On Resistance

“For the oppressed, peace is the absence of oppression. For the oppressor, peace is the absence of resistance."

That's an undated social media post by anti-racism activist and elementary school teacher Zellie Imani. It says a lot in a few words, but what made me tack it to my wall is what Imani is saying about resistance.

That peace is not only the absence of war is not a new idea for me, and I have long believed that without shared dignity and access to resources there can be no peace. Indian social scientist B. Suresh Lal writes that, "Peace is defined as a state of harmony that requires both the absence of conflict and (italics mine) the presence of justice, equity, and dignity."

Lal goes on to lay out the contexts for building peace, including economics, governance, politics and systemic dynamics in poverty, education, and health care. But Imani's assertion that resistance is part of defining peace put a new spin on peace for me.

There are many words — oppression among them — for prolonged injustice, and for actions of the powerful that treat people as less than human. Imani uses social media to shed light on those actions. But I don't need to look far for examples of what I want to resist. Just this week I learned that the U.S. government is planning to build a detention center for children and families on land known to be filled with toxic chemicals. I want to resist that.

I want to resist any effort to ensure that some people won't thrive. I want to resist any system designed to create barriers to resources, opportunities, and well-being based on who people understand themselves to be. I confess, though, until I read Imani’s post it hadn't occurred to me that if I don’t find a way to resist, I won’t contribute to peace.

If resistance is that important, then it's important to know what it is, and how to take it up. For many in the U.S., today  — May 1, 2026 — resistance means not shopping, or going to work or to school. For some it means organizing and direct action, for others it’s showing up at whatever is organized. Some resisters create alternatives to unjust structures and institutions: media, food sources, health care. Some deploy art as resistance, making injustice visible, critiquing, even mocking unjust behavior.

But what of those who can't, for good reason, do any of those things, or who feel that resisting in those ways is not enough? And what about resisting in the day to day?

When he speaks in public, Texas state representative James Talarico often answers that last question by saying, "Resistance starts right here by refusing to mirror the hate, and the violence, and the inhumanity that surrounds all of us." I believe he's right about that; there's power in everyday decisions not to participate in hate, violence and inhumanity. But he said that's where resistance starts, not where it ends.

To be honest, I'm not sure there will ever be an end to resisting inhumanity; humans are too vulnerable to fear, tribalism, and just plain wrong thinking for that. So, above all, resistance is a life practice, an everyday choice. Refusing to mirror hate can't only be declared, or happen once, to count as resistance. That refusal counts as resistance when it finds new ways to express itself aloud, over and over again — in conversation, on the street, to people in power, in writing, and, perhaps most importantly, in everyday behavior.

The late teacher and activist bell hooks wrote, "I dreamed about a culture of belonging. I still dream that dream. I contemplate what our lives would be like if we knew how to cultivate awareness, to live mindfully, peacefully; if we learned habits of being that would bring us closer together, that would help us build beloved community."

It's right there: right after hooks writes, "peacefully," she speaks to the need for "habits of being." One act of resistance, or two or three, is not enough to contribute to peace. But I can make a habit of resistance.

Lucinda Garthwaite, Executive Director

References

"What Is Peace and Where Does It Begin," B. Suresh Lal. (2005) Journal of Research in Social Science and Humanities, Pioneer Academic Publishing Limited, vol. 4(9), pages 41-45, October.

“ICE planning facility for children and families on Pfas-contaminated site”. Tom Perkins. The Guardian. April 26, 2026.

“Talarico’s Win in Texas Shows That Nice Guys Can Finish First.” Lisa Lerer. The New York Times. March 4, 2026.

Belonging: A Culture of Place.(2009)  bell hooks. Routledge/Taylor and Frances.