The Power of “Good Trouble”: How to Light a Fire Under Yourself, Hit the Street, and Change What Everyone Else Thinks Is Unchangeable

The No-Excuses Playbook for Lawful...Relentless Pressure

The Power of “Good Trouble”: How to Light a Fire Under Yourself, Hit the Street, and Change What Everyone Else Thinks Is Unchangeable

The No-Excuses Playbook for Lawful…Relentless Pressure

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #566: Monday, September 22nd, 2025.

This is another long one…but this topic deserves every sentence. Let’s cut through it.

John Lewis didn’t risk his skull on the Edmund Pettus Bridge so you could like a post, mutter at your TV, and call it citizenship.

He wasn’t a poet of polite gestures; he was a practitioner of productive disruption…what he famously called “Good Trouble.”

Not tantrum trouble. Not chaos-for-clicks. Good…as in moral. Trouble…as in you made the comfortable uncomfortable…the corrupt cornered…and the cowardly reconsider their silence.

This isn’t a kumbaya essay.

It’s a marching order for people who know…in their gut… that playing nice with bullies is a losing strategy. If you’ve been feeling a low boil of frustration that never quite overflows into action, consider this your notice: turn up the heat.

By the end of this…I want your ass on fire…motivated…focused…and unreasonable in the best possible way.

What “Good Trouble” Actually Means (And What It Doesn’t)

Good Trouble is disciplined defiance. It’s the choice to confront an unjust system with clarity…courage…and strategy…where the payoff is change…not attention.

• It is not rioting…vandalism…or aimless venting.

• It is organized pressure that hits the choke points: money…votes…media attention… credibility.

• It isn’t performative moralizing.

• It is measurable: policies moved…votes flipped…investigations opened…budgets re-routed…lives protected.

Good Trouble lives at the intersection of principle and practicality. If it doesn’t produce outcomes…it’s theater. If it sacrifices core values to “win,” it’s not good. John Lewis was not interested in cosplay activism. He was after results.

The Psychology of Good Trouble: Why Timidity Fails and Courage Wins

Most people aren’t cowards; they’re tired…distracted…and trained by a lifetime of little punishments to keep their head down.

Every time you were told “don’t make waves,” a brick got laid in the wall around your courage.

Here’s how we smash that wall:

Specificity kills fear.

The brain fears what’s fuzzy. Define the exact action (call the senator, hold a sit-in, flood a hearing, file the FOIA) and fear loses half its power.

Momentum beats motivation.

Waiting to feel bold is self-sabotage. Action creates adrenaline…not the other way around.

Accountability multiplies courage.

A promise to yourself breaks. A promise to a group sticks. Your courage is a team sport.

Visibility inoculates you.

When you act publicly…name…face…record…bullies think twice. Darkness is their home field. Drag them into the light…and watch their swagger shrink.

Remember: Power concedes only to superior pressure. And superior pressure is built…not wished into existence.

The Canon of Good Trouble: Real Examples that Broke the “Impossible”

Study these like playbooks…because they are.

1) The Freedom Riders (1961)

They didn’t just protest segregation; they forced the federal government to enforce its own laws. Strategy: small teams…disciplined nonviolence…calculated confrontation at transit choke points. Outcome: desegregation orders enforced nationwide.

Lesson: Pick a target with a lever you can pull repeatedly.

2) The Children’s Crusade, Birmingham (1963)

High-schoolers filled jails. Fire hoses…dogs…national shame broadcast to the world. It cracked Birmingham’s political armor.

Lesson: Moral contrast matters. When the oppressor exposes themselves on camera…you don’t need a speech…you need film.

3) Selma to Montgomery & Bloody Sunday (1965)

John Lewis and others crossed that bridge knowing the gauntlet that awaited. National outrage became federal law: Voting Rights Act.

Lesson: A single iconic image can catalyze a nation if you stage it correctly.

4) ACT UP (late ’80s/early ’90s)

Brutally efficient protest against lethal indifference. Die-ins…targeted disruptions at FDA…NIH…Wall Street. Outcome:accelerated drug approvals…billions redirected… lives saved.

