This week, we were joined on the podcast by two moms in suburban Minneapolis. Their upbringings were very different: Stef is a white woman from a small town in southern Minnesota and Nina grew up in Somalia, where her father was a political prisoner. But this year, these two friends are standing side by side to protect their community against ICE.

Their friendship was so sweet (each insisting that the other is the true inspiration) but it’s also strategic: strong connections between neighbors and friends is how Minnesota has stood up against this year’s ICE invasion.

Stef and Nina confirmed all of the amazing stories we’ve been hearing. In -25 degree weather, Minnesotans are out protesting. They’re collecting diapers and groceries for families who are too scared to leave their homes. They’re even riding on school busses to make sure that kids get to school safe. Nina says it’s what her adoptive state is all about.

“In this community, we pray together. We share resources with one another. We take care of each other. Everybody is trying to help and stand up for their next door neighbor. Words cannot say how I how I feel about that, and that makes me wanna do more. We are all in this together and feeling this fear, but it turned out to be a strength and inspiration. It’s amazing. I feel abundance every night when I go to bed.”

This is coming from a woman whose family escaped a violent dictator, only to experience that fear again now in America. Nina’s positivity and love for her neighbors radiated from her throughout the interview and reminded us that this is the America we’re fighting to save.

If you’re worried about ICE coming to your town, build those friendships now. Organize a neighborhood potluck. Set up a community Signal chat. If you have those relationships and infrastructure in place, you’ll be in a much stronger position to get through hard or even dangerous times.

Don't miss this week's chat with Stef and Nina!

And if you want to learn more or RSVP for our event next Tuesday about Black maternal mortality, you can do so here.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

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We all know elections are important, from president to city council and school board. But have you ever heard anyone talk about running for office as self-care?

We hadn’t either — until today! This week on the pod, we were joined by two inspirational women: Jill Barkley Roy and Kate Barr. Jill is the Director of Emerge Action Fund, an organization that trains women to run for office. And Kate has been fighting against gerrymandering in North Carolina for years and now, she’s actually running for office as a Republican as a genius way to beat those unfair maps.

Not only did both Jill and Kate share what they’ve been doing to help women (including themselves) run for office, but they both said that the work they do is what helps them not lose their shit on a daily basis.

Jill even said that after training 25 women to run for office at a recent Emerge bootcamp, she was so excited that she couldn’t sleep. That sounds a lot better than lying awake because of nightmares about ICE!

Kate, meanwhile, shared this wisdom that she first heard from a Tibetan monk about not spreading ourselves too thin. We should find our torch — the issue we care about most — and carry it in the direction we feel is right and true for as we're able. It's what she and Jill have both been doing for years.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA

YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Last night, Red Wine & Blue held an emergency community meeting to support Springfield, Ohio against an impending ICE surge.

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from ending protections for Haitians in Springield, but the fight is far from over. The Department of Homeland Security says they are taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. 15,000 Haitians in Springfield could lose their status in a matter of weeks and ICE could surge.

We stood up for Springfield, Ohio, when JD Vance and Donald Trump lied about Haitians who live and work there during the 2024 campaign, and we're doing it again now. In this virtual event, we heard from local residents and legal experts, raised funds for local groups providing direct support to Haitian families in Springfield, and thousands took action, no matter where they're from.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA

YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA