How to Get Involved with
One Million Rising
in CA-District 1
As they say at the No Kings events,
"We've got friends everywhere."
Even for those of us who are quieter introverts, the call is true because so many people have family and friends everywhere.
That's how grassroots organizations like ours work. We rely on our families, friends, on our communities, to spread the word that the things we all see happening around us are not normal and they're not what we want to see our democracy become.
That's why Indivisible and their national partners developed One Million Rising, to help teach all of us how to have these conversations. It is a national effort to train one million people in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation, and the basics of community organizing.
We don't have to be teachers or public speakers to participate. We just have to pay attention to what's happening, and get involved to help speak out about it, and so many of us are already doing that. Just imagine what would happen if we reached out to just ten of our friends, and they reached out to ten of theirs... we all add up, together.
What is
One Million Rising?
Build Community, Block by Block
Change doesn't start in Washington. It starts at your kitchen table, on your front porch, and on your street.
One Million Rising is a national initiative to train everyday people in the art of community organizing, not protests or petitions, but the quiet, powerful work of building real relationships with the people around you. One million people talking to their neighbors adds up to a few million people talking to each other, fairly quickly! Those numbers will produce real change at the local and state level, and that will translate to national awareness and participation.
Because when neighbors know and trust each other, they show up for each other. And communities that show up for each other are communities that can't be ignored.
In Chico and across CA District 1, we're taking this idea literally, encouraging neighbors to host block parties, backyard gatherings, neighborhood potlucks, and small community meetups where people can come together, have a good time, and start the kinds of conversations that matter.
No experience required. No political background needed. Just a willingness to connect with your neighbors.
What is a Community Gathering?
A community gathering can be almost anything. The format doesn't matter. What matters is bringing people together in a comfortable, low-pressure setting where real conversation can happen naturally.
These aren't political rallies or recruitment drives. They're neighbor events, the kind of gathering where you finally learn the names of the people who live two doors down, where someone mentions a local issue they've been worried about, where people living here in Chico find out there are other people nearby who share their concerns.
That's it. That's the whole thing. And it turns out it's enormously powerful.
Why does this matter?
Most people who care deeply about what's happening in our country feel isolated. They think their neighbors don't share their concerns, or they don't know how to start the conversation. They're waiting for someone else to do something.
In an authoritarian regime, the isolation is the goal of the oppressors. They are threatened by the exchange of ideas, by the awareness of their citizenry's rights, and by the simple act of sharing the truth. Fighting that has to start at the individual level, neighbor to neighbor, talking to each other and caring about each other. Authoritarians thrive on isolated citizens only caring about themselves and dehumanizing each other.
A block party changes that dynamic instantly. When you host one — even a small one, even imperfect — you signal to everyone who shows up that they're not alone. That there are people nearby who are paying attention. That community is possible.
The goal of One Million Rising is simple: if one million people each reach out to ten neighbors, and those neighbors each reach out to ten more, the number of engaged, connected Americans grows faster than any campaign or march could achieve on its own.
It starts with you hosting a gathering on your street.
How to Get Started
Step One
Watch the One Million Rising information sessions. Learn more about the historical and modern contexts of the situations our country has found itself in today. Consider the different approaches to the problems and determine which you are interested in helping solve.
Step Two
Reach out to your family, friends, and others in your circles. Start the important conversations to help spread the understanding. It's about establishing connections, maintaining friendly ties, and working from groups where you're all comfortable enough to share ideas.
Step Three
Host Community Resistance Gatherings. Introduce more people to the ideas behind the One Million Rising sessions, one small group at a time. Together, your groups can brainstorm new ideas, new approaches, that are unique and effective to your communities.
Dive in to the Trainings
One Million Rising
Printable Resources
These resources were created by Indivisible and their national partners for use with the One Million Rising project. You can also find them in their toolkit!
We are providing the printable versions here for your convenience.
Questions?
We're here to help.
Planning your first block party and not sure where to start? We've helped people do this all over Butte County and we're happy to walk you through it.
Email us: infoteam@indivisiblechico.org — put "Block Party Help" in the subject line and we'll get back to you ASAP.
We can help you think through the format, review your invitation, talk through how to handle tricky conversations, and connect you with other neighborhood hosts in your area.
You don't have to go big. You just have to start.
The most powerful thing you can do right now isn't attend a march or sign a petition. It's really just to walk across the street and introduce yourself to the neighbor you've never met.
That's where community starts. That's where democracy lives. And that's what One Million Rising is asking you to do.
Your street. Your neighbors. Your move.
We are not alone.
We can handle these challenges together.
It's more important than ever that we reach out to our friends, families, neighbors, and broader community, and bring each other in, shoulder to shoulder. We're all share our hometowns, we share our humanity, and we all have rights.
We can't let each other forget what we share.