York County Rising began as an idea in January 2025 with a vision to lift our community up and fight back against a growing authoritarian government. We’re determined to stand strong against any attempt to undermine our democracy.
You were there at our first meeting in March, listened to our ideas, and showed up to our bi-weekly protests in numbers we didn’t expect. Thanks to you, we’ve helped build a coalition and found our place at the table. The continued support has made your voices heard loud and clear. You’ve shown your solidarity, made new friends, and we’ve earned your trust—that’s something we’re incredibly proud of. We also organized the first youth prom for the Rock Hill Pride Festival, which is another point of pride. We’re so grateful to all the amazing volunteers who made that possible.
Here’s where we are right now. Step one is complete, and we’re moving forward. We have built a network of community members, businesses, and local organizations aligned with our mission. We acknowledge that we are down an organizer and our subscriber list of over 1,000 people is currently inaccessible. If you know anyone who isn’t getting this weekly update, please encourage them to subscribe so they can stay in the loop.
Here’s what’s next. Now, we focus on taking more direct action and getting together for monthly community meetings. Your support and skills are needed as we think big during this period of re-structuring. Your help and the hard work of our volunteers are truly invaluable. We’ve got a new website under construction, so we appreciate your patience as we rebuild and expand.
The national coalition of organizations and groups like us is planning the No Kings 2.0 October Mobilization on 10/18. This is shaping up to be the largest mass mobilization in US history, and it’s already breaking records. You can sign up to attend here, but protesting on its own isn’t enough.
It’s not just about showing up at school and library board meetings, city and county council, or local politicians’ offices. We’re also reaching out to you and our coalition partners to identify community needs. Our first larger-scale direct community action will be a coat drive from October 1-November 17 in partnership with Family Promise of York County. With help from The Mercantile, we’ll be collecting new and gently used coats for distribution by Family Promise to families in need. We’ve got a mobilizer making that happen, and we couldn’t be more appreciative of their work! This is where you can make a difference. If you have a project you want to take on, we’d love for you to start a Mobilizer Action Team, and we will support you at every step.
There is lots more to tell you, including a fundraiser and plans for a queer youth program, but we don’t want to overwhelm you. We’ll post another update very soon and add more folks to the list.
Going forward. Together. ✊