National Foundation for Women Legislators

I spend too much of my day doomscrolling—Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, the Atlantic, the New York Times, The Fulcrum, and others, to stay current. They deliver a steady stream of trusted news and analysis. But much of it is deeply depressing. Civil rights and liberties contracting, an administration pushing authoritarian programs, and federal agencies dismantled or redirected. On the world stage, it's worse: power shifting, conflicts spreading, the war in Iran, Gaza, Israel, and global energy in chaos. On a recent Saturday morning, before the scrolling even began, I was already feeling the full weight of it all.

My wife and I have spent decades in local civic work in Falls Church, Virginia, and that day, we showed up for two events. The first was a city forum on affordable housing—genuine public engagement. The second, in the afternoon, was at Meridian High School: a community discussion called "Othering and Belonging," hosted by the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation and the Meridian High School Black Student Union. Tinner Hill is a historic African American community in Falls Church, and the foundation that bears its name has long been a civic anchor in the city. The room was full. Parents, students, professionals, and community members were there.