The Visibility Brigade: A Template For Activism

The Visibility Brigade: A Template For Civic Action

“Nonviolent action is the antidote for despair!”

(Please read and share)

Origin and Mission: The Visibility Brigade model was born in 2020 out of a frustration due to the lack of physical messaging in the real world regarding the existential crisis we face as a nation. People need “social proof” to know how best to act and we deliver this weekly. We present our messages at a pedestrian walkway over Route 4 in Paramus, New Jersey. Our goal is to remind folks of this crisis, to suggest simple actions to take and to support pro-democratic state and national candidates. Our actions comfort heartbroken voters and let them know that they are not alone.

Our mission, however, goes beyond our overpass. Harvard political scientist, Erica Chenoweth, confirms that 3.5% of a population that actively engages in resistance can ensure serious political change. That’s approximately 11 million Americans we need to connect with and activate. So, our mission is to make real world visibility of our situation proliferate everywhere in order to reach that number. Creating your own Visibility Brigade brings us closer to that goal. Thank you for doing your part!

Who We Are And What We Do: as Margaret Mead once wrote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” A Visibility Brigade needs only a handful of dedicated members (5 minimum) to create weekly actions. This requires a weekly dedication of 60-90 minutes a week of placing a simple message in a public location, usually an overpass or other well-trafficked locale.

Impact and Safety: our goal is to present public messages in a personal but safe way. Actions are weather dependent. Participants interact with passing cars by waving at them from the overpass. Day of action and time can be changed often as per group availability. Messages are created and selected each week by members, giving them input and agency.

Messaging: messages are generally one to five word phrases for quick comprehension from a passing vehicle. These messages are typically specific and pointed. Sometimes they amplify an important news alert that some people may not have learned. Sometimes it’s just to remind people that they are not alone with their worries and concerns about our democracy. While the messages are often strongly worded, it is best to avoid profanity or words that have been co-opted by right wing messaging. Also, it is best to avoid messages that are too generic and don’t really say anything specific (ie “Peace and love.”) If possible, it is best to have volunteers standing over the letters as opposed to just leaving a message over the highway by itself as the waving makes it more personal. Messages are usually constructed by individual letters, which are temporarily attached to the fencing via bungee cords to allow free arms/hands of volunteers. Consistently conducting this activity every week creates a relationship between the team and commuters, who will most likely see them more than once and often anticipate that interaction.

Current Messaging Advice: there’s a quote from the Hunger Games series that we think is important to heed: “Remember who the real enemy is.” That’s good advice when crafting messages. Our messages currently focus on the greedy oligarchy that has taken control of our government. That’s something most Americans, despite political leanings, can agree on. No one feels happy about the ultra rich taking everything for themselves – which is what they are trying to do. So, while it might make you feel better to attack Trump specifically or Maga, the more potent messages focus like a laser beam on who is behind the grift. Most people still aren’t acquainted with the term “oligarchy” but they need to start doing so for our survival. That’s where we come in.

Each week we try to get to the heart of what’s going on and tune out the distractions (Trump’s crazy spouts) and then craft a message that can be the most helpful for protecting our democracy. We read Heather Cox Richardson’s posts as well as Robert Hubbell’s, Jessica Craven’s and Rebecca Solnit’s and many others. There are other useful sources and we encourage you to review them as well as other sources that have proven themselves tried and true in the face of fascism. Sometimes we create our own message, other times we amplify a message that we agree with. It makes for a weekly creative puzzle to figure out, especially given the limit of words that a passing car can read while driving at 55mph.

We are currently considering focusing our messaging around the “FREE AMERICA” movement idea that political sage Anat Schenker Osorio recently suggested. (Anat is also the one who came up with the term “Social Proof” – a concept we think is the most significant at this juncture.)

Where: any overpass of a busy thoroughfare which is safe for pedestrians and offers adequate screening to patently negate any accusations of people throwing items at drivers. Parking should be available nearby for 8 to 10 cars.

Ideal Location: a municipal/state-built pedestrian overpass which has a dedicated approach and has fencing, screening. i.e. The overpass we use has an elevator and a walking ramp to assist those with disabilities.

Timing: we generally plan an action for once a week, preferably during rush hour traffic to maximize visibility. Our actions typically last 90 minutes from start to finish and in the Spring-Summer-Fall occur from 4:30pm-6pm and during the winter months: 3:30-5pm. The chosen day of the action is often shaped by availability and the weather. Best to avoid doing this in the rain.