Lesson: Make the decision-makers feel the delay…then speed becomes their agenda.

5) Moms Demand Action & March for Our Lives

From living rooms to legislative chambers…from school hallways to statehouses.

Lesson: Story + structure + stamina = sustained policy fights. They built persistent pressure…not just a weekend rally.

6) Standing Rock (2016)

Camp infrastructure…media strategy…legal action…coalition building. Even with setbacks…they revealed a template for environmental defense that municipalities now study.

Lesson: You need three fronts: physical presence…legal filings…and narrative control.

7) Workers Organizing Big-Box and Coffee Giants

They turned baristas and associates into organizers.

Lesson: Local workplace fights create national ripples when you document…replicate…and lawyer up.

None of these relied on unicorn leaders. They ran on repeatable mechanics: focus… coordination…optics…legal leverage…and relentless follow-up.

Where Good Trouble Lives: The Five Levers That Move Power

If you don’t know where to push…you just bruise your hands. Aim at the levers:

Money

Budgets are moral documents. Pull the purse strings and the “impossible” becomes doable tomorrow.

Actions:

Boycott lists with receipts…shareholder questions…city budget hearings…procurement contracts…insurer/provider networks…pension-fund governance.

Votes

Not just general elections…appointments…boards…committees…primaries…recalls…bond measures.

Actions:

Small-seat takeovers (library boards, school boards), precinct captain networks…voter-protection hotlines…rides-to-polls logistics…court-watching to document judge behavior.

Media Narrative

If your story isn’t in the feed…you don’t exist.

Actions:

Pre-written op-eds for local papers…op-doc pitches…short vertical video packs… “explainers” with sources ready for journalists under deadline. Give reporters everything: quotes…docs…visuals.

Legal/Regulatory Pressure

Boring? Good. That means fewer opponents.

Actions:

FOIA/records blitzes…complaints to inspectors general…ethics boards…licensing bodies…open-meeting challenges…public comment submissions crafted like legal briefs (with media copies ready).

Disruption at Choke Points

Cut the artery that feeds a bad policy: a vote count…a budget…a distribution channel…a PR moment.

Actions:

Peaceful sit-ins at decision sites…banner drops at televised events…mass testimony that stretches hearings until concessions break loose.

The Good Trouble Operating System (G-TOS): A Field Manual

Here’s the framework. Use it, don’t “interpret” it. The clock is running.

Step 1: Pick the Win That Fits in a Headline

“City halts no-bid surveillance contract.”
“Hospital ends illegal patient-dumping policy.”
“State board opens investigation into toxic spill.”

If your goal can’t be written as a 7–10 word headline…it’s a wish…not a target.

Step 2: Identify the Three People Who Can Say Yes

Every victory is signed by a human hand. Name them.

• The chair who schedules the vote

• The GC who fears liability

• The CFO who reads the risk memos

If you can’t list the “yes-sayers,” you’re shadowboxing.

Step 3: Map the Pressure Pathway

• Primary pressure: the person who signs.

• Secondary pressure: the person they fear (boss, voters, advertisers, donors).

• Tertiary pressure: who the secondary person fears (attorney general, feds, media).

Build your sequence to escalate predictably.

Step 4: Construct the Proof Package

Receipts move mountains. Assemble:

• 1-page brief (facts, law, harm)

• 3 exhibits (photos, documents, testimonies)

• A 90-second video

• A press list with embargo-ready pitches

• A legal game plan (complaint template, form letter to regulators, pro bono list)

Step 5: Stage the Moment

Create the image the news can’t ignore:

• Line of constituents reading the names harmed

• Banner across the rotunda with the ask in five words

• Physicians/teachers/veterans in uniform testifying…credible messengers

• A clock: “7 days for an answer.” Make delay itself the scandal.

Step 6: Execute and Escalate

• Day 1–3: Deliver demand + proof package.

• Day 4–7: Press calls, op-eds, social amplification, ally letters.

