Rise Up

Week 13, 2018 vs. 2026

The Work (2018)

Rise Up was created during Week 13 of 2018, in the aftermath of national student protests, immigration crackdowns, and renewed public outrage over racial violence and gun violence.

The piece pulls together overlapping headlines and movements that, at the time, felt urgent, fragmented, and emotionally overwhelming.

But underneath them was a shared tension:

who gets heard,
who gets protected,
and what happens when people refuse to disappear quietly.

Then vs. Now

In 2018, it felt urgent.

Now it feels constant.

The protests never fully stopped.
The pressure never fully disappeared.

The headlines simply changed form.

2026

Voices are still rising.

But the stakes feel higher now.

New protests have spread across the country.
Demonstrators opposing immigration crackdowns and executive overreach have again filled streets, state capitols, and public squares.

At the same time, confrontations between protesters and authorities have intensified.

The Pattern

This isn’t new.

When people speak, power responds.

Sometimes by adapting.
Sometimes by cracking down.

Response

Power doesn’t fear noise.

It fears truth that refuses to disappear.

The Question

How long can power ignore people
before resistance becomes inevitable?