Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel declared on March 25, 1968 at the Convention of the Rabbinical Assembly in the Catskill Mountains that "the whole future of America will depend on the impact and influence of Dr. King." Drawn from the lessons, teachings, and legacy of Dr. King and other seminal figures in U.S. History, this book is a clarion call to action. Within the pages of this book, the reader will discover a way forward in making our collective quest to make the founding words of our democracy penned by President Thomas Jefferson, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," into a reality. Dr. King declared famously that "truth crushed to Earth will rise again." This book lays out a roadmap for immersing yourself into the prevailing challenges of our age and seizing collectively with your neighbors the will, agency, and capacity to build a revitalized, vibrant, and enduring democracy. Key parts of the book include: The Twelve Principles, Values, and Ideals of Democracy Rising; The Twelve Voting Strategies of Democracy Rising; and The Twelve Entities of Democracy Rising. Built on the pivotal teaching of Anthropologist Margaret Meade that we should "never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Democracy Rising urges readers to build a decentralized movement of small, interconnected groups committed to casting war, poverty, hunger and disease into the junk heap of history. Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres has stated that "hope is the last thing that dies." Encouraging the reader to join with their fellow citizens not to let the hope of a better nation and world die on our watch, the reader is invited to become a Paul Revere of conscious sharing with their family, friends, loved ones, and neighbors that the social transformation we seek lies in our capacity to join our hearts and minds together as one. In the fulness of time, this book is a reminder that the tailwind at our backs is greater than the headwinds we now confront as a society. Buoyed by the shoulders, words, deeds, and legacies of great men and women from our past we now stand on, Democracy Rising compels us to respond with all deliberate speed to the "fierce urgency of now" with concrete action and a resolute determination to build a more perfect union for generations yet unborn.
