The Fascism Barometer

Scholar, researcher, and former organizer Daniel HoSang joins Ejeris for a deeply clarifying conversation about how people can be drawn to movements that also target their communities. Daniel challenges the idea that shifts toward MAGA among communities of color are simply about misinformation or a political conversion. Instead, he points to a breakdown in civic life where people have lost connection to the institutions and communities that once helped them make sense of the world.This conversation explores how we talk to the people in our lives being pulled toward MAGA, why shame does not work, and how rebuilding trust, connection, and collective life may be one of the most important strategies we have in the fight against rising fascism.You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub.Connect with Ejeris DixonDonate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resourcesAnd when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.orgFull Transcript is available at fascismbarometer.org. Podcast production by Phil Surkis

In this "Midnight Musing", Ejeris argues that opposing fascism can’t mean simply defending a status quo that is already failing so many people. It also requires looking inward at who progressive movements haven’t reached, who they’ve pushed away.  Ejeris imagines movements that listen as well as they speak, welcome people without requiring fluency in political language, create tangible change in people’s lives, and offer something more compelling than opposition alone. Because defeating fascism isn’t only about building a powerful “no.” It’s also about creating a “yes”. It's about creating a clear, welcoming, liberatory vision of what we want to build together.   Because even in the middle of the night, the barometer is still rising. And so is our responsibility to respond. You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub. Connect with Ejeris Dixon Donate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resources And when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.org Podcast production by Phil Surkis

Ejeris sits down with organizer, strategist, and Mijente co-founder Marisa Franco for a layered conversation about Latino communities, rising fascism and authoritarianism, and the political failures that brought us to this moment. Marisa breaks down why the debate over whether to call this fascism may matter less than whether movements can organize people around their needs, real consequences, and the futures they want to fight for. Together, Ejeris and Marisa explore why MAGA and Trump’s “Mar-a-Lago politic” are resonating for some Latinos, the credibility crisis facing the Democratic Party, and shifts in Latino voting patterns. This conversation asks how we resist fascism without pretending “normal” was ever enough, and how we organize toward something people can actually believe in. You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub. Connect with Ejeris Dixon Donate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resources And when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.org Full Transcript is available at fascismbarometer.org.  Podcast production by Phil Surkis

Ejeris sits down with organizer, sociologist, and United Vision for Idaho Executive Director Adrienne Evans for a powerful conversation about belonging, authoritarianism, and what it really takes to build a movement that can stop rising fascism. Drawing from more than 107,000 conversations across rural communities, Adrienne challenges the idea that people in rural and conservative areas are fixed, unreachable, or already lost. Instead, she makes the case that many people have been waiting for an invitation, for someone to ask what they think and feel, and for movements to stop ceding whole communities to the far right. Together, Ejeris and Adrienne explore why belonging can be the strongest political force and how deep listening can open up transformation.   You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub. Connect with Ejeris Dixon Donate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resources And when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.org Full Transcript is available at fascismbarometer.org.  Podcast production by Phil Surkis

In this bonus episode of Midnight Musings, Ejeris Dixon reflects on the emotional toll of living through escalating war, increasing violence, attacks on immigrant and Trans communities, and the growing repression of activists and organizers. Fear, exhaustion, anxiety, and despair are not merely side effects of fascism. They are part of its strategy. A society that feels hopeless is less likely to resist, more likely to turn inward, and more vulnerable to the promise that one powerful leader can fix everything. But despair does not have to be the end of the story. Ejeris argues that caring for ourselves and one another is essential to sustaining collective resistance. As instability grows, we must preserve the emotional and spiritual energy needed to organize, build power, and continue believing that fascism can be defeated.   Because even in the middle of the night, the barometer is still rising. And so is our responsibility to respond. You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub. Connect with Ejeris Dixon Donate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resources And when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.org Podcast production by Phil Surkis