Pay Attention! stands with the vibrant diversity of our cities.
“THE WHITE BACKLASH IS STILL WITH US AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN WITH US …”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr., April 27, 1967, St. Paul Campus, University of Minnesota
We are witnessing events that deeply challenge our democratic values and the very notion of human dignity. We are living in a period in which federal authorities deploy unprecedented numbers of agents into communities with little local oversight, while official narratives vilify civilians and protesters and minimize serious questions about the use of force and the human cost.
In this environment, fear is being wielded as a tool of social control — deterring voices that support dissent, disappearing people, and pressuring communities into silence. This is not a time for silence. It is a time for paying attention to the facts — to the truth, not the rewritten versions of it. It is a time for calling out injustice, not rationalizing violence and large-scale constitutional violations. It is a time for demanding accountability, not accepting half-answers.
History teaches us that societies move toward justice only when citizens refuse to look away. This is one of those moments. Real change never comes from slogans or symbols alone, but from persistent, collective, peaceful commitment and action. Pay Attention! honors and supports the vibrant diversity of our communities, local advocates, families, and — most importantly — those directly impacted by the tragedies of this moment.
The Pay Attention! Project
“NEVER DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL, COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. INDEED, IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS.”
~ Margaret Mead