COLUMN: This is not a time to retreat. It’s a time to organize.

“In the coming weeks, months, and years, we will write our own David vs. Goliath story — a story of resistance, resilience, and ultimately, progress.” Column by Emily Tseffos.

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This column is from The Recombobulation Area, a weekly opinion column and online publication founded by Dan Shafer, now part of the Civic Media network. Learn more about The Recombobulation Area and subscribe here.

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Many of us are on an edge right now, holding our breath and bracing for a second Trump term. That profound sense of unease you feel? You’re not alone.

For some, it is the fear of losing rights that were hard-fought and hard-won. For others, it’s the worry that our most vulnerable neighbors — those struggling to make ends meet, immigrants seeking safety and opportunity, or the children we are trying to raise in this often heartbreaking world — will continue to bear the brunt of inequities. It’s easy to feel small, powerless, even defeated in these moments. 

But history tells us another story, one where ordinary people, armed with persistence, courage, and collective action, can challenge the mightiest systems and achieve worthwhile progress.

I’ve been thinking a lot about a biblical story I learned when I was a child lately — the story of David and Goliath. It’s a powerful metaphor for these times. Goliath, a towering warrior, seemed invincible. David, a young shepherd armed only with a sling and five stones, seemed unlikely to stand a chance. But if you know the story, you know David defeated Goliath, proving that strength does not always lie in size or power but in strategy and resilience.

Throughout history, we’ve seen countless modern-day Davids rise to confront powerful Goliaths. In South Africa, a brutal apartheid government oppressed millions of Black citizens. Yet ordinary people, united by a shared dream of equality, organized strikes, boycotts, and protests, eventually dismantling the system and ushering in a new era of democracy.

Here in this country, the Montgomery Bus Boycott of the Civil Rights Movement serves as a poignant example of the transformative power of persistence. When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, she sparked a year-long protest that forced the desegregation of Montgomery’s buses. Take note that this wasn’t just the work of remarkable leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it was the work of thousands of ordinary citizens who walked to work for over a year, enduring tremendous hardship but refusing to back down because it was the right thing to do.

And in more recent years, the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline showed how Indigenous people and their allies stood together to protect sacred lands and water. Though they faced corporate and governmental power that sought to intimidate and silence them, they elevated their cause to international attention, reshaping conversations about Indigenous rights and environmental justice.

Or take, for example, the Fight for $15 movement, where fast-food workers — some of the most undervalued workers in our economy — organized strikes and protests demanding a living wage. They faced powerful corporations with vast resources, but their persistence resulted in wage increases for millions of service employees and other workers across the country. It didn’t happen overnight, nor was it a sweeping victory. But it was incredible progress. Movement in the right direction.

Or look to the women of the Chipko Movement in India, who physically hugged trees to prevent them from being cut down by logging companies. Their courage and solidarity protected local forests and inspired a global environmental movement.

These stories serve as reminders that transformative change is not the result of quick victories or singular heroes. It is the result of the persistence, collaboration, and courage of ordinary people to speak truth to power, even when the odds seem insurmountable.

As Trump begins his second term, I’m going to take these lessons to heart — and I encourage you to do the same. The Goliath we face is formidable: entrenched systems of inequality, efforts to roll back rights, climate inaction, and a deepening divide in our nation. But we are not powerless. If anything, history has shown us that some of the most transformative moments come when people just like you refuse to be silenced.

These stories are not just about defiance — they are about hope. They show us that even when systems seem immovable, cracks can form at the foundation. And with enough collective effort, those cracks can bring the whole structure down.

During Trump’s second term, we have our own opportunity to be David. This is not a time to retreat into despair or cynicism. It is a time to organize, to build coalitions across communities, and to stand in solidarity with those most affected by unjust policies. Whether it’s fighting for reproductive rights, protecting the environment, defending democracy, or ensuring equity in education and healthcare, every effort counts.

Collective action starts small — with a conversation, a meeting, a petition. It grows through persistence and the belief that our shared humanity is more powerful than any political agenda. It requires courage, of course, but also creativity. 

David didn’t defeat Goliath by meeting him on his terms; he used his unique skills and strategies to turn the tide.

We have a responsibility now to channel our frustration into action and our fear into hope. Grassroots organizing, mutual aid networks, and community-led initiatives are all tools we can use to face the challenges ahead.

The outcome of these next four years is not preordained, friends. Goliath may be big, but he is not invincible. And like David, we must have the courage to take the first step, the persistence to keep going, and the faith that change is possible.

In the coming weeks, months, and years, we will write our own David vs. Goliath story — a story of resistance, resilience, and ultimately, progress. Let’s make it one that future generations can look to as proof that even in the face of overwhelming odds, ordinary people can prevail.

We can prevail. And so we must.

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Emily Tseffos is the chair of the Democratic Party of Outagamie County in northeastern Wisconsin, 2024 State Assembly candidate, and former statewide organizer for Indivisible. She is dedicated to electing progressive candidates locally and prioritizes building sustainable, genuine grassroots capacity in larger cities and rural communities through strategic, consistent development.