When the Signs Come Down: Turning Resistance Into Lasting Power

From the Desk of Dr. Kirk Adams
Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion
🌐 https://i4sdi.org

Something powerful is building right now. Not quietly. Not politely. Not waiting for permission.

There is an energized resistance emerging.

You can feel it in conversations that are getting bolder. In leaders who are done tiptoeing. In communities that are choosing connection over isolation and courage over comfort.

People who believe in inclusion, fairness, social justice, and human rights are not stepping back. They are stepping forward. Together.

I see it every day in my work with the Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion. I hear it in the voices of people who are tired of carrying this work alone and are ready to move differently.

That is why I am so fired up about what we are building.

The Community Coalition for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion.

Let me say this clearly, because it matters.

The Community Coalition for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion will help members move from reactive, isolated survival mode to strategic, sustainable, collective power.

That is not just language. That is a shift in how we show up.

Because right now, too many people are still navigating this work on their own. Too many are calculating risk before speaking truth. Too many are asking, is it worth it to say something here.

One of the most real challenges we are facing is this:

Fear of backlash or retaliation.
Speaking up feels risky, personally and professionally.

You know that moment. The pause. The internal negotiation. The weighing of consequences.

We are not going to solve that by asking individuals to simply be braver.

We solve it by building collective strength.

We teach and practice collective action so no one stands alone.
We create shared strategies so risk is carried by the community, not the individual.
We build a network where speaking up becomes safer because it is supported.

That is the work of this coalition.

And if you want to see what energized resistance looks like, look at what just happened across the globe on May Day. People showing up. Marching. Speaking out. Refusing to be invisible.

But here is the real question. What do we do with that energy once the signs come down and the streets clear?

How do we turn visible resistance into lasting change?
How do we connect moments of protest to measurable shifts in workplaces, institutions, and systems?

That is where this coalition comes in.

We are creating a space where people do not just react. We organize. We learn. We share tools. We support one another. We move from emotion to strategy and from strategy to impact.

And for me, this moment carries a deeply personal thread.

On May First, as I watched the demonstrations, I found myself remembering something much simpler. I was a kid sitting at the table with my brother and sister, weaving small baskets out of strips of construction paper. My mother guiding us as we filled them with flowers and quietly hung them on our neighbors’ doorknobs.

At the time, I had no idea May Day carried global significance for workers.

But looking back, it fits perfectly.

My parents were public school teachers. Proud union members. They went on strike more than once. They believed in standing together long before I understood what that meant. I remember them boycotting grapes in solidarity with the United Farm Workers. That was not abstract. That was lived commitment.

Stand with people. Even when it costs you something.

That lesson is woven into this coalition.

And here is something that feels almost poetic.

We began onboarding into our community platform, Circle, on May First.

A day rooted in labor, solidarity, and shared power.
A community built for exactly those values beginning to take shape.

Next, we move to Juneteenth, when we will launch our GoFundMe campaign to support the infrastructure of this coalition. Juneteenth reminds us that progress requires persistence, community, and investment.

Then comes July 20, when we open the doors to our founding members.

And there is a little spark of history there too. July 20 marks the Apollo 11 moon landing. A moment when humanity chose to go further than ever before and made it real.

That feels right.

Because what we are building together is bold. It is necessary. And it will take all of us.

So here is my invitation.

Join the ISDI email list and stay connected as this unfolds.
Follow ISDI on social media and help grow this movement.
Support the GoFundMe campaign on Juneteenth so we can build this with strength and intention.
And when the time comes, become a founding member of the coalition.

Founding members are not just participants. You are co creators. You help define the challenges we take on. You help shape the solutions we build. You help create a community grounded in courage, accountability, and care.

If you are feeling the energy rising, trust it.
If you are ready to move from standing alone to standing together, this is your moment.
If you are done waiting, we are ready for you.

This is not a quiet shift.

This is a movement finding its voice.

” Inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s a strategic advantage. “

Dr. Kirk Adams, Ph.D.
Advocate, Leader and Keynote Speaker on Disability Inclusion & Leadership
Leading the Way to Accessible Innovation

Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion (ISDI)
Executive Director
Strengthening individual and organizational capability for creating diverse, inclusive and equitable workplaces.

Innovative Impact, LLC Consulting
Managing Director
Impactful Workforce Inclusion Starts Here

American Foundation for the Blind
Immediate Past President & CEO
To create a world of no limits for people who are blind or visually impaired.

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