The Fascism Barometer

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 organ...

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 reminde...

In this season three premiere of The Fascism Barometer, Ejeris Dixon sits down with legendary activist, writer, and strategist Linda Burnham for a clear-eyed conversation about what it will take to fight fascism in this moment and for the long haul. Drawing on more than six decades of movement work, Linda names the dangers of fascist targeting, the need to broaden anti-fascist alliances, and the i...

In this episode of Midnight Musings, Ejeris Dixon unpacks a new White House memo that expands the definition of terrorism to target anti-fascists, Trans communities, Muslim communities, and resistance movements. This episode explores why solidarity, collective action, and refusing to “obey in advance” are essential as the Fascism Barometer keeps rising.   Because even in the middle of the night, t...

Ejeris Dixon reflects on how fascism advances not all at once, but in deliberate “steps and stages.” Drawing from the words of Toni Morrison, Ejeris explores how the erosion of rights, from attacks on TPS protections and birthright citizenship to the weakening of the Voting Rights Act, creates the conditions for escalating violence and authoritarianism. Ejeris reminds us that resisting fascism req...

In this episode of Midnight Musings , Ejeris Dixon cuts through the noise with a clear and urgent message: we are overcomplicating how to fight fascism. At a moment when political analysis is everywhere, competing for attention and authority, Ejeris offers a different approach. Not a new framework. Not a multi-point plan. Just a reminder of what matters most. We have one job. Build a bigger, more...

In this episode of Midnight Musings, Ejeris connects the dots between fascism and war, naming a pattern that has repeated across history and is unfolding again in real time. What begins as internal hierarchy and scapegoating often escalates into global violence. And the consequences are measured in human lives. Because even in the middle of the night, the barometer is still rising. And so is our r...

The Fascism Barometer team presents a new series of bonus “mini-sodes” that we’re calling Midnight Musings . Ejeris Dixon invites us into a more unfiltered space at the intersection of newfound parenthood and political reflection. As fascism intensifies around the world and at home, Ejeris shares what it means to stay present to both care work and movement work at the same time. These “movement ap...

In our season finale, host Ejeris Dixon welcomes organizer, author, and strategist Alicia Garza back to finish the conversation on power,  and what it takes to beat fascist politics. Alicia lays out a practical “ recipe for liberation ”: from deepening political education, to building community while rooting the work in love. She argues that while a small amount of people may be unmoved, the vast...

In this incredibly timely episode, host Ejeris Dixon sits down with Darakshan Raja, founding Executive Director of Muslims for Just Futures . Raja talks about how post-9/11 policies laid the groundwork for today’s increasing fascism. She also explains how the framework of terrorism expanded government power, targeted organizations and communities, and justified the expansion of prisons, policing,...

Ejeris Dixon welcomes back author and strategist Alicia Garza for a clear-eyed read of the moment. Garza breaks down how fascism weaponizes white supremacy and emergency politics to manufacture enemies, demand a strongman, and win consent, while reminding us that resistance is a long tradition in Black, immigrant, and trans communities.  Stay tuned for part two of this vital conversation, as Dixon...

Ejeris Dixon welcomes abolitionist safety practitioner Che Johnson-Long and technologist-lawyer Ken Montenegro back to The Fascism Barometer for a grounded, practical guide to resisting in a fast-shifting landscape. They unpack how fascism feeds on panic and isolation—and how all of us can respond when we examine risk, create shared tools, and take care of each other. Homework includes: broaden tr...

In the second half of this vital conversation, host Ejeris Dixon and movement strategist Tarso Ramos go beyond diagnosing the rise of fascism—they map out what we must do to resist it. From learning lessons of South Africa’s Freedom Charter and United Democratic Front to organizing a “bigger we” capable of defeating fascism and authoritarianism, Ramos shares both cautionary tales and hopeful strat...

