ICO Newsletter - 7/16/25
Standing up for Racial Justice and Democracy
Indivisible Central Ohio cares about racial justice, and we know you do too! Showing up to honor the memory and legacy of Congressman John Lewis on the fifth anniversary of his passing is a way to show you care and are committed to racial justice as a part of the urgent struggle to protect our democracy amidst the attacks from the Trump regime.
Indivisible Central Ohio and Common Cause Ohio are excited to be working with several important Black-led organizations to commemorate and celebrate – and continue Congressman Lewis’s legacy of struggle for justice. Please join us at Second Baptist Church – the oldest Black church in Columbus.
Indivisible Central Ohio and Common Cause Ohio are excited to be working with several important Black-led organizations to commemorate and celebrate – and continue Congressman Lewis’s legacy of struggle for justice. Please join us at Second Baptist Church – the oldest Black church in Columbus – where we will hear from these speakers and several others:
When: Thursday, July 17, 4:30-6pm
Where: Second Baptist Church, 186 N 17th St, Columbus, 43203
Speakers include the following (more will be added!):
Deidra Reese, Ohio Organizing Collaborative & the Amos Project
Morgan Harper, Columbus Stand Up
Pastor Brian K Holland, Second Community Church
Catherine Turcer, Common Cause Ohio
Music from soloist and worship leader Timothy Hadley, plus spoken word and more.
At the conclusion of the program, some of the attendees will travel (drive or march) to the Ohio Statehouse to join the 50501 Good Trouble rally scheduled for 6-8pm. There are also Good Trouble events in the evening (after ours) in Reynoldsburg and Hilliard.
Share the video below to spread the word about Good Trouble events nationwide:
Every Day is a Good Day for Good Trouble!
Sign up to help us with parking and ushering at the church HERE.
Debunking Husted’s Lies
On July 3rd, Ohio Senator Jon Husted sent out a newsletter defending his decision to vote for the big budget bill. Indivisible Central Ohio volunteers are debunking his 8 claims in a series of videos on social media. We are using the Senator's words verbatim, researching the realities, and sharing the outcomes of that research. The videos are being posted to:
Indivisible Central Ohio's Private Facebook Page
Indivisible Central Ohio's YouTube channel
Indivisible Central Ohio's Instagram
We hope you will join us in sharing these videos within your networks and on your social media accounts. The best option for sharing has been the YouTube Playlist: Husted Claims Debunked. Each video in the series will be available in this single list. When you share the list, everyone gets the updates
RALLIES & PROTESTS
Every week there are rallies and protests all over central Ohio! You can follow what’s happening in the Events section of our website, indivisible central ohio.org.
This Week Only
Thursday, 7/17/2025: Good Trouble Lives On rallies throughout Central Ohio. Find a rally in Central Ohio HERE, and look up rallies across the US (and around the world) HERE.
Weekly rallies
Wednesday, 7/16/2025: Wednesday’s at Bernie’s, 12pm, Bricker Federal Building, 200 N. High Street. Let's hold Moreno accountable to the people and taxpayers of Ohio. We demand to be seen AND heard - just like his rich donors. More info and register HERE.
Saturday, 7/19/2025: Protest in Delaware, noon to 1 PM. Let’s protest together and let folks know that we are tired of all the shenanigans.
Saturday, 7/19/2025: Tesla Protest! 4:30-5:30 PM, Easton Tesla Dealership. Join the weekly Tesla Takedown protest! Even driving by and giving us a supportive honk is appreciated!
Tuesday, 7/22/2025: Rush Hour Rallies, 4:30-5:30pm,
Eastside, Support Veterans: Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center, 420 N James Rd, Columbus. Come out to support our veterans! Registration & more info HERE.
Worthington: Join us to deliver our message of resistance to commuters at the intersection of Route 161 and High St. in Worthington. Organized by the Worthington Area Democratic Club and Westerville Progressive Alliance. Signup & parking info HERE.
Thursday, 7/24/2025: Say Something, Rally the Community, 4:30-5:30 PM, Grant and Livingston Ave, Columbus. Bring your signs, your voice, and a friend and say something about how you are feeling about the current state of affairs in this country. See the flyer for the event HERE and register to attend HERE.
