that fight and the broader struggle against authoritarianism—in case you missed them.
🎙️ Assembly Required (Our 50th Episode!)
Last week marked the 50th episode of Assembly Required—a milestone in our fight to understand and push back against authoritarianism. I’m deeply grateful for every single one of our listeners who tune in each week and make this work possible.
We spoke with best-selling author Jessica Valenti to break down the current state of the fight for abortion access. We were also joined by Monica Simpson, executive director of the pioneering women-of-color reproductive justice collective SisterSong, who dug into what’s happening on the frontlines in the South. Together, they laid out how attacks on abortion are central to authoritarianism, and how defending reproductive rights is defending democracy itself.
Listen to the episode below:
📱Substack Live: Reclaiming Power Against Autocracy
I joined Adam Klasfeld yesterday for a Substack LIVE conversation about how we push back against Donald Trump’s authoritarian actions. We talked about how we can flip that script and build the inverse: a playbook for reclaiming freedom and power.
Our first job is recognition: naming the authoritarian threat for what it is. But our second job is to shrug off fear and move into action. We’re seeing nationwide protests like #NoKings, #HandsOff, and Workers Over Billionaires, as well as grassroots local organizing, from VA clinics to community spaces. Dissent must remain visible, resilient, and directed into real power.
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TIME Ideas: “We Can Stop the Rise of American Autocracy”
In case you missed it: read the piece I co-authored with Professor Kim Lane Scheppele for TIME Ideas laying out why democracy still has the tools to resist authoritarianism, and how we can use them. There’s nothing inevitable about autocracy. We can stop it, but only if we act.
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Learn & Do More
Too often we organize only in reaction to attacks. But democracy requires imagination as much as resistance. This week, I want you to envision what good policy looks like—not just what might pass, or how to patch what’s broken, but what we truly deserve.
Drop your ideas in the comments. Let’s start building those better ideas today.
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