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What Democracy Sounds Like

What Democracy Sounds Like

By: Rhonda J. Miller
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Americans are taking to the streets and town halls to protest the gutting of federal agencies and programs millions of people depend on to maintain health, home and family. Drastic cuts to education, healthcare, national security, veterans benefits and international programs have ignited a movement to save the nation's endangered democracy.

© 2026 What Democracy Sounds Like
Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Signs of Fascism: Nashville, Tennessee, March 13, 2026
    Mar 17 2026

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    Stark black signs with white letters are lined up along a busy intersection in Nashville, Tennessee. The signs blare out a warning: American democracy is in danger.

    The silent protest called "Signs of Fascism" is to get Americans to pay attention to disturbing actions of the federal government.

    I'm Rhonda Miller. On a windy Friday the 13th, that's March 13th, I talked with the protestors and read some of the signs.

    "Using military and secret police on civilians."

    "Accusing others of crimes you commit."

    "Using fear and coercion to gain power."

    "Replacing reality with lies and conspiracy theories."

    Eric Lewis is one of the organizers of "Signs of Fascism." He's part of Nashville Indivisible's Green Collective.

    Lewis understands that many people are not paying attention to America's slide toward fascism. That's why the protest happens at different places around the region.

    For Lewis, taking an active part in protecting democracy began when he was six years old and lived in Chicago. He went with his mother to protests about the Vietnam War and civil rights.

    Others in the group said they're out to help protect democracy, or because they're concerned about the lack of oversight by the Supreme Court, or because there are many actions by the current administration that threaten American freedoms.

    Organizer Eric Lewis held a sign about the Nashville "No Kings Day" demonstration on March 28. It will be part of "No Kings Day" protests to be held in hundreds of cities across America.

    I'm Rhonda Miller in Nashville, Tennessee.



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    4 mins
  • ICE Out for Good: Brentwood, Tennessee, Jan. 11, 2026
    Jan 12 2026

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    Demonstrators lined a busy intersection in Brentwood, an upscale community 10 miles south of Nashville, on Sunday, Jan. 11 to protest the killing of 37-year-old Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

    Renee Good, a mother of three, was killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who fired through the windshield of her car, according to videos of the fatal incident.

    The January 7 killing of an American citizen by an ICE agent ignited protests in more than 1,000 cities across the U.S. in the days following the shooting.

    I'm Rhonda Miller. I walked among about 150 demonstrators at a commercial intersection in Brentwood and talked to some protestors, who ranged from an 80-year-old military veteran to a mom who brought her four-year-old daughter.

    This is what democracy sounds like one Sunday afternoon in January in Brentwood, Tennessee. I'm Rhonda Miller.

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    5 mins
  • Protestors Say 'No Kings' and 'No Fascists': Clarksville, Tennessee, October 18, 2025
    Oct 20 2025

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    Crowds of demonstrators lined a major commercial thoroughfare in Clarksville, Tennessee on Oct. 18 protesting actions by the Trump administration related to freedom of speech, freedom of the press, healthcare, education, immigration raids by ICE and the use of the National Guard in U.S. cities.

    The Clarksville demonstration was part of the ‘No Kings’ nationwide protest that brought out an estimated seven million people in 2,700 cities and towns across America.

    Clarksville is near Fort Campbell, a sprawling Army post that spans the Tennessee/Kentucky border.

    Demonstrators lining up along Wilma Rudolph Blvd. included high school and college students, working professionals, parents with children in strollers, older Americans and military veterans.

    The Oct. 18 protests happened during a U.S. government shutdown when most federal employees were not being paid.

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    5 mins
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