Authoritarians and anti-democratic political elites attack democracy because a robust and equitable democracy is the ultimate regulator of wealth and power. But their bottom lines are drawn behind their own heels and in front of the toes of working families. So, how are they attempting to build a mass populist movement against democracy, popular enough to use the democratic process to take power?  By organizing down the class ladder to white workers; a move that use to legitimate their claim of being champions of "real" Americans. In this episode Executive Director of Standing Up For Racial Justice, Erin Heaney addresses the elephant in the room: how do we compete for the hearts and minds of white workers and build a counter-movement for progress and a multi-racial democracy? As executive director of the largest white anti-racist organization in the US, Erin shares the sometimes messy work of organizing in white communities that have been fed lies by authoritarian. How are race and gender weaponized to divide us, and how do we make the case that a multi-racial democracy means prosperity for everyone? Guest Bio Erin Heaney is the Executive Director of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), organizing in majority-white communities to undermine the power of the Right and bring millions of white people into multi-racial movement. She brings over a decade of experience running grassroots campaigns for economic, racial and environmental justice and building organizations to enable transformative organizing. Additional Resources SURJ Website Listen, Rate, and Subscribe! Apple Podcasts Spotify Join 22CI’s mailing list Support Convergence Magazine Learn about 22CI’s 2025 Conference