In part one of this wide-ranging two-part episode, Ejeris Dixon welcomes Tarso Ramos back to The Fascism Barometer. Ramos, a seasoned researcher of fascist, authoritarian, and supremacist movements, shares how his family’s escape from Brazil’s military dictatorship shaped his lifelong fight against fascism. He draws chilling parallels between past regimes and today’s U.S. political landscape, brea...

In this profound episode, Ejeris Dixon sits down with healing justice visionary Erica Woodland to explore how fascism is impacting our mental health and our capacity to organize. With a background in psychotherapy and decades of movement work, Erica discusses the emotional toll of surviving and resisting while fascism rises overwhelmingly. Ejeris and Erica grapple with what it really means to figh...

What does the expansion of policing, imprisonment, and surveillance reveal about the rise of fascism? Host Ejeris Dixon sits down with long-time organizer, activist, and author Rachel Herzing to unpack the interlocking systems of state violence known as the prison industrial complex. Herzing, director of the Yarrow Institute and co-author of How to Abolish Prisons, connects the dots between rising...

This edition of The Fascism Barometer finds host Ejeris Dixon sitting down with Cristina Jiménez Moreta—bestselling author, MacArthur Genius Fellow, and co-founder of United We Dream —for a timely conversation on how fascism shows up in the everyday lives of immigrant communities. Cristina reflects on her own journey from Ecuador to the U.S. and speaks to the experiences of immigrants who flee aut...

Host Ejeris Dixon is joined by lifelong educator and organizer, Lumumba Bandele to unpack what fascism looks like through the lived experiences of Black communities in the U.S. — and why we must recognize its current and historic manifestations. From front porch conversations in Bed-Stuy to lessons learned from global solidarity movements, Lumumba offers grounded wisdom on the victories that Black...

In this urgent episode of The Fascism Barometer, host Ejeris Dixon sits down with renowned activist and organizer  Linda Sarsour  for a powerful conversation on fascism, Palestinian liberation, and the meaning of true solidarity. With over two decades of movement work, Sarsour offers a masterclass on what it means to resist fascism, uplift human dignity, and defend communities under siege. Linda s...

In this urgent and clarifying episode, Ejeris Dixon sits down with Shane Burley—journalist, scholar, author of Fascism Today: What it is and How to End It, and co-author of Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism—to unpack what it means for social justice movements when fascists control the government, and what to expect of their next moves.  They also discuss the dange...

In this episode of The Fascism Barometer , host Ejeris Dixon is joined by renowned activist, narrative strategist, and speaker Malkia Devich-Cyril for a wide-ranging conversation that connects the rise of fascism to collective grief, Black liberation, and the emotional landscape of organizing within repressive times. You can find the tools you need to fight fascism at our Resource Hub . Connect wi...

In this powerful episode of The Fascism Barometer , host Ejeris Dixon welcomes Maurice Mitchell, the National Director of the Working Families Party, for a conversation that dissects rising fascism through a compelling and relatable metaphor: the family cookout. Together, they explore what it means when someone seizes power simply because they can, and how everyday people can push back through col...

In this episode of The Fascism Barometer , host Ejeris Dixon welcomes Shelby Chestnut, the Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center (TLC) and the first Native Trans leader to head a national LGBTQ organization. They dive into the current landscape of anti-trans legislation, and how Trans communities are organizing in the face of fascist tactics. Shelby shares how TLC is responding through...

While we work on the next episode of The Fascism Barometer (out next week!), we have another outstanding podcast to share with you from our friends over at Convergence. The Anti-Authoritarian Podcast with Scot Nakagawa and Sue Hyde. This episode of The Anti-Authoritarian Podcast features Scot and Sue sitting down with Suzanne Pharr , a Southern queer feminist and anti-racist organizer, strategist,...

Kenyon Farrow a long-term writer and movement strategist joins Ejeris on the Fascism Barometer to discuss the history of fascist and authoritarian politics in the United States.  Kenyon also lays out some ideas on how we can get out of this mess, including what actions individuals, movement organizations, and elected officials should play in the short and long term. You can find the tools you need...