The Power of Protest: Choosing Liberation Beyond the Ballot
Why I Voted for Change Outside This System—and What True Freedom Demands of Us
As we face another election cycle, I’m reminded of the countless times we’ve been told that voting is our only real power—that if we want change, we must choose between imperfect options and hope for the best. But this time, I made a different choice. This time, I cast a protest vote. It’s not that I don’t believe in change, but rather that I believe true liberation can’t be contained in a ballot box, especially when none of the options speak to the real needs of our communities.
For too long, we’ve watched as the system fails those it was never designed to protect. We’ve witnessed how it asks for our participation without accountability, for our voices without genuine representation. And while the urgency of this moment might feel new to some, especially those who haven’t felt this weight before, for many of us, it’s a cycle we know too well. So today, I’m choosing to reclaim my voice not as a plea for this system’s validation but as a call to build something better, outside of its walls.
This is my invitation to rethink what change can look like and to imagine liberation not as something handed down, but as something we hold and create together.
In this election, I made the decision to cast a protest vote. This choice isn’t because I don't believe in change, but because I recognize that none of these candidates truly represent the people—the real needs of the people. Voting is often treated as the only power we have, but real power, true liberation, comes from building parallel systems within and outside of these oppressive structures, creating communities where we lessen our dependency on a government that has proven, time and again, it does not have our best interests at heart.
Many, particularly white folks, are now rallying fervently, louder than I’ve seen in some time. I recognize that for many, this urgency is born from the realization that this system is impacting them now, much like it impacted their ancestors who came here as serfs or immigrants. They feel the pressure and the weight of an unjust system clamping down on their necks, and they’re asking for help, for us to save them. But there’s a blindness here—a forgetfulness of the privilege that allowed them to forget.
They’ve forgotten what it’s like to be on the other side. To be the ones constantly forced to fight to breathe, to live, to survive. And now, as the cycle turns and they face their own reckoning, the call comes to us to lift them up while they still assume they can somehow "save" us as Black people.
The truth is, this hellscape wasn’t built overnight. These systems have always been here, and they were created to control and oppress. Racism and anti-Blackness only sharpen their cruelty. We have been talking about this. We have been putting in the work to dismantle it. But what we find, again and again, is that many white folks are more invested in "progress" at a pace they find comfortable. They ask us to wait, to have patience with their "learning." And yet, after all these years, the needle hasn’t moved nearly enough. Because their sense of movement is measured against our oppression rather than by their own action.
If we are to dismantle these systems, it’s going to take something far deeper than voting for the lesser of evils. It will require real awareness, radical solidarity, and an abandonment of saviorism. You cannot save anyone if you cannot save yourself. And you cannot save yourself while clinging to the very systems that are designed to harm and subjugate. So my protest vote is a call for us to recognize that liberation doesn’t start or end with the ballot. It starts with us, with the work we do every day to build something outside of the systems that were never meant to sustain us.
Instead of looking to institutions that have repeatedly failed, we can find strength in solidarity, in mutual aid, and in each other. When we center ourselves, our communities, our mutual care, we remind ourselves that change is in our hands—that liberation is not something handed down from power but cultivated among the people.
We’ve been taught that choosing between two evils is better than no choice at all, yet every cycle, that choice feels more like an illusion. True change cannot come from a system built on choosing between versions of oppression.
Our ancestors knew this, knew that liberation is not an invitation to negotiate with power but a demand to reclaim what was taken from us. I stand in honor of their resistance, their resilience, and the lessons they left for us.
Liberation is a daily commitment. It’s in the choices we make to uplift, to resist, to build something real. My protest vote is one moment, but the work of liberation calls us forward in every moment.
What does liberation look like to you if we aren’t counting on this system to deliver it? What can you begin building, right where you are? Allow me to offer some suggestions and actionable steps.
Actionable Steps to Build Parallel Systems and Community:
Start Local with Mutual Aid
Mutual aid networks are powerful ways to support one another, especially outside of traditional systems. Organize or join a local mutual aid group that focuses on sharing resources—food, money, housing assistance, or skills. These networks help us rely on each other instead of institutions that often fail us.Practice Cooperative Economics
Invest in and support Black-owned, Indigenous-owned, and community-centered businesses. Consider cooperative ownership models where profits and decision-making are shared equally among members. This builds collective economic power and reduces dependence on exploitative corporate systems.Create or Participate in Healing Circles
Community care is essential in oppressive systems that harm us emotionally and mentally. Organize or join healing circles rooted in collective care, where people can process trauma, celebrate victories, and build deep, meaningful connections through shared experiences.Develop Community Education Spaces
Foster spaces for learning and unlearning. Organize workshops, reading groups, or discussion forums focused on liberation, decolonization, and anti-oppression work. These can be in-person or online, but the key is creating consistent spaces where people can come together to learn and grow.Grow and Share Food Locally
Food sovereignty is a fundamental part of liberation. Start community gardens, share produce, and educate one another on growing food. These acts help reclaim autonomy over what nourishes us and reduce reliance on harmful, profit-driven food systems.Build Skill-Sharing Networks
In a parallel system, we need diverse skills—everything from farming and carpentry to tech support and caregiving. Create a skill-sharing network within your community where people can offer and receive services, creating a system of exchange rooted in cooperation and mutual benefit.Engage in Participatory Decision-Making
Traditional governance structures are often hierarchical and exclusive. Build community-led decision-making processes that involve everyone’s voice. This could mean creating neighborhood councils or participatory budgeting groups that determine how resources are allocated and decisions are made collectively.Establish Safe Spaces for Dialogue
Host regular community gatherings where people can discuss their needs, goals, and visions for the future. These spaces are crucial for building trust, solidarity, and shared responsibility. Whether it's through dinners, forums, or virtual meetings, creating a consistent place to connect helps nurture real relationships.Practice Resource Redistribution
For those with privilege or access to resources, actively redistribute wealth, opportunities, and knowledge within your community. This could mean donating funds, offering free services, or making space for marginalized voices in leadership positions.Decolonize Your Relationships
Supremacy culture shows up in how we relate to one another. Begin observing where power imbalances, control, or saviorism appear in your relationships. Actively work to shift towards relationships built on equity, mutual respect, and shared liberation.
These steps are just the beginning, but they offer a tangible way to move from theory to praxis. The goal is not to rely on existing systems but to build ones where we hold each other, care for each other, and thrive outside of structures that have never been meant to serve us.
In solidarity and liberation,
Thankyou for another stirring description of what true liberty might look like. No matter who you vote for, the items on your agenda are important for us all. I voted Harris because I cannot and will not endorse the other candidate. The question is, can she hear the message of liberation or will she be another political hack. I hope we get the chance to find out. However, at the same time your ideas, Desiree, are right on. Blessings.
I hear you on wanting to make some serious change ( and, BTW I love your newsletter). I voted Kamala and here is why. At the end of the day I have to ask myself, Do I want to be right, or do the right thing? And for me, there is no choice. With Kamala, we get a piece of cake and with Trump, we get no cake. If we elect Kamala, we can start knocking on her door and state our case for what we want to change, starting with Gaza. With Trump, we will get arrested for protesting. I also can't turn my back on the women who can not even vote, whose reproductive rights are on the line. I have voted third party in the past. As a 55 year old women, I have a different perspective now. I have seen how the Nader vote gave us George Bush and set us back. I look at voting, not as an identity, but as a pathway. Kamala is a pathway to making the kind of change I want to see. Too many lives are at stake for me to feel "right." I must do the right thing for not me, but for all, who are living right now, and have a lot to lose.