Greater Lafayette Indivisible

Welcome to the latest edition of the Greater Lafayette Indivisible newsletter. We’re imagining that activism is like a waterway that builds in intensity. In addition to calls to action, we’ll also provide information about upcoming events and opportunities to foster community, good news, and places in which we’re finding inspiration.

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Ripples (small direct actions)

Mark your calendars for Pride Lafayette’s blood drive for the American Red Cross at the Pride Center (640 Main Street, Lafayette) on Tuesday, July 1, from 10 am – 4 pm. Please sign up for a specific time so they can manage the day smoothly. You can find more information in their Facebook event.
Consider donating to Lafayette Urban Ministry (“LUM”)’s summer camp. Each year, LUM provides 84 local children (ages 8, 9, and 10) with an educational, fun, weeklong, overnight camp. During the week of July 28 – August 1, LUM campers will get to swim, ride horses, enjoy arts and crafts, paddle canoes, attend morning chapel around a campfire, climb walls, zip-line, eat delicious snacks and meals, participate in educational activities, and flourish in the care of diverse and nurturing counselors. This experience is almost entirely paid for by kind-hearted sponsors. The children at LUM Camp come from families who are served throughout the year by Lafayette Urban Ministry. LUM asks the campers’ adults to pay $5 per child (while the actual cost is more than $300 per camper), and asks their generous donors to cover the rest. You can read more about LUM Camp here, you can donate toward a camper’s costs here, and you can volunteer as a camp counselor here.
Indivisible national is running a matching donation campaign from June 1 – June 30. Every dollar donated to Greater Lafayette Indivisible through ActBlue during that time (up to $500), will be matched by the national Indivisible organization. Thank you in advance for your financial support!

Rush (action at the county level)

SURJ Greater Lafayette (“Showing Up for Racial Justice”) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (“FRSO”) are encouraging folks to attend the West Lafayette City Council meeting on Monday, June 2, at 6 pm (222 N Chauncey Ave, West Lafayette). The City Council was supposed to be voting on a measure to protect gender-affirming care, but an apparent miscommunication has resulted in the resolution being omitted from the agenda. However, SURJ and FRSO are encouraging folks to still attend the meeting.

The meeting starts at 6:30 pm, but organizers are asking people to arrive at 6 pm. Supporters are encouraged to sign up for public comment, pack the house, and stay for a rally outside after the public comment section of the meeting concludes.

In addition to street parking, parking is also available in the nearby West Lafayette Public Library parking garage at 117 N Chauncey Ave. You can also sign the petition asking the City Council to pass the resolution here.
We are partnering with MADVoters and The Women’s March for Indivisible national’s “No Kings” day of defiance on Saturday, June 14. Coinciding with Flag Day, this is the day that Donald Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. You can find information and resources for Indivisible’s strategy here and here.

We will meet at the Sonya Margerum Fountain on the West Lafayette side of the pedestrian bridge (425 E State Street, West Lafayette) at 10 am and march across the bridge to the courthouse. We will march around the courthouse and then back to the pedestrian bridge and on to Tapawingo Park (100 Tapawingo Drive, West Lafayette). We should arrive at Tapawingo Park at 11 am for the “We the People” Action Fair. There, we’ll enjoy food trucks, community building activities, action plans, and speakers. If marching isn’t for you, you’re welcome to join us from 11 am – 1 pm at Tapawingo Park. You can sign up to attend on Mobilize.

There is limited parking at Tapawingo Park, but there should be plenty of parking in the Wabash Landing Parking Garage across the street (enter near the Hilton Garden Inn).

PLEASE NOTE: A core principle behind all “No Kings” events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.
In preparation for the June 14 protest, we’re hosting 2 sign making parties: Saturday, June 7, from 12:30-4 pm, and Thursday, June 12, 5:30-8 pm. Both events will be held in the Creativity Lab at the West Lafayette Public Library (208 W Columbia Street, West Lafayette, first floor). We’ll provide basic supplies, but feel free to bring your own, as well. Let us know you’re coming by signing up on Mobilize. Don’t worry if you can’t stay for the entire time. You can come for all or part of the event.

