March 21, 2025

Civics

'There is no one answer to how we get free — there are one million.'

One Million Experiments began as a Google Doc created by American activist, organizer, educator, and author Mariame Kaba. The project emerged in response to the 2020 uprisings and growing calls to defund the police, as organizers faced pressure to propose alternatives to policing. The document cataloged various community-based safety initiatives—projects designed to foster well-being, reduce harm, and promote safety without relying on police or prisons.

This initiative has since expanded into a website featuring a curated collection of community-based safety projects, a regular podcast, a zine series offering deep dives into specific experiments, and a documentary film that examines safety in a world that addresses the root causes of crime and violence without relying on traditional law enforcement or incarceration.

The people and programs highlighted here serve as powerful sources of both inspiration and hope.

WEBSITE: One Million Experiments

Civics

A general blueprint for how any cooperative human group can function well

ARTICLE: Generalizing the Commons

Civics

Given libraries’ unique combination of broad accessibility, civic neutrality, and deep public trust, policymakers should embed them intentionally within health and social planning frameworks.

ARTICLE: How Public Libraries Help Build Healthy Communities

Civics

"Socialism has been as impossible to separate from the narrative of the nation’s history as the capitalist economy itself."

ESSAY: A Brief History of American Socialism

Civics

"Just keep moving forward, even if the steps are small.”

VIDEO: Kansas town goes green while rebuilding after devastating tornado.