This Week in Indivisible Akron News
Answers to a few FAQs, get the Guide to Indivisible Akron, and this week's CTAs
Quick Answers to Your FAQs
Are we doing anything for Good Trouble Lives On on July 17? Indivisible Akron isn’t organizing an event, but several of our friends are, including Medina Indivisible, Crooked River Action, Akron PSL and 50501. Please scroll down to the CTAs (calls to action) for a list of nearby events.
Why aren’t we doing anything for July 17? Indivisible Akron’s steering committee opted to take off the month of July — from both hosting rallies and our general meeting. We’re taking the month to focus on administrative and organizational tasks for Indivisible Akron. We hope you’ll join us for our mini-zine folding party on July 14 and all the other small-group events listed below.
When is our next monthly meeting? Our next monthly general meeting is Aug. 11. This will be a good one: We’re welcoming author and political activist David Pepper as our guest speaker. RSVP is required. It will take place at the main branch of the Akron-Summit library.
Now, on to business …
😔 Send a Note of Thanks & Encouragement
As we recover from the deep disappointment of last week in Washington D.C. and Columbus, let’s take a moment to send thank you messages to the elected officials who fought for us. Let them know that the people support elected officials who listen — if they have our backs, we’ll have theirs!
Congresswoman Emilia Sykes, (330) 400-5350 or (202) 225-6265 “I introduced six amendments … all of which were voted down on a party-line vote. I strongly pushed back on Republican attempts to cut Medicaid, SNAP, and ACA coverage and implored my colleagues to work across the aisle to put together a budget that lowers costs, improves opportunity, and expands access to health care.”
State Senator Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) (614) 466-7041, who voted to oppose House Bill 96. “This budget represents a fundamental misalignment of Ohio's values. While cutting research that could save children's lives, it provides substantial tax breaks for the wealthiest Ohioans and diverts $600 million in unclaimed funds, money that belongs to Ohioans, to subsidize a professional sports stadium. Meanwhile, our public schools face a multi-billion dollar funding shortfall, working families receive no meaningful property tax relief, and nearly 800,000 Ohioans risk losing Medicaid coverage.”
State Representative Derrick Hall (D-Akron) (614) 466-1177, who voted “NO” on House Bill 96, saying, “This budget is an absolute failure for everyday Ohioans.”
State Representative Veronica R. Sims (D-Akron) (614) 644-6037, who voted “NO” on House Bill 96, and said, “Again, budgets are about choices, and the choices made even in the items vetoed did not go far enough to prioritize everyday Ohioans.”
📓 Get the Guide to Indivisible Akron
Learn more about who we are, how we originated, where we meet, and how you can get involved. Get the Guide to Indivisible Akron (Google account required; email indivisibleakron@gmail.com to request a PDF version). The guide includes:
Our mission & vision statements
Our origin story (it’s short)
Where you can find Indivisible Akron
How you can support us
How you can get involved with our working and social groups
Who serves on our leadership team
How you can get in touch with us
📣 CTAs for the Week of July 7 & Beyond
Your calls to action for July and August from Indivisible Akron and our friends!
July 8: The People’s Social Hour
Join fellow progressives every week at Mustard Seed Market for a casual, no-pressure social hour — no agenda, no speakers, just good company. Indivisible Akron and Akron Democracy Defenders help make it happen. Activities vary — postcards, sign-making, or just great conversation. Please support the cafe with a food or drink purchase (no outside snacks). Donations are welcome to help cover the space! RSVPs help us know who to expect, every Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
July 10: Indivisible Akron: ‘Do The Work’ Workshop
We have 2 spaces open for anyone interested in doing the work in “Do The Work! An Anti-Racist Activity Book.” We’re sharing what we learned, experienced and felt while going through the exercises in Chapter 1, which covers a lot. RSVP required. Bring crayons, markers, or colored pencils! This is an interactive workshop! We'll share our stories and enjoy the coloring break on page 29 (if you haven't already). 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 10 at The Soulful Vegan, 12 E. Exchange Street, Akron. Please support this local business; no outside food.
July 11: Indivisible Akron: Constant Campaign Postcard Writing
Join a growing movement fighting for democracy and decency — one postcard at a time. So far, we’ve written more than 1,200 postcards to voters! We support pro-democracy candidates at every level and help voters navigate new ID laws. At nonpartisan venues like churches, we focus on voter outreach and engagement. Bring pens, enthusiasm, and postcard stamps if you can. Meetings are every two weeks. The next one is at 6:30 p.m. July 11 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron. Please RSVP so we know how many to expect.
July 12: Trans Pride at the Park (Volunteers Needed)
Trans Pride at the Park | Cookout and Field Day at Hardesty Park in Akron, 1615 W. Market, Saturday, July 12, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Enjoy a meal, play games, hang out with friends, and make new friends. There will be vegetarian food options, face painting, a bike give-away, and games for all ages and abilities. Thanks to generous support from the Gay Community Endowment Fund, this community meal and all activities are free. If you'd like to volunteer at this event, please respond here.
