Keeping Ourselves Safe as Fascism Rises
Episode Description
Che Johnson-Long and Ken Montenegro, two longtime community security and safety practitioners, join the Fascism Barometer to discuss how to increase our safety in the face of rising fascism. Ejeris, Che, and Ken discuss safety planning tips for individuals and organizations, including resistance and survival strategies that can be combined to make us safer in the short and long term.
About Che
Che Johnson-Long is an abolitionist who can’t leave well enough alone. She is currently the Community Safety Education Coordinator at Vision Change Win and serves as a board member of Third Wave's Accountable Futures Fund Advisory Council. Before this, Che organized with the Racial Justice Action Center, the Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative, and the Safe OUTside the System Collective of the Audre Lorde Project. She comes from a long line of Blues singers and calls Atlanta, GA home.
About Ken
Ken Montenegro (he/him/el) is a technologist with over 25 years working with mission-driven organizations, groups, and formations. He deeply believes in people power and the demystification of systems. He also provides limited-scope consulting with a focus on digital transformation and holistic security.
Ken was born and raised in Los Angeles, has a law degree from Peoples College of Law, and is a co-founder of the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition. He has served on the boards of many nonprofits and is a past Vice President of the National Lawyers Guild. Ken is a founding member of the Progressive Security Alliance and is a proud collaborator of the Vision Change Win National Community Safety and Security School. Ken has been a speaker at various venues on issues such as digital security, fighting online fascism, and resisting surveillance + state violence.
About Ejeris
Ejeris is a political strategist passionate about strengthening liberation movements and building community safety. Ejeris serves as the Fascism Barometer's "movement meteorologist," exploring the impact of fascist movements on communities of color, queer and trans communities, and all marginalized people. Having worked for the past twenty-five years at the intersections of racial justice, LGBTQ liberation, anti-violence, transformative justice, and economic justice movements, Ejeris focuses on creating political and strategic experiments to strengthen social justice movements through the organization Ejerie Labs.
Resources
Reading
Vision Change Win’s Safety Tools:
Jack Aponte, “Anti-Fascist Digital Security”
CUNY’s CLEAR (Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility), Know Your Rights Resources for navigating law enforcement
ACLU, Know Your Rights
Center for Constitutional Rights, “If An Agent Knocks”
Defending Rights and Dissent, “Still Spying on Dissent: The Enduring Problem of FBI First Amendment Abuse”
The New Republic, “The Who’s Who on Kash Patel’s Crazy Enemies List”
South End Press, “War at Home: Covert Action Against US Activists and What We Can Do About It”
Community Movement Builders, “What is a Cop City?”
ACLU, “RICO and Domestic Terrorism Charges Against Stop Cop City Activists Send a Chilling Message”
Listening
WNYC, Brian Lehrer Show, “100 Years of 100 Things: Fascism”
Action
Learn more about community safety and security with Vision Change Win and the Progressive Safety Alliance
Mijente is hosting a deportation defense training series
Attend the Women’s March’s Mass Training on Women’s Self-Defense and Protection
Support The Fascism Barometer to continue to create the pod and produce resources on fighting fascism!
Check out the resource hub!