• Day 8–14: Hearing takeover…peaceful sit-in…legal filing…budget shaming.

• Day 15+: Secondary targets (donors, advertisers, higher agencies), followed by a cold…polite ultimatum.

Step 7: Close the Loop

Wins must be public. Announce the concession. Thank the pressured party (graciously). Document the blueprint so others can copy it. Archive everything for the next battle. Build institutional memory.

Where to Find the Courage (When Your Knees Are Shaking)

People think courage is fireworks. It’s not. It’s a habit formed in quiet, small choices that compound.

Fear Math

Write the two costs side by side:

• Cost of acting: discomfort, online trolls, a Saturday spent at City Hall.

• Cost of not acting: the policy passes, the harm spreads, your kid asks why no one stopped it—and you have no answer.
  Which bill do you want to pay?

Borrowed Courage

Stand next to someone braver for 15 minutes. Courage is contagious. Ten minutes before the action, tell three people “I’m scared.” Watch them say the same—and still step forward. There’s your tribe.

Micro-Bravery Reps

Daily, do one thing that makes your pulse jump: one phone call, one confrontation, one ask. The callus builds. Fear quits when it realizes it isn’t getting what it wants: your silence.

The 90-Second Rule

When the chance appears…move within 90 seconds. Waiting is fear’s oxygen. Cut the supply.

Pre-Decision

Before the meeting…decide what you’ll do if they stonewall: “If they delay, we announce a sit-in Friday.” Pre-decisions protect you from in-the-moment wobble.

The Good Trouble Starter Kit (Build This in 72 Hours)

You don’t need permission. You need a kit:

• The List: 25 names…decision-makers…their chiefs of staff…key reporters…allied orgs…pro bono lawyers.

• The Brief: One page…bullet-tight…with your demand and legal hooks.

• The Visual: A banner…a chart…an empty chair with a name on it.

• The Script:

  • Phone script (60 seconds).

  • Comment script (2 minutes).

  • Press quote (25 words).

• The Bench: 5 people who show up no matter what. (Feed them. Praise them. Protect them.)

• The Calendar: Deadlines. Hearing dates. Budget votes. You’re not “activating”—you’re campaigning.

Timeline:

• Day 1: Build the brief…compile contacts…design the visual.

• Day 2: Soft outreach to allies and press; schedule a recorded Zoom briefing; dry-run the testimony.

• Day 3: Execute phase one: deliver demand…publish the visual…release the brief…submit records requests…book the first interview.

You’ll feel underprepared. Good. Action refines the plan better than planning refines the action.

How to Keep It Legal, Ethical, and Effective

• Peaceful…lawful presence: keep your actions legal and your optics impeccable. If they arrest you for reading a budget aloud…you just got their mugshot…on themselves.

• Documentation: record everything. Everything.

• Counsel: one lawyer on speed dial beats a dozen hashtags.

• Accessibility: your events must be easy to join…clear times…parking…child care… roles for introverts and extroverts.

• Coalition arithmetic: add strange bedfellows (nurses + veterans + small business owners). It confuses opponents and comforts the middle.

The Eight Commandments of Good Trouble

1. One Ask. One. Not fifteen.

2. Names, not “the system.” Hold specific humans accountable.

3. Receipts…not vibes.

4. Escalate on a clock. Public deadlines force public decisions.

5. Use credible messengers. Let nurses say hospital truths…teachers say classroom truths.

6. Make the cost of delay visible. Every day they stall…you count the harm out loud.

7. Praise publicly when they concede. You’re training them to choose the carrot next time.

8. Institutionalize the win. Get it in writing. Policy…ordinance…MOU…line item…or it didn’t happen.

“But I’m Just One Person…” The Five-Person Formula

You don’t need 10,000 people to move a mountain. You need five who execute:

• The Scout: Finds the data…the law…the calendar.

• The Voice: Talks to press and crowds.

• The Scribe: Writes briefs…scripts…and letters like scalpels.

• The Connector: Texts…follows up…and gets bodies in seats.

