Julie Wilder is in conversation with grassroots organizer Stephanie Porter, discussing the challenges and strategies for democracy in America. They discuss the importance of community, mutual aid, and long-term organizing, emphasizing the need for resilience and adaptability in the face of political challenges. Porter shares insights from a paper on future scenarios and the necessity of building strong, connected organizations. They also touch on the impact of the pandemic, the role of emotions in activism, and the importance of community engagement and joy in resistance efforts.
Action Items
Get involved with an organization like Florida Rising to support power-building efforts.
Explore ways to build community, throw parties, and have fun while organizing.
Read Getting Ready & Staying Ready, a paper detailing the takeaways from an initiative by Future Currents which designed and ran 2025-26 governing scenario exercises with over 800 staff and board members of about 300 grassroots power-building organizations, policy shops, national networks, and philanthropies with a list of recommended Priority Actions for movement makers.
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"There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns." – Octavia Butler
About Stephanie Porta
Connect on bluesky @stefonfire.bsky.social or here on substack
Stephanie Porta has spent the last 24 years working — through various strategies and entities, including community organizing, ballot initiatives, corporate campaigns, local, state, and national legislative campaigns, and elections — to support working-class communities and communities of color in their fight for equity, dignity, and the power to decide their own destinies.
As co-founder and executive director of Organize Florida and Florida Rising, she focused on building a people-powered statewide organization to even the playing field for people versus corporations and fill the gap of Florida ACORN, where she previously served as state director until right-wing attacks shuttered the organization.
As co-founder and board member for Florida for All, she demonstrated her commitment to organizational alignment and a shared belief that transformational politics can shift economic and governing power toward equity and inclusivity. As the owner of SKP Strategy LLC, she currently supports power-building organizations across the nation on the front lines of defeating the fascism that has engulfed her home state, Florida.
Stephanie’s Recommended Reading
About Front Porch Radio
Front Porch Radio award-winning talk-variety show hosted by
and airs live on WPRK 91.5FM in Winter Park, Florida. The program focus is on Conversations for the Common Good. We spotlight people and issues that celebrate and cultivate a vibrant & people-empowered culture.
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