Our Motto: “Nonviolent action is the antidote for despair.” When we get out there and start waving at cars, with a message we believe in, we feel better. Our actions feel like having a mammoth umbrella against the firehose of bad news that is being blasted at us. We don’t waste our time with lots of planning meetings. We spend the majority of our time just getting out there and making a difference – which makes us feel better! Trust us, you will feel better, too.

Creating Letters: we recommend using large, plastic corrugated or foam boards with letters attached. Size depends on what is available. We use 20”x30”. Test message size with cardboard first on an overpass, etc. There is an initial cost and work time to create the necessary letter inventory. Originally, we built letters from foam core sold at Dollar Tree, which is inexpensive but not durable for wet conditions. We purchased white foam boards to cut out the letters and black foam boards for the backing. We used duct tape to attach the white letters onto the backing and double-sided the tape to make them stick. We created our own stencils of letters and then kept those stencils for future letter creation. (The letters are on average 15” across and 24” high.) However, you might get it done quicker by ordering a downloadable paper stencil template set like this one. Letter building parties can be a lot of fun and really help bond the group. If you wish to go further, fundraising (bake sale, trivia night, etc.) plus work gatherings help bring awareness to people and engage possible new members (local political groups, social justice groups, union, etc.)

We now use higher quality foam board materials donated by a local distributor, the owner being politically aligned. These foam boards are water resistant and heavier, which makes them more durable. As a general rule, we have 3-6 copies of each letter, with more copies for vowels and more commonly used letters like S. We also have copies of every number as well as %,$,!,? and &. We store everything alphabetized for quick and easy message building.

Attaching Letters to Overpass: people keep asking how we attach our letters and the quick answer is – simply, with bungee cords! We hook the bungees from one end of each section of fencing and then slide the letters in between them, snapping them flat against the fencing. If there’s a lot of wind, we double up. we purchased our bungee cords from Ace Hardware store. They are 48 inches and stretch out to about 4 feet, although the needs of your overpass may be different. Also, it’s best to overlap the letters slightly so that they read better with a consistent black background. When it’s time to go, breakdown is quick and easy, especially with more people present.

Social Media: while the primary purpose of this action should be to interact with people driving past, it is a best practice to take ample photographs and videos of the message for social media purposes. We recommend shooting photos/videos immediately once the letters are in place. In terms of video, it’s always best to record the message with a lot of cars honking. Not every message will attract honks and that’s OK. In that case, just use a still photo for social media purposes. On the different platforms, accounts should be created that are designated for posting media of these actions for the purpose of potentially going viral. (See Instagram account: @VisibilityBrigade and Blue Sky account: @visibilitybrigade.bsky.social) Oftentimes people in passing cars will take photos as they drive past and post online as well, boosting the visibility even further. Sometimes we use a hashtag “#” in front of our message to suggest social media intentions.

Group Communications: we utilize a SIGNAL messenger ‘secret group’ type communication system because it is supposed to be more secure. That’s where we debate what days we are going out, what messages we want to present, etc. We rarely if ever have actual meetings by the way. Better to have our in-person meetings on the overpass to discuss stuff! It’s like on a film set: ACTION!

Mailing List: when people express interest in participating, best to collect their email addresses and send a weekly notice about the upcoming action. When sending out a blast, be sure to have list members in the bcc so that people aren’t annoyed with ‘reply all’ responses. If somebody consistently shows up and seems to be a good fit for the core team, then they can be added into the internal group communications for each week. We encourage you to vet people before adding them to the list as we had the unfortunate instance of someone who was feeding our communications to someone on the opposing side and we had to purge that list and start again from scratch. (To join our local Paramus, NJ action mailing list, email visibilitybrigade@gmail.com. We have a separate email if you are elsewhere and want to join the movement: visibilitybrigademovement@gmail.com.)

Community Building: while many groups struggle to organize actions, this is an easily repeatable one to do, assuming that you have 5 to 10 dedicated people and enough letters so that the only real effort every week is just figuring out what the message should be and what day to go out. (When we started, by the way, we didn’t wait until we had all of the letters built. We just built the needed letters as we went along.) Generally speaking, participants enjoy the camaraderie of being on the overpass because they get to chit chat with each other while they do the action. 60 to 90 minutes per week is not burdensome and then everybody is energized to come back together the following week and make it something that just continually happens.

