TODAY’S NEWSLETTER INCLUDES:

1. FUNDS DELIVERED TO SIS FROM FUNDRAISER!
2. HAS COMMUNITY DINNER
3. LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND.
4. WHAT IS SOLIDARITY IN THESE TIMES?
5. IS THIS FASCISM? FRED GLASS SATURDAY!
6. MAY DAY SONOMA VALLEY - SHOP LOCAL -MAY DAY
7. ANOTHER LOOK AT BLOG ON SUPREME COURT - TIMELY!

Today, Lisa Storment, President of Wake UP Sonoma and Jocelyn Simone Rhude of NO SLEEP NO HUNGER and Wake UP Sonoma Web Designer are proud to stand side-by-side to hand off a $2,000 check to Vicki Handron ED of Sonoma Immigrant Services. Jocelyn initiated and designed the button campaign as she was so inspired by the work of Sonoma Immigrant Services. We (you) raised $2,000!!

This was truly a community effort. We’re so grateful for everyone who showed up, donated, and supported along the way. Huge thank you to Refill Madness and Valley Swim Club for hosting the ICE OUT button campaign and helping make this happen.

We still have a few buttons left in the wakeupsonoma.org store if you want to keep supporting Wake UP Sonoma.
Home | ICE OUT Fundraiser
Stay tuned for more fun fundraising campaigns to support our incredible community allies here in Sonoma.
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ANOTHER COMMUNITY DINNER AT HAS THIS PAST SUNDAY!
This past Sunday, Josette Brose-Eichar and her team of dedicated volunteers brought a delicious dinner of El Molino food to the Homeless Action Services community. This is one of their favorite dinners, we are told, and the reception is truly heartwarming and friendships are being built.
The HAS program has a robust program of community organizations that donate a dinner each Sunday throughout the year and Wake UP Sonoma is on the rotation as often as we can get together enough donations to fund these dinners. If you are interested in donating to keep Wake UP Sonoma involved, please donate here, and put HAS dinners in the note comment section. Donate — Wake UP Sonoma The volunteers who do this love it so much we don’t have room for any more volunteers, as they only want a few volunteers for each dinner - but donations would be wonderful to keep us contributing to this incredible program for our neighbors!

WHAT IS SOLIDARITY - EXACTLY?

There is a lot of talk about Solidarity but do we all know exactly what that means. I ran across this article, as I find myself thinking about Solidarity. It’s a little bit older article (2021), but I think still relevant. In these times when there are so many choices about how to act and align ourselves, and when we may find ourselves in conflict with one another around choices we make, who to vote for, what protests to attend, how to make choices of support of one organization or another within our own community. It requires a fair amount of introspection about one’s own values and intentions. See what you think about what this article has to say. It may, or may not resonate with you!! But, worth a read.

What is the definition of solidarity? How can I practice it? - Los Angeles Times

…Lisa Storment, President Wake UP Sonoma

WE NEED PEOPLE TO TABLE AT TUESDAY NIGHT MARKETS FOR WAKE UP SONOMA! MARKET STARTS MAY 5TH
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE DO -
Keeping the public informed about our work.
Tell the community about the important work of Wake UP Sonoma and how each person can make a unique contribution to building community in carrying out our mission.
If you want to be part of the fun, please reach out to Anne Neely to express interest! anneneelyconsulting@gmail.com

FREE INFORMING EVENT!!!
FRED GLASS, EXPERT ON AMERICAN FASCISM IS HERE SATURDAY MAY 2ND- A CRITICAL FREE COMMUNITY TALK
Another moment that you will WANT to be in the room. His talk is unforgettable, riveting and can give some guidance to us as we enter ever more deeply into a state of war, chaos, and uncertainty.
JOIN US ON SATURDAY TO HEAR THIS RIVETING TALK WITH FRED GLASS - LABOR HISTORIAN.

FREE RSVP LINK: COMMUNITY CONVERSATION WITH FRED GLASS — Wake UP Sonoma

But how do we understand fascism in the context of this historical moment? And, most importantly, if this is fascism… what do we do about it? Join us for this unique talk on Fascism.

May 2 - 11-1 (doors 10:45) CORRECTION FROM LAST EMAIL PLEASE NOTE! - Burlingame Hall - 252 W. SPAIN Street.

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MAY DAY PROTEST!

TAKE THE PLEDGE - JOIN THE PROTEST!
May 1 has been a platform for workers’ demands and protests since May 1, 1886, when workers in industrial cities around the country demanded implementation of an eight-hour workday.

The pledge, which can be accessed at May Day Pledge — Wake UP Sonoma is to shop local; support local businesses; skip Amazon, Prime and the big-box stores; buy less gas on May 1

The movement emphasizes nonviolent participation, with organizers requesting attendees to avoid weapons and de-escalate conflicts.

Wake Up Sonoma also encourages people to gather on the sidewalk on Napa Street in front of Sonoma Plaza from 5 to 6 p.m. on May 1 to make your voice heard.

While it’s true that these actions will not immediately change the current political situation, they are an immediate way to make a difference. It also helps form the required network and solidarity for what one day could be a very necessary national strike—think election tampering, worsening inflation, more widespread ICE deployment and deportation. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! Join us Friday May 1.

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How the Right Wing Used Dark Money to Capture the Supreme Court

Thomas Miley April 22, 2026
Authors: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jennifer Mueller

Book Review: The Scheme

Wondering and worrying about the rightward direction of the US Supreme Court? You should be. As Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) writes in his 2023 Preface to The Scheme: How the Right Wing Used Dark Money to Capture the Supreme Court, a book co-authored with Jennifer Mueller:

“SINCE THIS BOOK FIRST WENT TO PRINT a year ago [2022], events have powerfully confirmed its central thesis: that this is not a conservative Court but rather a captured Court; that identifiable interests customarily win in its decisions; and that these interests are linked to the covert dark money operation that put certain justices on the Court.  “This book shows how this scheme was crafted and executed over decades. These are the “elements of the crime”: justices carefully picked for their willingness to undo Court precedents in ways the donors wanted; a pattern of rules-changing and fact-finding to get the desired results; a sloppy and loose ethical culture that provided no investigation or enforcement of ethics violations; and a frightening tolerance for secrecy, particularly around dark-money political interests.”

Hearing reports of this book from a fellow avid reader—namely Thomas Miley, a digital composer of interactive sound and video environments, who is also a keen observer of all things political—we enlisted him to write a review for us here at the Inform and Educate Team. Click here The Scheme to read his thorough review (the original was even more thorough, but we had to shrink it). It’s a rather frightening assessment of The Scheme—its genesis and the consequences of a “captured Court,” as Whitehouse frames it. Then wonder no longer about how it came to pass. 

We’ve got our work cut out for us if there’s any hope of reforming the Court.

Our Vision: To foster a vibrant, just, respectful and welcoming Sonoma Valley community.

OUR MISSION IS TO:
EDUCATE - by providing resources to Sonoma Valley residents to be informed and engaged.
ADVOCATE - for local diversity, equity, inclusion, civic and corporate transparency.
ACTIVATE - by promoting democracy and providing opportunities for local engagement.

We Educate. Advocate. Activate.
on issues related, but not limited to:
- LGBTQIA+ safety and visibility
- Protection of our immigrant population
- Defense against Christian Nationalism
- Transparency in large corporate investment and responsible development
- Active local civic engagement