Find the Fighters

We're abroad, away from local town halls and stateside protests, and it can feel like our Democratic leaders aren’t speaking out. The mainstream media rarely covers their advocacy, and social media algorithms bury their voices.

If you start looking though, you'll find them—the Democratic leaders standing up, resisting, and fighting back. We can strengthen their work and our resistance by amplifying their voices, first by identifying and then by engaging with them and sharing their messages online.

In this action, your roundtable team shares the Democratic resistance leaders they follow, explores the best ways to engage with them, and practices messaging about the issues that matter most to your team. By the end of the action, you’ll have a robust list of leaders to follow across lots of channels, and have practiced or be ready to practice amplifying their voices and yours.

Before the Event (Preparation & Pre-Work)

1. Introduce the activity to your team

Explain the challenges put in place by mainstream media and social media keeping the vast majority of Dems and moderates from hearing from Democratic leaders
Share samples of inspiring messaging from leaders.
Explain the activity and the take away.

2. Ask participants to gather ideas for Democratic leaders to suggest

Encourage your team to brainstorm 3-5 leaders they follow or want to follow.
- Give examples like:
  Elected officials (e.g., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jasmine Crockett, Chris Murphy, Bernie Sanders, Pramila Jayapal, Elizabeth Warren)
  Journalists & commentators (e.g., Heather Cox Richardson, Josh Marshall, Joyce Vance)
Ask participants to note:
- Where the leader is most active (BlueSky, Instagram, YouTube, Substack, etc.)
- What type of content they share (policy updates, activism calls, commentary, etc.)
- How they engage with followers (replying to comments, hosting live Q&As, sharing petitions)
📝 Tip: Share a Google Spreadsheet or Doc where participants can list their chosen leaders in advance. Here's a template with a few samples.

During the Event (Roundtable & Engagement)

1. Welcome & Purpose (5-10 min)

Introduce the action: We’re here to find and support strong Democratic voices and engage with them effectively.
Briefly discuss the impact of engaging with leaders online.

2. Sharing & Organizing (20-30 min)

Each participant shares 1-3 leaders they follow and why.
Discuss. Thoughts to explore: What makes this leader effective? How do they engage their followers?
List leaders and add their top platforms (real-time Google Doc/spreadsheet recommended, template here).

3. Best Practices for Engagement (10-15 min)

How to interact effectively (e.g., commenting strategically, boosting key messages).
Do’s and Don’ts (e.g., avoid trolling, focus on amplification).
If applicable, share digital engagement tips (hashtags, timing, algorithms).

4. Messaging Practice (20-30 min)

Draft short, compelling messages that participants can send to leaders.
Examples:
- BlueSky Message to a Congress member: “Thanks for standing up for [issue]. As an overseas voter, I appreciate your leadership on [bill or policy]. How can we support your work?”
- Instagram Comment on an activist’s post: “Love this initiative! How can we amplify this in [local community]?”
Participants send or prep a message during the event.

After the Event (Sustained Engagement)

1. Share your "Find the Fighters" List

Finalize and share the link to your leader list! (see template)

2. Set a Recurring Engagement Habit

Encourage participants to:
✅ Follow at least one new leader from the list.
✅ Engage with at least one post per week.
✅ Share important updates with others.

3. Optional Follow-Up Meeting

Set a check-in a month later: What worked? What didn’t?
Discuss new leaders or emerging voices.