I went to an Umbrella Uprising today. An Umbrella Uprising? What in the world is that?
I am glad you asked.
On this precious weekend of a perfect summer day (75 degrees, low humidity and sunny) I agreed to participate in and speak at a Rally and Donation Drive.
For a bit of context: the flyer for the day and the call to action:
The Umbrella Uprising: Shelter the People, Storm the Systems!
Resistance Through Togetherness:
We raise our umbrellas not to hide, but to shelter each other.
They Build Regimes to Divide. We Build Shelters to Unite.
Not to retreat, but to rise—together.
Umbrellas are shelters of solidarity—defiant, visible, and rooted in peace. We rage not in destruction, but in construction of a new world. Together. Under one sky. Under one umbrella.
Bring your umbrella and donations of non-perishable foods, cleaning supplies, and school supplies. Donations will benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank and Community Shelter Services.
There were about 50? People in attendance. So, part of what I addressed (and is not in the words below) is that we often feel like the world doesn’t get just how important it is not to forget what is going on in our country, in our communities and in the world. I also talked about how hard it is to balance the needs of family, the call to participate in community events – like our local Jazz and Blues festival taking place this weekend while knowing that people are hurting because of the policies of the few. It is hard, because we are not used to dealing with such atrocities. We have had a relatively easy time in the United States comparatively. We had social structures in place to help those who needed it and the movement towards equanimity seemed to be holding at a steady pace. I told the people that attended that what we learned is that the systems we thought were full proof were really a house made of cards. We are being asked to not only pick up all the cards, but to build back with bricks so that rights, freedoms, and safety nets are held in place.
Everyone that came brought food, personal care items, towels, shoes, and hope.
It is easy to get discouraged when you feel like you are the only one recognizing that we need to do better by each other. It is easy to forget that each tiny bit helps, even if it doesn’t quite feel like it.
It is easy to give in and give up and cross your fingers that the wind will blow the right way and the cards will find their way back to looking like the house it once was.
Until you watch in real time what kindness and cooperation and seeing each person with dignity can accomplish.
The event took place in Perry Square. It is in the center of Erie, and many unhoused people take shelter under the trees, on the benches and near the water fountain. As the items came in people became more and more curious. Especially those who, for whatever circumstances, do not have or are low on supplies to take care of themselves. There were several of us that helped the local unhoused and in need of packing bags as the items were sorted. Bags with deodorant, soap, towels, water bottles, toothbrushes and toothpaste, food in packages that do not require cooking. One lady talked about how she goes to a local place once a week that offers a sign up for turns to take a shower. Another lady talked about how she was living in a house that she did not own and when that person no longer paid the bills, she found herself sleeping on the street. There were people packing bags for their children, wheelchair users, old, young, black and white.
A lot of the division taking place really boils down to dignity for all. The recognition that we are in this human existence together and to make decisions that move forward on the idea that in a world of plenty, there does not need to have and have nots.
I grew up believing that the world of Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek was reality. At 5 years old watching television with the feeling that everyone can blossom and that they were encouraged to do so. That human poverty and war were a thing of the past. That the world worked together, cooperated, collaborated was true.
What I saw today. From the small group of people running the local 50501 chapter, their dedication, their light and perseverance in putting together an event that was meant to bring people together – and then watching 50 strangers take time to stay around after the talks and donation drop off to share ideas and get to know each other – and then watch as bags were packed no questions asked for those who needed it nearby, before the rest was packaged for food banks and shelters reminds me that my 5 year old understanding is living within humanity. It needs space, and courage, and a lot of encouragement to move past the rhetoric of separation, of hate, of othering and of fear.
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Following is the prepared words I took with me to the Rally and Supply/food drive today. It is not exactly what I ended up saying. In the moment of speaking things always come to me that I had not thought about in preparations for the day. I do not have a recording of what I actually said – so, this will give you the general gist.
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Hello everyone! Welcome to the Umbrella Uprising!
I am so very proud to be part of this day – this day of Peaceful Demonstration and supporting community. The tent of collections is absolutely beautiful!
This is what umbrellas stand for today! Shelter, gathering in safety, in solidarity, in protection.
How many of you have ever seen Lord of the Rings, or any film depicting Greek or Roman battles with shields?
They link them together! They link together the shield they have for themselves and then move as one. Shields were once made with a curve specifically so they could cover with other’s bodies and link more effectively than a straight shield.
Your umbrellas are curved! They are also individuals. Many colors – many sizes, and many decorated to show what you are most passionate about at this time.
Yet – you are all here together!
There are many other demonstrations taking place across the United States today – all saying that we will not only weather the storm – but we are willing and able to support each other against tyranny.
Mr. Rogers taught me when I was very young that in times of trouble, in times that are hard, and in times when we don’t understand why there is so much insecurity, cruelty, hatred, malice to invite EVERYONE into your space. To look for helpers.
Helpers saved children during World War Two and often didn’t receive any credit or recognition of their actions until really late in their life or after their death.
Helpers drop off food for their neighbor without waiting for a thank you, they offer to drive people to their doctors’ appointments, and they vote for people to represent them that will stand up for EVERYONE – no matter their circumstances.
