In his reflections on Dēmos’ and NPQ’s Third Reconstruction series, Aron Goldman uplifts the call to look beyond the crises of today and envision a new path toward our collective liberation.

At a time of racial justice backlash, a call for a full-throated multiracial democracy may seem audacious—it’s also a necessary movement to preserve US democracy at all.

Can movement advocates imagine liberation in a time of mounting authoritarianism? Not only can we, but we must. To do so requires imagination, planning, and action.

The three post–Civil War constitutional amendments offered the United States a second, more democratic founding. Preserving this framework is essential.

To build the democracy we never had, activating people power—animated by an inclusive vision for our economy, especially through labor unions—is essential.

History reminds us that progress has never come from moderation or retreat. It has come from people who refused to wait their turn, who organized, resisted, and reshaped the nation.

A dangerous authoritarian shift is unfolding in real time. Dēmos President, Taifa Smith Butler, calls us to mobilize and act together to defend our democracy.

With this decision, the Court has further eroded our norms and beliefs regarding democracy, our rights under the Constitution, and the courts’ role in upholding those rights.