Historian and civil rights activist proves how progressive movements can flourish even in conservative times.

Despair and mourning after the election of a hostile President is part of the push-pull of American politics. But resistance to presidential administrations has led to positive change and defeat of outrageous proposals even in perilous times. Even progressive presidents sometimes require massive protest to induce policy decisions, for example, Obama and the Indigenous protests against the Dakota pipeline, one modern example of resistance built on earlier actions on specific issues. Resistance sometimes fails but it often works even if it does not achieve all of the movement's goals.