How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear

Fear has crept into every corner of American life - but so has resistance. Investigative journalist Julia Angwin and former White House policy advisor Ami Fields-Meyer spent the first year of the Trump administration interviewing more than 100 dissidents across five continents to answer a question millions of Americans are now asking themselves: what can I actually do? Their new book, On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear, blends untold stories of resistance with history, spirituality, and movement research into sixteen practical lessons for taking principled risks under authoritarianism. From a civil rights lawyer who lost his job defending Dr. King's legacy, to a 73-year-old clinic escort in Virginia armed with a golf umbrella, to student activists in Hong Kong and Cairo - this is a guide to courage built from the people who've already lived it. Julia and Ami join the show to talk about what they learned, why isolation is authoritarianism's best friend, and how ordinary people build a "political home." On this important U.S. birthday we need to be prepared for how we will fight to keep it going. Sponsors: Smalls: For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you head to Smalls.com/FRED.