In addition to street parking, parking is also available in the garage across the street at 117 N Chauncey Ave, West Lafayette. If the cost of parking is prohibitive, the Library staff can validate your ticket at the front desk.
It’s Voter Registration season! We hope to be at a variety of locations at different times of the day throughout the spring, summer, and fall. We’re starting with the monthly “Mosey Down Main Street,” in downtown Lafayette, and you can sign up for one or more shifts on Mobilize for June 14 and July 12 Moseys. We’ll continue to add more voter registration opportunities as they become available, so keep an eye on our Mobilize profile.

If you’ve never registered voters before and are feeling intimidated, please know that we always have at least 2 people at each location, so you will always have someone experienced with you who will show you how to do it and be available to answer any questions that come up. And for longer events, we’ll give people an opportunity to volunteer for shorter shifts if they can’t stay the entire time.

The Tippecanoe County Democratic Party is also hosting a voter registration training from 10:30 am – 12 pm on both Saturday, June 7 and Saturday, August 2, which will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to help register voters in our community, ensuring a fair and accessible election process. Whether you’re new to voter registration or looking to refresh your skills, this session is for you! You can sign up on Mobilize for this training led by Germany Harris.

Did you know that the Pride Lafayette Community Center is the oldest LGBTQ+ community center in the state of Indiana? Their work is invaluable to our community, and OUTFest is one of the highlights of the year. The event will be held on Saturday, August 16 on Main Street in Lafayette, and not only is it a fabulous celebration of the queer community, it’s also an opportunity for allies and accomplices to show their support. Pride Lafayette just posted their volunteer openings, and there are tons of opportunities to help make OUTFest a success. They have job descriptions and time slots posted here, and you can sign up for multiple volunteer roles. Set-up begins at 12 pm, and tear down ends at about 1:30 am, with dozens of opportunities to help in between. If you aren’t able to volunteer but would still like to support OUTFest, you can find sponsorship information here. You can also support Pride Lafayette’s work in our community here.

Rapids (action at the state level)

As MADVoters writes, “The US budget is halfway through the legislative process, with US House Republicans just squeaking it through their chamber 215-214. Indiana’s Republican Reps Yakym, Stutzman, Baird, Spartz, Shreve, Messmer, and Houchin all supported the budget bill. Democrat Reps Mrvan and Carson opposed. The budget now moves to the US Senate for consideration.

Contact US Senators Jim Banks (202-224-4814) and Todd Young (202-224-5623) and urge them to oppose this budget, because slashing food, healthcare, and jobs from Hoosiers is NOT what voters sent them to Washington to do.

Hoosiers will pay a terrible price if this budget passes as written: in total, 232,000 Hoosiers will lose their health insurance. 151,000 Hoosiers will lose food stamps. 24,958 clean energy jobs will be eliminated.” For a breakdown by Congressional district, check out MADVoters’ Facebook post.

Roar (action at the national level)

The Native Organizers Alliance is urging us to tell the Senate to reject the budget bill that opens up Native homelands to drilling and mining. “The anti-Native, anti-environmental aspects of the current budget reconciliation bill include clawing back hundreds of millions of dollars in previously promised investments for clean energy, environmental justice, and national parks. This bill would accelerate oil and gas leasing on public lands, threatening national parks such as Grand Teton, Carlsbad Caverns, and Dinosaur National Monument. It would rescind existing protections against copper mining adjacent to the 1.1-million acre Boundary Waters canoe area in northern Minnesota — which could pollute the entire watershed. It would allow corporate polluters to be able to pay a fee for an expedited environmental review process that cannot be challenged in the courts. This would weaken the crucial National Environmental Policy Act, which communities use to fight back against harmful projects. Tribes have the inherent sovereign right to make decisions about their homelands and their people. If passed, this bill would trample on our sovereignty, violating the Nation-to-Nation relationships that the federal government owes Tribes.”