• The Anchor: Keeps morale high…snacks stocked…and egos in check.

Every time you’re tempted to lament the size of your team, ask: Do we have the five? If yes…you’ve got more than most campaigns ever do.

When They Hit Back (Because They Will)

Congratulations…you’re effective. Now expect pushback.

• Smear: “Radical, outsider, unhinged.”
  Counter: Publish your proof package. Let allies speak for you. Don’t feed their caricature with rage posts; feed it with evidence and wins.

• Delay: “We’ll study it.”
  Counter: Start your “Days Since Harm Began” counter. Make delay look like complicity.

• Divide: They’ll pick at your coalition.
  Counter: Pre-negotiate your non-negotiables. Put conflicts in writing. When in doubt, return to the single ask.

• Threaten: Legal bluster, job pressure.
  Counter: Never act alone. Document retaliation. Call it what it is…reprisal…and widen the spotlight.

Fuel for the Fire: Stories to Carry in Your Pocket

• The First-Timer’s Win: One school nurse brought a notebook of kids’ blood sugar crashes to a board meeting. Two weeks later…the district funded full-time nurses in every building. Not because she yelled…because she showed the harm.

• The Budget Trap: A city tried to slip through a surveillance contract at 4:45 pm on a Tuesday. Five residents pre-filed public comments and tipped a reporter. The mayor punted; the contract died in sunlight.

• The “Impossible” Inspector General: Everyone said, “They never open investigations.” A small team delivered a clean brief with 12 exhibits. The IG opened it…because the cost of ignoring it (press + whistleblower law) was higher than acting.

These aren’t legends. They’re Tuesdays…when prepared citizens show up.

Your 14-Day Good Trouble Challenge (Yes, You. Now.)

Day 1: Pick your headline win.
Day 2: Identify the three “yes-sayers.”
Day 3: Draft the one-page brief and the 90-second video script.
Day 4: Assemble your five-person team.
Day 5: File two records requests.
Day 6: Build your media list and write two pitches.
Day 7: Soft-launch your demand to allies; schedule the press briefing.
Day 8: Deliver the demand to the decision-maker and publish your visual.
Day 9: Flood the phone lines with a disciplined script.
Day 10: Secure two op-eds or letters to the editor.
Day 11: Hold a teach-in or town hall…record it.
Day 12: If ignored…announce peaceful escalation with a date…time…and clear rules.
Day 13: Execute the escalation. Invite press. Document everything.
Day 14: Tally commitments. If you’ve got partial victory…lock it in writing. If not… widen the pressure to secondary targets.

Stop reading “how-to” guides like they’re novels. Follow the sequence.

Why This Matters…Right Now

We are living in a time when authoritarians test for resistance the way a pickpocket tests a pocket.

A small tug. No pushback? They pull harder. The only language bullies respect is consequence. “Good Trouble” is consequence with manners: lawful…disciplined… strategic…but unmistakably forceful.

John Lewis’s genius wasn’t just bravery. It was engineering…building actions that converted courage into laws…votes…and protections. The baton is in your hand. And if you drop it…someone with worse intentions will pick it up and wave it like a scepter.

Final Kick in the Pants

You don’t need permission. You need a calendar invite. You don’t need a national audience. You need a room…and a plan to make that room the most important room in your city for exactly one hour.

Print the commandments. Build the kit. Make the calls. Set the deadline. When they stall, escalate. When they cave…codify. Then teach someone else how to do it…because a movement is nothing more than competence going viral.

Light the match. Step into the heat. Make Good Trouble your weekly habit…like grocery shopping…except the bag you bring home is a better country.

I’ll see you at the hearing…on the call sheet…and in the inbox of the person who pretends not to know your name. They’ll know it soon enough.

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I’ll be back soon. Thanks for being here!

-Jack

P.S. Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s what your legs do while fear talks. If your voice shakes…read the script anyway. If your hand trembles…sign the records request anyway. In two weeks…you won’t recognize the person who was waiting for “the right time.” The right time was now.