Join the Overpass Army!
A fun and easy entry to anti-Trump activism is to join our crew as we hold signs over the highways. Upcoming dates are 7/18, 7/22, 7/26 and more – all 4:30-6pm. Details, directions and sign up are HERE. Bookmark that location as we add dates every week. We have the signs and flags. You bring the manpower.
#LetThePeopleDecide
The Democratic Party should be a party that listens to the voices of everyday voters. When a small group of party insiders make decisions that tip the scales and impact election outcomes, more people become disillusioned by a party and political system that are not working for them.
You have a chance to push things in the right direction by signing an open letter calling on the Franklin County Democratic Party leadership to stay neutral and not endorse in the general election for Columbus City Council District 7.
Jesse Vogel and Tiara Ross both deserve a fair shot to make their case to voters — and the people deserve the power to decide. If you agree, please check out this letter and add your name HERE by Saturday, July 19 at 6:00pm.
Protect the Vetoes: RED ALERT!
The Ohio House just announced that they will pause their Summer break and return for a House Session for one day on Monday, July 21 at 11am in the Senate Chambers. You can watch it on the Ohio Channel at ohiochannel.org. Senate Republicans are trying to schedule a Summer Session date as well.
HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW: Tell your state representative and senator not to override ANY of the governor’s vetoes!
DRAFT SCRIPT from Rachel Coyle:
Hello. My name is [NAME], and I am a voter in your district. My zip code is [ZIP CODE].
I’m asking you not to override ANY of the governor’s budget vetoes. Ohio absolutely needs property tax reform, but our Republican governor vetoed those budget items for a reason. They’re poorly thought out. They will cause more harm than good.
Instead, you should look at the property tax fixes proposed by last year’s Joint Committee on Property Tax Review and Reform. They took the time to work with experts and map out changes that won’t hurt our schools and first responders.
Please, just let the budget remain as-is. Does [LEGISLATOR] promise to vote NO on any budget veto overrides? I will be sharing your responses with my networks and urging more people to call you. Thank you.
Columbus Safety Collective
The Columbus Safety Collective will be collecting signatures until the end of the year, but the summer months are the best for getting out to festivals and farmers markets and talking to City of Columbus voters!
Get booklets and training:
ICO Office hours: Mondays, 5:30-6:30pm, Global Gallery, 3535 N High St.
CSC Office hours: Thur, 6-7pm & Sat, 10:30am-noon, Old First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Brydon Road.
Find places to collect signatures:
More sign ups at this Mobilize link
For info or materials outside of regular office hours contact Jackie Bird (jackieoep@gmail.com) or Cheryl Grossman (cherylrsgrossman@gmail.com).
There will always be Postcards!
If you’re looking for an easy way to have an impact, there will always be postcards on the porch at 437 Piedmont (well, almost always!). Right now we have literally thousands of cards to write! There are some going out to our neighbors in Pennsylvania where there are close elections coming up in November, and we have thousands of the Million Postcards Campaign from Signs of Justice where we write to our Senators and Representative every month in waves. (Take a photo of the instructions for the million postcard campaign while you’re on the porch.)
Questions? Please contact Michelle at mlerner5@gmail.com or 740-258-8343.
Ralph Carter and We Are Linden are running the Project Safe Summer Program this year, to keep kids engaged in a safe environment where they can have fun and learn leadership skills to serve them throughout the year. Ralph has put out a call to their Village (that's US!) to rally donations to keep the kids hydrated and fed as well as funding field trips this summer.
Donate at this link (SCROLL DOWN) via Ca$happ or Venmo, or contact Ann Shroyer at Randomann@gmail.com. Thank you!
Ideas and Inspirations for You
Upcoming Events (Calendar view)
Wednesday, 7/16/2025: Community Meeting on the Future of Public Education, 6-8pm, New Albany Library. Join as speakers from Honesty for Ohio Education and Indivisible Central Ohio share information on what’s happening, what’s at stake, and how we can take action together
Wednesdays, 7/16, 7/30, 8/13/2025: One Million Rising: Strategic Non-Cooperation to Fight Authoritarianism, 8-9:30pm. The No Kings team has organized a national effort to train one million people in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation, as well as the basics of community organizing and campaign design. Join these training events HERE.