I have a grandchild who is wide eyed and curious and has no concept that people can hurt each other --- Dragons, sometimes – but people?
She has no concept that people of different colors or people that have different first languages or people that end up unhoused should be treated with any less dignity than she. She will splash in the puddle with anyone; she will share her umbrella with everyone.
Which means all this nonsense, all the atrocities we are seeing today in our community, in our nation perpetrated by people onto other people – children starving, the unhoused being vilified, women being denied proper healthcare, concentration camps being erected on United States Soil, the attempt to rewrite history, the firing of competent individuals because they don’t conform to narrow minded gender narratives or because they are amazing and accomplished people of color and/or women.
All of this nonsense – all of these atrocities, all the hate, all the rhetoric is taught. It is a taught behavior. It is a taught perception on the world.
If it is taught --- it can be untaught. It can be retaught in a way that shows the beauty and the strength of drawing in each other’s strengths to support each other.
In reflecting on how we teach and unteach, one of the most powerful examples comes from Germany’s approach to its own history. Rather than turning away from the horrors of the Holocaust, Germany placed remembrance and education at the heart of its national identity. Memorials to lost communities and the victims of genocide are not hidden but woven into public spaces; Holocaust education is required in schools, not just as a lesson in tragedy, but as an urgent call to conscience. The past is neither minimized nor denied, but confronted with honesty and humility, so that the mistakes and crimes of history are never repeated. This deliberate remembrance serves as a living lesson: by acknowledging the full weight of what was done, a society can chart a future rooted in justice, empathy, and the courage to protect every person’s dignity. If hatred and exclusion can be taught, so too can the resolve to stand together, to remember, and to build a world where such atrocities are never allowed to happen again.
Yes, the current administration and those supporting it is an abomination to WE THE PEOPLE.
Yes, they need to go away – they need to be tried and sentenced for their crimes. WE THE PEOPLE do not have to ‘convince’ supporters and followers of this. WE need to show the way. Through Kindness – through Inclusion, through support of fellow community members seeking justice.
In our own communities, the work of untangling hate and rebuilding justice takes root in concrete acts of support and solidarity—especially here in Erie, PA, where the need for compassion and collective action has become pressing and personal. We see it in the voices rising for justice for Marchello Woodard, whose death has galvanized neighbors, activists, and advocates to demand accountability, shine a light on injustice, and refuse to let another life be quietly erased. Their calls echo through city streets and council halls, a testament to the power of communal grief transformed into purposeful, hopeful action.
We see it, too, in the hands that share and the tables that stretch to fit more, such as at the Pay What You Can Farmer’s Markets, where dignity is served alongside fresh produce. These markets dissolve the artificial barriers of price and privilege, ensuring that everyone—no matter their financial means—can nourish themselves and their loved ones. In these simple exchanges, the community affirms that nobody should go hungry while plenty exists, that neighbors’ health and well-being are bound tightly together.
Support for the unhoused in Erie is woven through the efforts of tirelessly compassionate organizations. Shelters and outreach centers such as the Erie United Methodist Alliance, Community Shelter Services, and the Sisters of Saint Joseph Neighborhood Network open doors and extend hands, offering warm beds, meals, clothing, and vital resources. Their work is not merely charity, but an affirmation of value and belonging for every person who walks through their doors, regardless of circumstance.
And there are charities, both local and national, that shine as beacons for marginalized people—Erie’s chapter of the NAACP, the Urban Erie Community Development Corporation, and the Crime Victim Center of Erie County, to name just a few. They advocate for those pushed to the margins, offering legal aid, mentoring, education, and unwavering support for those whose voices too often go unheard.
In every act of mutual aid—be it a protest for justice, a meal shared, a bed offered, or a voice raised in defense of another—we collectively untangle the lessons of exclusion and replace them with a tapestry of care. The community’s strength lies in its embrace of difference, its willingness to listen and learn, and its resolve to lift one another up. Through these efforts, we show our children—my grandchild among them—that justice is not a distant promise, but a daily practice, and that the world we wish for is one we must build together, hand in hand, here and now.
Let us then be unwavering in our commitment—not just to resist hate, but to actively foster hope. The work before us is neither simple nor swift, but it is urgent and necessary. The future we crave—one of dignity, safety, and shared prosperity—requires the daily courage to choose inclusion over division, compassion over indifference, and justice over complacency. May we be the generation that refuses to forget, refuses to accept injustice as inevitable, and insists on tenderness as the foundation of change. In every act, large or small, we hold the power to write a new story—one where empathy shapes our laws, our schools, and our lives. The time is now, and the responsibility is ours. Let us rise to it with open hearts and steadfast resolve, forging together a community where every person is truly seen, valued, and free.
So, hold the umbrellas high—each one a symbol of shelter, unity, and shared resolve. As we join them, rib to rib and hand to hand, we challenge the tired narrative that claims we are divided, that equity is impossible, or that kindness is a frailty. Instead, we advance, step by resolute step, beneath a canopy built not of fear, but of courage, compassion, and hope.
