
Isaac Evans-Frantz
Isaac Evans-Frantz is the executive director of Action Corps and the clerk of the Brattleboro Selectboard. He was raised in a low-income rural Vermont family and is a leader of Vermont’s LGBTQI+ community.


What can ordinary people do when democratic norms feel fragile, federal power expands, and communities most affected by conflict and climate disasters struggle to be heard? Must safeguarding our rights come at the cost of deepening division, or can it instead strengthen our shared civic fabric?
This presentation explores a continuum of nonviolent strategies available to communities seeking to protect their families and their voices—from calm, local acts of solidarity to election-related engagement, state-level legislative initiatives, and coordinated multi-state efforts. It also considers moments when public protest, selective noncompliance, or international monitoring emerge as tools for accountability. Through real-world examples of grassroots organizing, participants will examine how democratic resilience is built, what tactics have proven effective, and how everyday people can choose focused, collective action over fear or resignation.
Mileage
Projector and connections for laptop
Contact Jacob Pelletier at jpelletier@vermonthumanities.org.

The U.S. has been at war, in one form or another, for all but about 18 of the past 250 years of the county’s existence. What does this mean if this is a constant in our lives? How do we invite the conservatives and progressives into the room to talk together?

This project will bring together Vermonters from across the state to discuss the founding principles and future of the Vermont National Guard, its relationship to the U.S. Constitution, and criteria for deployment to combat around the world. Veterans, service members, and their family members are particularly encouraged to participate in this discussion.

What can ordinary people do when democratic norms feel fragile, federal power expands, and communities most affected by conflict and climate disasters struggle to be heard? This presentation explores a continuum of nonviolent strategies available to communities seeking to protect their families and their voices—from calm, local acts of solidarity to election-related engagement, state-level legislative initiatives, and coordinated multi-state efforts.