Friday, 7/18/2025: Trivia Night! 6:30pm, Endeavor Brewing and Spirits, 909 W 5th Ave, Columbus. Join the ICO team and United SHE Stands for an evening of Trivia fun. Sign up at this link and get a raffle ticket! Bring period products to donate to a local Columbus School to get an extra raffle ticket.
Saturday, 7/19/2025-Thursday, 7/24/2025: The Last Class Film, time varies per day. Gateway Theater, Columbus. Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich delivers his last “Wealth and Poverty” class, sharing his reflections on education and inequality. Get tickets.
Tuesday, 7/22/2025: Property Taxes, Levies & Ohio Revenue 101, 6-7:30pm, virtual. Join us as we seek to understand the impact of property taxes and other Ohio taxes on all Ohioans. Register HERE.
Wednesday, 7/23/2025: ICO In-person Meeting, 6:30-8pm, 1st UU Church, 93 W Weisheimer Rd, Columbus. Join other members of Indivisible Central Ohio for our monthly in person member meeting, fourth Wednesday of every month. We will discuss current actions and activities and hear from you about your ideas for new actions!
Thursday, 7/24/2025: Matter News Community Conversations: Inside the Outsider Campaigns, 8pm, Two-Dollar Radio, 1124 Parsons Ave, Columbus. For this month’s Community Conversation, Matter News will be joined by Columbus City School Board candidate Mounir Lynch and Tristina Allen, a key member of the team working in support of Columbus City Council candidate Jesse Vogel. The discussion will cover the benefits and challenges of mounting an outsider campaign, along with other related topics.
Sunday, 7/27/2025: ICO Postcard Party! 6-8pm, 219 W Dublin Granville Rd, Worthington. Let’s stand up for democracy while building a community via a postcard writing party. We will supply cards, snacks and drinks. Feel free to bring anything to make the postcards more fun to read with stickers or markers. For those who are able, stamps are appreciated.
Wednesday, 7/30/2025: ICO Social Hour, 6-8pm, Columbus Brewing Company Beer Hall. Join us for a drink and the opportunity to get to know some other Indivisible Central Ohio folks!
Saturday, 8/9/2025: Hands Across High Street, 2-3:30pm. Join us in forming a human chain along High Street from Route 161 in Worthington to downtown Columbus, delivering the message that WE STAND UNITED in support of these fundamental values:
We DEFEND the rights of the millions of law-abiding immigrants who fill vital roles in our economy and make America a richer, stronger nation
We OPPOSE the creation of concentration camps within the United States and the rendering of immigrants to internment camps in other countries
We DEFEND U.S. international aid that has saved more than 90 million lives worldwide
We OPPOSE the loss of health insurance through Medicaid and Obamacare for 17 million Americans
We DEFEND the Veterans Administration that helps fulfill our promise to take care of those who have sacrificed for all of us
We OPPOSE reductions in SNAP benefits that could affect 22 million families
We DEFEND research and policies designed to combat climate change
We OPPOSE the gutting of staff and funding at FEMA, the National Weather Service, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Post Office and other public agencies that provide essential services to Americans
We DEFEND Medicare and Social Security programs so many older Americans depend upon
We OPPOSE dismantling the Department of Education and the imposition of government-mandated restrictions on topics that can be taught in our colleges and universities
We DEFEND science-based policies and expertise within the Department of Health and Human Services that have helped protect Americans against infectious diseases
We OPPOSE tax cuts that overwhelmingly favor the rich while adding more than $3 trillion to our national debt
We DEFEND the democratic principles that have defined the United States of America for 249 years!
This will be our final opportunity for a major summer protest before the new school year begins, and we want to make it huge! We will need thousands of people to line the sidewalk all the way from Worthington through Beechwold, Clintonville, the University District and the Short North. Look for more details next week, and make your plan now to be a part of Hands Along High Street Aug. 9!
Mia & Linda for the Indivisible Central Ohio Team
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