Building Membership: while we have a core group of about 20 dedicated people, we keep building our mailing list and welcome new recruits every week. Besides word of mouth, one way that people in our area learn of us is through Indivisible.org, which we are affiliated with. People searching for a group in our area can find us there and then join our mailing list. If they become regulars, we add them into our Signal group page.

Engagement Avoidance: we generally avoid engagement with people from the other side. Expect that others who disagree with the message will give the middle finger or angrily shout while driving past. Best to ignore these. Also, on occasion, a message that is politically pointed will bring somebody up on the overpass to argue. Best not to engage them as nothing you will say will likely change their minds. If they persist, start video recording them with a cell phone. Designate one person from the group to take on this role, so that others can continue their activism, unhindered. Video recording is done purely to create a legal record in case the person acts in a really inappropriate manner – something we fortunately have yet to encounter by the way. We had the experience a few months ago of a Trumper crashing our actions and putting up his own signs, etc. It was frustrating as we couldn’t tell him to leave as he is also covered under the First Amendment. However, to boost morale when this happened, we created a special sign for him. Humor goes a long way!

Legality and First Amendment Rights: according to the US Constitution, assuming that the overpass is publicly owned and over a federal highway, a group should be able to utilize the space for an action. However, it is important to understand any local laws or restrictions that may hinder this. Also be polite, but understand your rights. Some things that police have said to us previously, which we found to be legally irrelevant: “You’re slowing down traffic.” “You’re distracting drivers and creating a safety hazard.” “You can’t put anything up on the fencing.”

Police Interaction: when you are starting out with your group, do not contact the police. You don’t need their permission or the permission of anyone else to protest. You have the right to assemble and freedom of speech under the First Amendment of the Constitution. You have the right to conduct these things in public spaces, including sidewalks, parks, train stations and overpasses – anywhere that is publicly owned. Now, while we do not seek permission from the police for our weekly actions, we do contact our local precinct as a courtesy to let them know when we will be at the overpass. That said, let them come to you first. We didn’t start calling the local police department until they basically asked us to let them know as a courtesy that we would be on the overpass, so they didn’t have to respond every time someone called to complain that we were throwing rocks at cars or obstructing the walkway – which of course we weren’t! They also know that when we’re done with our actions, we never leave signs up or litter on the overpass. So much of their job is avoiding hassles and our calls and consistency alleviate that for them. Also, even though we’re not asking for permission from the police, by calling them we are showing them respect – which they appreciate. Creating a positive relationship with the police department, especially when angry drivers from the other side call to complain, is a wise choice. It is best to designate a member of the group to call on a weekly basis to give the police department a heads up. The woman from our group, who is super lovely and friendly, is now on a first name basis with the officers who pick up the phone at the precinct. That human interaction can come in handy. Lastly, our overpass seems to be under a local jurisdiction, so we’ve only had interactions with local police and not state ones. We are not sure that giving state police the same heads up would necessarily be as fruitful as with local ones.

Supporting Local Candidates: we decided to endorse Andy Kim for Senate and dedicated one side of the overpass for a message about him on a weekly basis. Beyond the overpass, we made our voices heard loud and clear at rallies and other political functions! You can do the same with your letters.

Beyond The Overpass: there’s a lot of work to be done to activate 3.5% of the American people in order to save our nation. We are expanding our visibility actions to Tesla dealerships, town halls, parks, farmer’s markets, train stations, sidewalks in front of Walmarts and anywhere public that people congregate. So, go check out your local calendar and see where people are gathering and remind them that we are in a crisis and need to act accordingly.

Be creative with your presentation and don’t let the fascists get you down!

We hope this toolkit is helpful. Create your own Visibility Brigade, send us photos and stay in touch with us so we can coordinate messaging. BE LOUD. BE BOLD and help us save our democracy! You can do it!

If you want to get involved with our local brigade in Paramus, NJ, join our mailing list at visibilitybrigade@gmail.com. If you are elsewhere in the country and want to join our nationwide movement, email us at visibilitybigrademovement@gmail.com. We also have a leadership group page on Signal where you can get support and coordinate messaging. Thanks for doing your part in saving our country!