The Fascism Barometer

Ejeris welcomes back movement strategist, organizer, and longtime friend Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson for a necessary and informative debrief of the 2026 midterm elections. Ash-Lee offers a clear-eyed assessment of what the results tell us about grassroots organizing, particularly from the perspectives of Black, Southern, and marginalized communities that have too often been ignored and written off. Despite historic election victories, the fascism barometer remains dangerously high. Ash-Lee and Ejeris discuss what it will take to protect election results, ensure every vote is counted, and why we must resist the temptation to mistake electoral success for lasting political power. This vital conversation makes clear that the future depends on how we organize. This is an all gas, no brakes moment!You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub.Connect with Ejeris DixonDonate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resourcesAnd when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.orgFull Transcript is available at fascismbarometer.org. Podcast production by Phil Surkis

In this deeply personal Midnight Musings episode, Ejeris reflects on the recent death of their mother, and the ways her life helped shape the vision behind The Fascism Barometer.Ejeris shares memories of growing up talking politics with their mother, watching her confront the cruelty and division of the current political moment, and carrying forward her belief that a more just world is possible. Ejeris also reflects on a question that has long guided their organizing: are we building movements that ordinary people can actually understand, and feel welcomed into?This episode is a remembrance, a thank you, and a call to keep building the kind of movement that can bring more of us in. Because even in the middle of the night, the barometer is still rising. And so is our responsibility to respond.You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub.Connect with Ejeris DixonDonate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resourcesAnd when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.orgPodcast production by Phil Surkis

Scholar, researcher, and former organizer Daniel HoSang joins Ejeris for a deeply clarifying conversation about how people can be drawn to movements that also target their communities. Daniel challenges the idea that shifts toward MAGA among communities of color are simply about misinformation or a political conversion. Instead, he points to a breakdown in civic life where people have lost connection to the institutions and communities that once helped them make sense of the world.This conversation explores how we talk to the people in our lives being pulled toward MAGA, why shame does not work, and how rebuilding trust, connection, and collective life may be one of the most important strategies we have in the fight against rising fascism.You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub.Connect with Ejeris DixonDonate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resourcesAnd when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.orgFull Transcript is available at fascismbarometer.org. Podcast production by Phil Surkis

In this "Midnight Musing", Ejeris argues that opposing fascism can’t mean simply defending a status quo that is already failing so many people. It also requires looking inward at who progressive movements haven’t reached, who they’ve pushed away.  Ejeris imagines movements that listen as well as they speak, welcome people without requiring fluency in political language, create tangible change in people’s lives, and offer something more compelling than opposition alone. Because defeating fascism isn’t only about building a powerful “no.” It’s also about creating a “yes”. It's about creating a clear, welcoming, liberatory vision of what we want to build together.   Because even in the middle of the night, the barometer is still rising. And so is our responsibility to respond. You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub. Connect with Ejeris Dixon Donate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resources And when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.org Podcast production by Phil Surkis

Ejeris sits down with organizer, strategist, and Mijente co-founder Marisa Franco for a layered conversation about Latino communities, rising fascism and authoritarianism, and the political failures that brought us to this moment. Marisa breaks down why the debate over whether to call this fascism may matter less than whether movements can organize people around their needs, real consequences, and the futures they want to fight for. Together, Ejeris and Marisa explore why MAGA and Trump’s “Mar-a-Lago politic” are resonating for some Latinos, the credibility crisis facing the Democratic Party, and shifts in Latino voting patterns. This conversation asks how we resist fascism without pretending “normal” was ever enough, and how we organize toward something people can actually believe in. You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub. Connect with Ejeris Dixon Donate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resources And when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.org Full Transcript is available at fascismbarometer.org.  Podcast production by Phil Surkis

Ejeris sits down with organizer, sociologist, and United Vision for Idaho Executive Director Adrienne Evans for a powerful conversation about belonging, authoritarianism, and what it really takes to build a movement that can stop rising fascism. Drawing from more than 107,000 conversations across rural communities, Adrienne challenges the idea that people in rural and conservative areas are fixed, unreachable, or already lost. Instead, she makes the case that many people have been waiting for an invitation, for someone to ask what they think and feel, and for movements to stop ceding whole communities to the far right. Together, Ejeris and Adrienne explore why belonging can be the strongest political force and how deep listening can open up transformation.   You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub. Connect with Ejeris Dixon Donate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resources And when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.org Full Transcript is available at fascismbarometer.org.  Podcast production by Phil Surkis

In this bonus episode of Midnight Musings, Ejeris Dixon reflects on the emotional toll of living through escalating war, increasing violence, attacks on immigrant and Trans communities, and the growing repression of activists and organizers. Fear, exhaustion, anxiety, and despair are not merely side effects of fascism. They are part of its strategy. A society that feels hopeless is less likely to resist, more likely to turn inward, and more vulnerable to the promise that one powerful leader can fix everything. But despair does not have to be the end of the story. Ejeris argues that caring for ourselves and one another is essential to sustaining collective resistance. As instability grows, we must preserve the emotional and spiritual energy needed to organize, build power, and continue believing that fascism can be defeated.   Because even in the middle of the night, the barometer is still rising. And so is our responsibility to respond. You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub. Connect with Ejeris Dixon Donate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resources And when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.org Podcast production by Phil Surkis

Ejeris welcomes back researcher, strategist, and longtime movement advisor Tarso Ramos for a sobering and clarifying conversation about authoritarian consolidation, democratic renewal, and what it means to stay in the fight. Tarso and Ejeris explore why the barometer reads differently depending on the community you belong to and the dangers you face. Together, they examine the warning signs of rising fascism and an increasingly consolidated authoritarian state, the escalating attacks on targeted communities and social justice organizations, and the urgent need to shift from protest to challenge. You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub. Connect with Ejeris Dixon Donate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resources And when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.org Full Transcript is available at fascismbarometer.org.  Podcast production by Phil Surkis

Ejeris Dixon sits down with organizer, strategist, and Carolina Federation co-director Sendolo Diaminah for a powerful conversation about what it takes to build a political home strong enough to confront the Far Right.  Sendolo shares the story of how workplace organizing and a clear-eyed assessment of power led him to help build one of North Carolina’s most significant independent political organizations. Together, Ejeris and Sendolo explore voter suppression, the criminalization of mass participation, and why the fight against fascism requires movements that can organize and overwhelm systems designed to keep people from power. You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub. Connect with Ejeris Dixon Donate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resources And when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.org Full Transcript is available at fascismbarometer.org.  Podcast production by Phil Surkis

In this episode of Midnight Musings, Ejeris Dixon pulls back the curtain on the years long journey that led to The Fascism Barometer. Reflecting on the aftermath of the 2016 election, Ejeris shares how studying fascism, organizing communities, and translating complex ideas into accessible tools became a deeply personal mission to protect the people they love. This intimate reflection is a reminder that courageous risks taken in service of our communities, are how people-powered movements are built.   Because even in the middle of the night, the barometer is still rising. And so is our responsibility to respond. You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub. Connect with Ejeris Dixon Donate to the Fascism Barometer, and help us create more episodes and resources And when you feel the pressure, share this pod, and visit fascismbarometer.org Podcast production by Phil Surkis