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.

For too long, the wealthy and powerful have used the cycle of economic and political power to enrich themselves and entrench their control. In this piece, Dēmos president Taifa Smith Butler envisions a more virtuous cycle of power.

Structural imbalances—not immigrants—are what keeps working people from seeing their fair share of economic gains.

Trump’s attack on the Bureau of Labor Statistics and, more broadly, on facts, marks another step closer to authoritarianism.

In May, Dēmos held a national convening of financial justice leaders to reimagine our financial systems and build community wealth through public banks. These are our top takeaways.