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Jane Fonda: The only way to take our country back is one person at a time
09/05/2019
SCRANTON, PA – Working America organizers go door-to-door in neighborhoods across the country to speak with our members about the issues they care about, and how together, we can improve the lives of working people. Working America Education Fund board member and longtime activist Jane Fonda recently joined our field team in Scranton, PA, to hear from our members on their doorsteps. She shared her experience canvassing with us in a Washington Post op-ed.
Jane is clear about her fears for democracy and the growing divisions among us and the rest of the planet. But she’s also clear about a path forward that includes Working America. She writes:
Fear can be so powerful, but what overcomes fear is connection … All working people, no matter their race, ethnicity, gender, faith, or sexual orientation or gender identity, need a stake and a say in our society — and they all need to hear that they’re part of “We the People.”
Here at Working America, we believe that we can bridge divides by holding respectful conversations with people and showing that there’s more that unites than divides us. We know from 11 million conversations over the past 15 years that working people across the country believe in a shared economic agenda that includes access to good jobs, health care and quality public education. But in our current environment, it’s sometimes hard to cut through the noise on TV and figure out who’s a champion for working people. Face-to-face conversations, as Jane explains, is one of the best ways to do it.
“Authentic engagement works — it’s a no-brainer … I’ve seen the power of face-to-face contact since I became an activist five decades ago.”
Establishing relationships with working people the way Jane did this month in Scranton will help heal divisions and lay the groundwork for support for working-family policies in 2020 and beyond. Jane recounts from her own experience canvassing:
“A respectful conversation that started with their concerns and opinions hooked each of them, so when Working America goes back, the door is open to information from a new trusted messenger, which can encourage them to take action on issues they care about and vote with that new information in mind.”
That way, “We can start the process of healing and winning back our country one conversation at a time.”
Be sure to read Jane’s Washington Post op-ed and share with your friends and family.