VIDEO: A Blueprint For Countering American Fascism

Our First Annual Henry A. Wallace Symposium offered lessons from real-life heartland organizers on how to fight for a multiracial democracy — and the better future we all deserve.

By Olivia Alperstein, Institute for Policy Studies

On July 22, supporters packed into a crowded event space at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C., and hundreds more tuned in online, to watch a symposium on “Countering American Fascism: Lessons from Organizing in the U.S. Heartland.”

This First Annual Henry A. Wallace Symposium was presented by the Institute for Policy Studies, the Wallace Global Fund, and The Nation and co-sponsored by Busboys and Poets. It served as the capstone event for the Henry A. Wallace Fellowship Program at IPS, which is supported by the Wallace Global Fund and provides mentorship, training, and research opportunities for the next generation of progressive public scholars.

An inspiring array of speakers shared lessons from organizing, movement building, deep canvassing work, and Henry A. Wallace’s own life. Together, they highlighted how social movements are countering the dangerous force of American fascism by building an alternative vision: a multi-racial democracy and an economy that works for us all.

You can watch the full event here. A summary follows.