John Thompson of Oklahoma writes about a Zoom he attended for people over 60, called “Elders for Kamala.” What a great idea to harness the power of Zoom to reach thousands, tens of thousands of people, and bring them together in conversationfor a common purpose. I joined a Women for Kamala. There was also White Dudes for Kamala, and many more. The purpose now is to change the direction of the country from the personal vendettas of Trump to Kamala’s capacious vision for the future.

He writes:

An incredible burst of energy has grown out of zoom calls for Kamala Harris by Black women, then Black men; White women and men; Black queer men, South Asian women, Latinas, Native women; and, now, the Third Act’s “Elders for Kamala.” I was blown away by the Third Act’s zoom call which spoke to around 11,000 and harnessed “our long years of wisdom and courage to back Kamala Harris as she tries to protect our democracy.”

The Third Act is a “community of Americans over 60 determined to change the world for the better.” It “harnesses an unparalleled generational power to safeguard our climate and democracy.”

The call began with Jane Fonda, who was particularly eloquent in calling for an end to tax breaks for oil and gas industries. She was followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders who praised World War II veterans and those who suffered through the Great Depression, and who laid the foundation for post-WWII generations. Similarly, Black co-moderator Akaya Windwood thanked her mother for her dream as she put her Akaya on the bus to the Sit-Ins, and helped pave the way for the dream of a Black President.

Co-moderator Bill McKibben praised today’s “mild chaos of the best kind,” and shifted his focus to kids who will be alive in the 22th Century.  Robin Wall Kimmerer advanced the conversation about how such change occurs. It requires today’s elders to be “good Ancestors;” she then brought the house down by proposing the meme, “Pollinators for Kamala.”

Judith LeBanc, Executive Director of the Native Organizers Alliance, and a citizen of the Caddo Nation, articulated a message which I believe is especially important for young people. She said, “Representation is not destination,” but it lays a crucial foundation for empowering “our ancestors” in behalf of “our descendents.”  She cited the progress made by Interior Department Secretary Deb Van Holland as evidence that, “Politics doesn’t end on election day; it begins on election day.”

Gus Speth, who served in the Carter Administration, as well as co-founding the National Resources Defense Council, and who was jailed for protesting the Keystone pipeline, gave more specific advice. He said that the positions he took in political and legal battles were less important than the position he took in a D.C. jail for civil disobedience. Reverend Lennox Yearwood, who was arrested for protesting the pipeline while campaigning for Barrack Obama, also explained how he found a balance between working outside and inside the political system.

Former Senator John Kerry, who had been a spokesperson for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, stressed another way to find such a balance. Sen. Kerry explained how and why climate change is our greatest security threat. It will produce 10s of millions of climate refugees, further undermining stability in a dangerous world. Sen. Kerry then praised Jane Fonda for her leadership in the 1969 Earthday. Then, Kerry recalled how his team targeted and defeated 7 of the “Dirty Dozen,” who were the worst climate deniers in Congress. That helped lead the way to the foundation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Similarly, historian and activist Rebecca Solnit explained that corporate powers sought to “privatize our imagination.” She then pointed out Sam Brown’s experience in organizing the nation’s biggest anti-Vietnam War rally, and how Brown said “we don’t want to elect Putin’s best friend.”  Author and co-founder of the Chief Relationship Officer of Bioneers, Nina Simons, explained that we need Kamala to win big so we will have more power to “really win for the earth.” 

And Terry Tempest Williams called in from a house in Utah where the heat wave produced temperatures as high as 100 degrees in-doors. She personally witnesses so many tragic climate disasters, but she also set the stage for hopeful advice. She began by introducing the audience to her cats, and then calling the crowd to “put our love into action” for Kamala Harris. We should see ourselves as “Elders in training,” who “listen and support our young people.”

Of course, this is just a brief account of the Third Act’s elders’ advice. I haven’t even gotten to all the former legislators, activists, and authors who shared their wisdom on zoom. My personal focus is on cross-cultural and cross-generational conversations, so I was thrilled to experience the eloquence with which they discussed the stages of history that produce change. I loved the way they grounded those processes in the best of humanity. Even though participants were blunt about the existential threats we face, they offered hope. 

For instance, the author Catherine Grundy said that humans “have the ability to evolve on a daily basis,” and “impossible is just a word.” Former Senator Tim Wirth addressed the nuances of operating in the political system, but also said, “the nicest thing about the last two weeks is …. So many people had a great smile on their face.”

While our immediate focus must be on the next three months, their call for shortterm and longterm grassroots actions after election day were extremely valuable. Between election day and the inauguration, we can celebrate but, mostly we must beat back Trump’s likely efforts to steal the election. Then we must commit to decades of work. “Elders for Kamala” is thus an inspiring, as well as pragmatic, call for unity and building on our better selves to save both our democracy and planet.