THOUGHTS ON SUSTAINING THE MOMENTUM AFTER A MARCH OR RALLY

Today, I attended a rally in Brattleboro -- one of many Hands Off rallies happening across the nation, organized by Indivisible. Between 1,000 and 1,500 people gathered in the rain, holding signs and marching with determination.

I arrived late, just as the first marchers reached the top of the hill, and decided to observe and record the entire procession. For 20 minutes, I stood in the rain, holding my camera steady as 1,200 friends and neighbors walked past -- signs dripping, spirits undampened.

At the town commons, the crowd gathered to hear speeches. To my surprise, I knew the lead organizer, Katie. Her speech was powerful, as were the others that followed. I battled some recrimination: Why wasn't hūmNET ready to help in this moment?

The impulsive part of me wanted to step up and share a thought -- maybe even try my hūmNET knock-knock joke:

“Knock, knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“All of humanity.”

But instead, I chose to be fully present. A participant, yes -- but also a researcher, observing the rally as a potential use case for hūmNET.

THE CHALLENGE WITH RALLIES

Rallies are powerful but fleeting. We chant, we march, we’re inspired -- and then we go home. The signs get soggy, the energy dissipates, and the momentum fades.

What’s missing is a way to carry that feeling of unity, hope, and determination forward. A way to sustain the connection, to keep the purpose alive. A way to prevent the isolation, frustration, and helplessness from creeping back in.

THE VISION: SYNCHRONIZED MOMENTS OF SOLIDARITY

Now imagine this:

At 1 PM, as rallies across the country reach their peak, every participant joins a synchronized humn. For one or two minutes, a moment of shared silence -- united by a common message: “Hands Off.” “Resist.” “Strength in Numbers.”

Glowing beacons appear on a map, connecting the 1,200 marchers in Brattleboro with tens of thousands in New York City, Boston, Burlington, Berkeley. Everyone connected. Everyone counted. Not just an estimate of 900,000 but the millions actually present.

And that moment -- captured and sent to senators, congresspeople, even the White House -- becomes a digital wave of collective action.

ON YOUR MIND AND ON YOUR CALENDAR

And it doesn’t stop there.

What if organizers could schedule weekly or monthly vigils on hūmNET?

What if participants received gentle calendar reminders, helping them stay engaged and connected and hopeful.

This isn’t a one-and-done protest -- it’s a movement. A living, breathing, growing wave of hope and presence. One that’s stronger every week, and harder to ignore.

LET’S BUILD IT -- FAST

To make this vision real, we need support.
We need investors, engineers, and community leaders.
We need people who believe that moments like these shouldn't fade away -- they should multiply.

hūmNET has the potential to transform rallies from fleeting moments into lasting movements.

Let’s build it -- together.