Opportunities to build community

The Diversity Roundtable meets on the first Thursday of each month from 11:30 am – 1 pm at Wells Community Cultural Center (638 North St, Lafayette). These meetings are made up of a short structured program, sub-committee reports, general discussion, hot topics, and announcements. Meetings are hybrid, and everyone is welcome to attend without RSVPing in advance. For a zoom invite, contact them directly.
The Tippecanoe County Democratic Party hosts monthly “Hoppy Hour” social gatherings on the first Thursday of each month from 5:30-7 pm at Thieme and Wagner Brewery (652 Main Street, Lafayette). This is an opportunity to share space to commiserate, connect, and collaborate on building the future they believe in. Whether you’re feeling frustrated, motivated, or a mix of both, this is your chance to find good company and engage in meaningful discussions. You can sign up via Mobilize here.
Indivisible will be hosting its next monthly gatherings on Wednesday, June 11, and Wednesday, July 9 from 6 to 7(-ish) pm in the Maple and Elm rooms at the West Lafayette Public Library (208 W Columbia Street, West Lafayette, second floor). In addition to street parking, parking is also available in the garage across the street at 117 N Chauncey Ave, West Lafayette. If the cost of parking is prohibitive, the Library staff can validate your ticket at the front desk.

Last month, we took the suggestions from April and began organizing into teams. Each team will work together to strategize and implement the ideas for things like holding our elected officials accountable, preparing for the 2026 elections, forming a rapid response team, organizing social events, coordinating and preparing for protests, reaching out to other progressives in red areas, offering classes on how to have hard conversations, and planning community book discussions. We hope to break down our big picture goals into manageable tasks and strategically focus our energy so that together we can make our actions as impactful as possible as we work to grow our community and push for positive change in our county and beyond.

Even if you missed last month’s meeting, now is a great time to join a team or to try out a few teams to see which is the right fit for you. And if you’re not ready to join a team yet but still want to mingle, please join us! There’s usually someone there who isn’t on a team and is available to chat with you. We’ll provide snacks and nametags, so you’ll just need to bring yourself and a willingness to network and strategize. You can let us know you’ll attend by signing up via Mobilize here.

The Tippecanoe County Democratic Party also hosts monthly lunches on the third Thursday of each month from 12-1 pm at Lafayette Brewing Company (622 Main Street, Lafayette). This is an opportunity to enjoy great food, engaging conversations, and the chance to meet like-minded neighbors who care about making a difference. This is a casual, welcoming event, and everyone buys their own lunch—just bring your appetite and ideas! Their next lunch meeting will be on Thursday, June 19. You can sign up via Mobilize here.
Celebrate Juneteenth at Tapawingo Park (100 Tapawingo Drive, West Lafayette) on Saturday, June 21, from 12 – 4 pm. This year’s theme is “Resilient Roots, Bold Futures,” and the day will feature free food, a live band, a drum making workshop, a Double Dutch demonstration, and a resource fair. Check their website and Facebook event for more information.
Fuel Coffee Shop is hosting weekly gatherings for people who want to affect positive political change at the state level, but don’t know how to get started. Dubbed “Bluesdays at Fuel” because “the opposite of orange is blue,” the weekly meetings will take place at 4 pm on Tuesdays at their Lafayette location (106 S 16th St, Lafayette, 47905). You can find more information in this recurring Facebook event. They’ve also recently started a Facebook group.

Good news

Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of “Braiding Sweetgrass” and “The Serviceberry” was named as one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People of 2025.” She is a scientist, naturalist, and Indigenous elder of the Potawatomi Nation, and she writes about being in a relationship of reciprocity, of gratitude, and of deep respect for all living things. It’s wonderful to see Indigenous wisdom being recognized and honored.
Indiana Minority Health Coalition is sponsoring a research study “Addressing maternal mortality for women of color who live in Indiana”. The study is approved by the Purdue University Institutional Review Board (IRB). The purpose is to explore the experiences of women of color (i.e. Black, African American or Hispanic/Latina) who live in Indiana, and their pregnancy and birth experiences, particularly related to what they think and know about maternal mortality. Individuals are offered a gift card for their participation. You can read more in their Facebook post.
The Innocence Project reported that Indiana has passed its first Eyewitness Identification Reform Bill, which tackles a leading cause of wrongful convictions. Backed by exoneree testimony and decades of research, S.B. 141 introduces key protections to ensure more reliable identifications and a stronger criminal legal system. The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone.
In last month’s newsletter, we included information about All-Options Indiana’s 10th year of abortion funding through the Hoosier Abortion Fund. All-Options uses direct service and social change strategies to promote unconditional, judgment-free support for people in all of their decisions, feelings, and experiences with pregnancy, parenting, abortion, and adoption. This year, they had their highest Fund-a-Thon goal yet — $50,000 — and they just reported that they’ve surpassed their initial goal! They raised their goal to $71,500 and they came very close to reaching it. Even though the fund-a-thon is over, you can still donate toward the Hoosier Abortion Fund here.
The Purdue Crew Team raised $13,505 for Lafayette Urban Ministry (“LUM”)’s Good Samaritan Fund through their annual Row-A-Thon event which took place in February. Each year, the Purdue Crew student athletes solicit donations for Row-A-Thon from their family and friends, mostly from outside of this community; and this donation each year is the single largest gift to the LUM Good Samaritan Fund from any group or individual. You can read more about it here, and you can donate toward the Good Samaritan Fund here.

