How Movements Win: Lessons We’re Applying on the Bridges
- Jamie Cunningham
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
10/31/25
By Jamie Cunningham
Founder, NH Bridge Brigade for Democracy
Throughout history, ordinary people have changed the course of nations — not by waiting for permission, but by standing shoulder to shoulder in the public square. From Selma to Solidarity, from suffragists to Standing Rock, movements rise when citizens claim moral visibility and refuse to back down.
The New Hampshire Bridge Brigade for Democracy stands in that lineage. Every banner across our overpasses, every flag lifted in the wind, is part of that long arc of civic courage. But to truly make history bend, we must understand how past movements succeeded — and how we can apply those lessons today.
Build Coalitions, Not Just Crowds
The Civil Rights Movement built an ecosystem: churches, students, labor, and moral leaders all pulling together. That’s how it moved mountains. We’re doing the same here in New Hampshire. The Bridge Brigade is a network — young & old, trades people, professionals, environmentalists, veterans, teachers, union members, students, grandparents — all united under one banner: defending democracy.
Each bridge pod is autonomous but connected. Each voice strengthens the chorus. We don’t all need to think the same — we just need to stand together for the same core values: truth, justice, and freedom.
Persistence Beats Passion Bursts
Movements that win don’t burn hot and fade — they endure.
The suffragists fought for eighty years. Civil rights leaders organized for
decades before any law changed.
Our bridge actions carry that same endurance mindset. Whether it’s ten people on a overpass in January or a hundred waving flags on Labor Day weekend, we show up. Every week. Every season. This is not a sprint; it’s a relay — and each of us carries the torch for the next.
Control the Narrative Before Others Do
In every struggle, the opposition tries to define us — “Antifa,” “radicals,” “troublemakers,” “fringe.”
But like the Vietnam-era peace activists, we must reclaim the moral center. We’re not radicals. We’re realists. We love our country enough to hold it accountable.
Our signs speak truth to thousands of drivers every day. Our presence is a visual statement of decency and courage. The more visible we are, the harder it is for disinformation to win.
Nonviolence Is Strategic Power
Gandhi’s Salt March and King’s marches through Birmingham were not random protests. They were acts of moral theater — disciplined, strategic, and unflinchingly nonviolent.
Bridge actions carry that same spirit. We don’t meet aggression with anger. We meet it with calm resolve. We document, de-escalate, and stand our ground peacefully.
Nonviolence isn’t weakness — it’s how you reveal the character of injustice and invite the public to your side.
Humor and Art Are Weapons of the Heart
Oppression can’t stand laughter. Satire and song have always been revolutionary tools.
That’s why we mix seriousness with humor — why our banners sometimes parody authoritarian absurdity, why we encourage creativity in design and slogans.
Art bypasses ideology. It speaks directly to the human spirit. The world is grim enough — let our bridges be places of courage and joy.
Target the System, Not Just the Symptom
The Anti-Apartheid movement didn’t just chant; it cut off the regime’s funding.
Our version of that in New Hampshire is visibility — we go where the public, and the media can’t ignore us. Bridges are the arteries of our democracy.
We’re reminding people, daily, of what’s at stake: voting rights, truth in governance, equality under law. That’s strategic visibility. It’s not just noise — it’s leverage.
Train Leaders at Every Level
Movements thrive when everyone has agency.
Each Bridge Pod is a leadership incubator. People start by showing up once, holding a sign — and before long, they’re coordinating routes, managing chats, and mentoring newcomers. We must find ways to have more men and youth (ages from 18 to 30) to show up in larger numbers and to become more visible. (In future blogs I will be examining why the men and youth are holding back and what can be done to have them become an
integral part of the pro-democracy movement.) That’s how we scale democracy: by trusting one another to lead.
Connect the Dots — Local Action, National Impact
Every bridge in New Hampshire is part of a bigger picture.
When we coordinate with national calls like No Kings Day or Workers Over Billionaires, we amplify our reach. We become one voice in a national chorus of citizens reclaiming public space.
It’s the modern echo of what suffragists, civil rights workers, and peace activists did: small actions woven together into something unstoppable.
Shift What’s Normal
Movements don’t just change policy — they change culture. When democracy defenders become a familiar sight across highways and towns, we redefine patriotism. We make it normal again to care out loud about freedom.
That’s how we win the long game — by reshaping what “normal” looks like in America.
Final Thoughts
The Bridge Brigade isn’t just about signs and overpasses. It’s about reclaiming civic courage — showing that democracy still lives in the hearts of ordinary citizens.
Every person who waves, honks, or joins us is part of that lineage of hope.
We are the connective tissue between history and the future.
We are the ones who refuse to give up.
We are the visible heartbeat of democracy.
So, let’s keep showing up. Keep building bridges — literally and figuratively.
Because as history proves, movements don’t just happen.
They are built, one brave act at a time.
Get Involved
Website: nhbbd.org
Join us on a Bridge - fill out our Registration Form.
Next Statewide Action:
Veterans Day Tuesday, November 11th
from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM — or start one in your town!
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