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A World in Crisis

I begin this with a heavy heart as I witness the turmoil unfolding in our world: Israel has bombed Iran, escalating tensions into what may become a full-scale Middle East war. In Los Angeles, a California senator was unlawfully arrested while attempting to question the Secretary of Homeland Security. President Trump staged a show of authoritarian force with a military-style parade in Washington, D.C., and unlawfully called out the National Guard in Los Angeles. Immigrants are being arrested at work, and even small children are being detained. A Minnesota state legislator and her husband were assassinated.

Closer to home, here in San Francisco's Mission District, vandals broke into “Maney’s,” a cherished community gathering space, scrawling vile antisemitic graffiti—an ugly contradiction to the Bay Area’s legacy of acceptance and respect for diversity. These acts underscore a rising tide of hatred and division that threatens the very fabric of our society.

Rejecting Apathy

It would be easy to slide into despair—or to simply shrug and say, “This doesn’t concern me.” But I know neither response is right for me. I recently received a sticker from an organization I support. It reads: “Apathy is NOT an option.” That message resonates deeply. To be apathetic is to betray my belief in justice, equality, and the moral obligation to act in the face of discrimination and injustice.

Redefining Hope

I’ve just finished reading the updated edition of Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit. In it, she powerfully reframes hope—not as naïve optimism, but as a commitment to possibility, to action, and to the belief that our efforts matter, even when the outcomes remain unknown. She describes hope as grounded in uncertainty—not despite it, but because of it. It is uncertainty that opens the space for change.

The Power of Collective Resistance

Solnit reminds us that transformative victories have come from movements born out of this kind of hope. She insists that popular power has always been a force for change. Authoritarianism thrives in silence and complacency; it falters when it meets collective resistance. That’s why hope must fuel our participation in protests, our organizing, our advocacy—in all the ways we stand against injustice, from deportations and detentions to assaults on democracy itself.

Many of us protested on “No Kings Day.” Experts estimate that over five million people took to the streets across the country. This massive act of public resistance stood in stark contrast to Trump’s militarized spectacle—a show of power intended to instill fear and submission. But hope propelled us forward.

Learning from History

We don’t always know the outcome of our actions. But history shows us that even small efforts, sustained over time, can lead to powerful change. Women stood in the rain, endured prison, and agitated for more than seventy-five years before the 19th Amendment granted them the right to vote. Early efforts for LGBTQ rights seemed to make little headway until the riots at Stonewall in the late 1960s catalyzed a national movement that led, decades later, to marriage equality.

Grief and Hope Can Coexist

We grieve the erosion of our democracy, the silencing of dissent, the stripping away of protections for equality, justice, education, health, and the environment. We mourn the dismantling of federal support for vulnerable families and children. And yet, in this grief, hope gives us room to act. It reminds us that what we do still matters. It sustains our commitment to democracy and fuels resistance.

Stories That Light the Way

Change is never guaranteed to be for the better. But stories from our past give us strength: the Civil Rights Movement in the American South; the fall of the Berlin Wall; the victory of Polish dock workers; the end of apartheid in South Africa. These were not sudden or easy wins—they were hard-fought struggles led by people who acted with courage and hope, without certainty, and with unwavering commitment to a better future.

Change is rarely permanent or complete. It often comes in tiny or partial victories. But even dormant seeds of hope can rouse the sleeping giant of public will.

Carrying Hope Forward

In this uncertain time, let us carry hope as a lantern—lighting the way, however dimly, through the darkness of our shared future.