Woody Guthrie

How “This Land Is Your Land” Went From Protest Song to Singalong

Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” has lost a bit of its protest oomph—in part because of a decades-long denial of its later verses.
Gene Sharp

“A refusal by subjects to obey”: Gene Sharp’s Theory of Nonviolence

Gene Sharp, repeatedly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, has been called the "Machiavelli of nonviolence" and the "Clausewitz of nonviolent warfare."
petition

What’s With All The Petitions?

The last clause of the First Amendment guarantees the right to "petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Where did this idea come from?
Civil Rights Marchers

Does Street Protest Matter?

Americans have turned to street protests to achieve their political goals—while critics have warned that this kind of public action won’t change anything.
James Baldwin

Why James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time Still Matters

For James Baldwin (1924-1987), the fundamental premises of American society needed revisiting. How we might view #BlackLivesMatter through his lens.
CNTE protests

The Bloody Results of Mexico’s High-Stakes School Testing

Mexico’s struggle for education reform has been a long journey paved in protests. Today's struggles have been a long time in the making.
Mogadishu,Somalia-April, 30, 2013 :A general view of the tent camp where thousands of Somali immigrants on April 30, 2013, in Mogadishu,Somalia.

The Power of Tent City Politics

How demonstrators can use their collective strength to force local governments to address a set of grievances.