During Nazi Germany, most ordinary citizens chose silence. The White Rose students, pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg are examples of outliers who actively opposed the regime. However, historians estimate that only 1–2% of the German population resisted.
Now, America is facing its own rise of authoritarianism and a troubling surge in hate. Thankfully, many more Americans than Germans are interested in protesting and resisting. The current regime only won the election with 49.7% of the vote, which shows that most Americans do not want what this current administration offers.
But many also wonder what we can do when speaking out feels risky and activism seems overwhelming. It’s completely understandable to worry about how activism might affect your job, your relationships, or your family. These concerns are real and legitimate.
My Own Balancing Act
Like many of you, my husband and I lead truly ordinary lives. We’re older, and I’m managing an autoimmune disorder and need benefits like healthcare. Even our shared last name holds significance because my political views aren’t always aligned with his. When I speak out, I try to balance authenticity with respect for our shared identity.
It’s not easy. I had to get an education on how to do it. I’ve learned that quiet but deliberate actions like speaking honestly in my community, making thoughtful consumer choices, and supporting trustworthy groups help me resist effectively without jeopardizing our stability or integrity.
The Everyday Power of Nonviolent Resistance
Many of you have studied Martin Luther King Jr. and his commitment to nonviolent resistance. He famously said, “The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community. The aftermath of nonviolence is redemption.”
Thankfully, he’s not alone.
Gene Sharp (1928–2018), an American political scientist, believed ordinary people have immense power to resist injustice without violence or sacrificing their livelihoods. Sharp founded the Albert Einstein Institution in 1983, inspired by Einstein’s advocacy for peace and personal integrity.
Sharp’s research was based on real-life struggles: Gandhi’s peaceful fight for independence, America’s Civil Rights Movement, and even the small internal resistance to Nazis during WWII. He developed 198 methods of non-violent actions that anyone could use:
- Protest and Persuasion: Everyday acts like petitions, quiet symbolic gestures, or attending peaceful demonstrations.
- Noncooperation: Simple actions like choosing where you spend your money, participating in community boycotts, or supporting labor rights without risking your job.
- Nonviolent Intervention: Actions like participating in community sit-ins or supporting alternative local initiatives and institutions.
These aren’t extreme gestures reserved for the brave few. Sharp’s strategies are everyday, realistic ways to challenge injustice effectively and safely.
His influential book, From Dictatorship to Democracy, provided a worldwide roadmap for peaceful resistance movements. Today, the Albert Einstein Institution website continues this work, offering practical resources, training, and strategies that ordinary people can use safely and effectively.
Real-Life Examples You Can Trust
Here are even more scholars and activists who build on Sharp’s ideas, showing us how achievable effective resistance can be:
- Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan, in Why Civil Resistance Works, proved that peaceful movements are twice as effective as violent ones, often involving people with everyday lives and responsibilities.
- Mark and Paul Engler, authors of This Is an Uprising, share stories of successful resistance movements in which ordinary people used manageable actions to create lasting change.
- Jack DuVall‘s series, A Force More Powerful, vividly showcases ordinary citizens successfully resisting oppression through practical, everyday methods.
And here are contemporary thinkers who emphasize how accessible and necessary this resistance is today:
- Timothy Snyder‘s book On Tyranny offers straightforward, manageable advice on how ordinary people can recognize and oppose authoritarianism early and safely.
- Jason Stanley, in How Fascism Works, clarifies how propaganda and misinformation can be challenged simply by informed conversations and critical thinking in our everyday lives.
Activists like César Chávez, Ella Baker, and Stacey Abrams show us how practical, consistent actions by ordinary citizens can bring about profound change without unnecessary risk to their personal stability.
Small Steps, Big Impact
Gene Sharp taught that change starts when ordinary people quietly but deliberately withdraw their consent from injustice. If you’re like me and worried about the future but feel cautious about what resistance might mean for you personally, start small:
- Talk honestly and respectfully with neighbors, family, and friends about important issues.
- Make informed decisions about where you spend your money and whom you support.
- Join community groups that match your comfort level, ensuring your voice is heard without risking your life.
You don’t need to risk everything to make a difference. Your small, steady actions count. History doesn’t have to repeat itself, but silence and apathy ensure it does.