July 14: Indivisible Akron Resilience Group Meetup
Feel like talking? This subgroup within Indivisible Akron is about empathy, coping and sharing stories. When you need to vent or take a break from the cacophony, join your fellow members for a session of venting, comfort and laughs. Meets twice a month. No agenda, no action items, no speakers. These are facilitator-led sharing and coping sessions. Next meetup is 5:30 p.m. July 14 in west Akron (RSVP for the location, please.).
July 14: Indivisible Akron | Fold It Forward
We're gathering to fold origami-style fortune tellers and mini zines filled with inspiring, factual messages about democracy, voting, and civic empowerment. All messaging will be provided — your only task is to fold, take, and spread the word wherever you feel it’ll make a difference. Read about the inspiration for the idea here (Google account required).
There are two ways to participate:
In person: Join us for a folding party at 6:00 p.m. Monday, July 14, at Stewart’s Caring Place. RSVP required and space is limited to 40 (don’t worry, we’ll have more folding parties).
Take-and-fold: Drive by between 6:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Monday, July 14, at Stewart’s Caring Place and pick up your foldable paper packets with instructions. RSVP required, so we know how many to print!
There will be more folding parties, as well as templates that you will be able to download and print to hold your own folding parties. Stay tuned!!!
July 15: Indivisible Akron Immigration Working Group Meetup
Join Indivisible Akron for our monthly meetup for our immigration working group, friends and guests. We're excited about our July meeting. Joining us will be C.V. Garcia from Kent State University, who will share what it was like to grow up in El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico and the visa experience in the U.S. RSVP required for location in Cuyahoga Falls.
July 16, July 30, Aug. 13: One Million Rising Training Session 1
🔥 One Million Rising This summer, Indivisible, Fair Share America, MoveOn and Working Families Power is launching a bold national effort to train one million people in non-cooperation, community organizing, and campaign strategy — because authoritarian threats are escalating, and we can’t wait until it’s too late. It will take all of us, not just one day of action, but sustained grassroots power. Let’s organize. Let’s rise. Let’s stop Trump. RSVP for all three online sessions.
Session 1: The Moment & Your Mission 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. July 16. Get oriented to making meaning of this moment and the role you can play in coordinated strategic action.
Session 2: How to Make it Happen 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. July 30. This train-the-trainer session is how we get to one million. Learn not just our strategy, but how you can train others and get them on board.
Session 3: What Now? 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. August 13. You'll be onboarded to basic campaign design and learn how to implement it locally as well as get plugged into our next national campaign work.
July 17: Good Trouble Lives On!
Good Trouble Lives On is a day of action organized by nearly 100 national groups and thousands of member chapters who are banding together because, “Trump is trying to divide us, but we know the power of coming together.” Coined by civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis, "Good Trouble" is the action of coming together to take peaceful, non-violent action to challenge injustice and create meaningful change.
July 22: Indivisible Akron LGBTQ+ Working Group Meetup
The focus of this month’s meeting will be AKRON PRIDE. We are very excited to participate in our hometown pride this year. We will be running a booth and participating in the march. Please join us for this planning session at 6:00 p.m. July 22 at Mustard Seed Market (second floor). RSVP here.
July 23: Indivisible Akron Book Club Discussion
Join us for a thoughtful and enlightening discussion of our monthly book club for progressive-minded people! For July 2025, we are reading "The People's House" by David Pepper (who will be our featured guest speaker at our August 11 general meeting). RSVP for the book club discussion!
📘‼️UPDATE
Shortly after we chose "The People's House," Pepper's second edition of "Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for The Trump Era" dropped. If you’ve read it, are reading it or want to read it, you're welcome to join our book club discussion of both books, both of which cover the threat of authoritarianism.
Both are available from the libraries and through Bookshop.org and Thrift Books
July 27: Chicken Rally at Medina Square
Back by popular demand and organized by our friends in Medina and We The People, it’s the Chicken Rally from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday, July 27 on Medina Square. Bring your chicken dancing shoes (beaks provided!), noisemakers and signs as we keep the message going. No RSVP needed — just show up! Questions? Email prodemocracy1776@gmail.com.
🎉 Aug. 11: Indivisible Akron Monthly Meeting Featuring David Pepper
Join us for a powerful conversation with author and democracy advocate David Pepper, whose updated Saving Democracy: A User’s Manual for the Trump Era just dropped. With new insights for 2025, Pepper will break down what’s at stake — and what everyday Americans can do to push back against rising authoritarianism. Don’t miss this chance to connect, get inspired, and gear up for action. RSVP REQUIRED! 6:00 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11 at the Akron-Summit Library main branch.
Get the book and support independent bookstores or, if you must, get it from Amazon.