The LUM Good Samaritan Fund is an emergency financial assistance program which provides our neighbors in need with a strong and reliable safety net. Help is offered for utility bills, rent, and prescription medications. In 2024, the LUM Good Samaritan Fund provided financial assistance for essential needs which includes averting eviction, utility disconnects and other crises to 1,168 households, 1,780 times, totaling $115,301.35.00

What is inspiring us

The Good Samaritan Project is hosting its annual 2025 Cancer Survivor Tea on Saturday, June 7, from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette (102 South 10th Street, Lafayette). This year’s theme is Bridgerton, and it will be a special event dedicated to celebrating the strength and resilience of cancer survivors and offering a day of inspiration, connection, and support for those who have faced the challenges of cancer. Cancer survivors can attend for free, and the organizers encourage anyone to sponsor a ticket for a cancer survivor. You can find more information here, including links to purchase tickets, donate, become a sponsor or volunteer, and purchase tickets for cancer survivors.
A new documentary titled “Banned Together: The Fight Against Censorship” is available to stream. “The film pulls back the curtain on two of the most controversial issues in America today: book bans and curriculum censorship in public schools. Banned Together follows three students and their adult allies as they fight to reinstate 97 books suddenly pulled from their school libraries. As they evolve from local to national activists – meeting with bestselling/banned authors, politicians, Constitutional experts, and more – the film reveals the dark forces behind the accelerating wave of book bans in the U.S.” If you have a library card, you can watch it for free on Kanopy.
Author John Green will discuss his battle with censorship in Indiana and other states where he has filed suit in conversation with IN FREADOM on Monday, June 30, at 6:30 pm at the Pike Performing Arts Center (6701 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268). You can purchase tickets here. This event is a fundraiser for Indiana Freadom to Read, which is a grassroots coalition of passionate Hoosiers dedicated to safeguarding the fundamental freedom to read. The collective efforts are geared towards ensuring every Hoosier enjoys the unrestricted freedom to read and access books of all genres. This work is organized and supported by the Indiana Library Federation.
In 2022, a small elementary school in Healdsburg, California, launched a project called “Peptoc,” where kindergarteners recorded encouraging mini pep talks that anyone could access by calling their hotline. The project has gone viral a few times since then, and as of March, they have received over 20 million calls. They have a website, a book, a poster project, and a new phone number. You can call (707) 873-7862 and follow the prompts for uplifting messages, depending on how you’re feeling and what you need.

If you have an organization, an event, or a bit of good news that you’d like us to include in a future newsletter, please email [email protected]. For general questions, please email the Steering Committee at [email protected].

Past editions of our newsletter can be found on our website: lafayetteindivisible.com

As always, you can donate toward our efforts here or by donating cash at our next in-person gathering. Donations are used for expenses such as voter registration booth fees, supplies, and administrative costs. Thank you for your continued support!

Welcome to a supplemental edition of the Greater Lafayette Indivisible (“GLI”) newsletter. Here are the things that have popped up since the main edition of our newsletter a few weeks ago.

As a reminder, we’re imagining that activism is like a waterway that builds in intensity. In addition to calls to action, we’ll also provide information about upcoming events and opportunities to foster community, good news, and places in which we’re finding inspiration.