Maya Schenwar
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mayaschenwar.bsky.social
Maya Schenwar
@mayaschenwar.bsky.social
19K followers 640 following 440 posts
Director, Truthout Center for Grassroots Journalism.
Board president, Truthout.
Co-editor “We Grow the World Together”
Co-author “Prison by Any Other Name”
Abolitionist, anti-zionist, pro-cat, pro-karaoke, Chicagoan
mayaschenwar.com
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mayaschenwar.bsky.social
SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!

This was a very cathartic moment in Chicago.
October 18, 2025 at 9:47 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
"Remember to stay connected to others while taking action, rooting yourself in interdependence. We’re in this together, we change the world together, & we keep each other safe."

The next edition of the YES! newsletter, housed at the Truthout Center, is out!
us11.campaign-archive.com?u=7cdb828972...
At the top is the YES! Magazine logo in red and white. Then the text says: Wednesday, October 15, 2025 At What Risk Will We Resist? Relentless kidnapping of immigrants by ICE. Universities handing over names to the state for investigation. Steps toward regime change in Venezuela. Prosecution of Trump’s political opponents. Looming military deployment to cities across the country. Threats of mass state repression against the left in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Thousands of workers fired from federal agencies (so far) amid a government shutdown with no clear end in sight. Amid these authoritarian times, a question arises: At what risk will we resist?
October 17, 2025 at 3:18 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
The sunset of @yesmedia.bsky.social is a giant loss for us all! Yet YES! lives on in a couple ways: The Truthout Center now hosts the YES! archives (so its powerful stories remain online!), and is also sending a monthly YES! newsletter.
Here's the first one:
us11.campaign-archive.com?e=__test_ema...
A red box contains the word "yes!" in white. Under that, text says: Solutions Journalism. Tuesday, September 15, 2025. A Repository of Hope Amid an Authoritarian Moment.
September 16, 2025 at 11:38 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
“Increased ICE raids are a recipe for further silencing already terrified survivors… Survivors have been pleading for solutions to gender-based violence that do not force them to rely on institutions they have little reason to trust.”

-Sheerine Alemzadeh

chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-t...
Ramp up support for domestic violence survivors Less than two weeks ago, two litigants were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the Cook County’s domestic violence courthouse. The Trump administration argues that increased immigration enforcement will bring crime down in Democratic-governed cities. This vengeful and destructive plan will not only fail to achieve its ostensible purpose of reducing crime but also make Chicago dramatically less safe for immigrant survivors.
September 13, 2025 at 11:32 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
Sign says step one: send the National Guard to lower Wacker, step two: they never come back
September 7, 2025 at 4:16 AM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
“Who keeps us safe? WE KEEP US SAFE!”

Chicago showed up in the streets tonight.❤️
Sign says ICE OUT OF CHICAGO with a bull picture. Another sign says STOP DEPORTATIONS DEFEND IMMIGRANTS Sign says ICE OUT OF ILLINOIS, ICE OUT OF EVERYWHERE. In the background is the Congress Hotel. Sign in front says NO ICE, NO TRUMP, NO TROOPS. Sign says: Step 1- send the National guard to lower wacker, 2. They never come back.
September 7, 2025 at 12:19 AM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
"When we talk about fascism in the streets, some folks still ask, 'Could it happen here?' For those of us who have been incarcerated, the answer is simple: It already did."

--Renaldo Hudson, in the latest issue of Stateville Speaks

www.statevillespeaks.org
Image depicts the cover of Stateville Speaks. Under the title banner, the text reads: Keep Your Eyes Open: Fascism Is Here, Inside and Out BY RENALDO HUDSON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF I came out of prison after 37 years and didn’t have to look far to find something very familiar: the quiet creep of fascism, camouflaged in suits, slogans, and policies that look like safety but feel like control. See, for those of us who lived under prison rule, we’ve seen fascism up close and personal. It didn’t come with a red hat or a flag, it came with boots, batons, and the bootstraps of bureaucracy. It showed up in the form of unchallengeable authority, policies that crush dissent, and daily reminders that your humanity is negotiable at best. When we talk about fascism in the streets, some folks still ask, “Could it happen here?” For those of us who have been incarcerated, the answer is simple: It already did. Fascism, in its truest form, isn’t only about some dictator barking orders; it’s a system of suppression and control. It thrives on fear, conformity, and a belief that some lives matter more than others. It demands obedience, punishes resistance, and isolates anyone who dares to question the narrative. Sound familiar? When I was on the inside, we didn’t use the word “fascism,” but we lived its reality. I remember the first time I heard the sound of the Orange Crush, a squad of correctional officers fully suited in riot gear, marching in rhythm like a military unit. They came not to deescalate, not to protect, but to intimidate and dominate. The clang of their shields and the stomp of their boots was a message: We own you. These weren’t just isolated events. This was the structure. This was policy. This was punishment over healing, force over fairness, silence over voice. That is fascism in practice. And once you’ve lived under that weight, you can’t unsee it, even when you’re “free.”
September 3, 2025 at 6:04 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
Caregiving is part of the fabric of antifascist struggle. Please join Bill Ayers, Anya Tanyavutti, Keisa Reynolds, and me at the Printers Row Lit Fest at 11am on September 6, for a conversation about parenting toward liberation, focused on “We Grow the World Together” (@haymarketbooks.org)!
❤❤❤
Against a green and yellow striped backdrop, pink and white letters read: COME SEE ME AT PRINTERS ROW LIT FEST! CHICAGO, IL Parenting Toward Liberation: How do we caregive in times of fascist repression? This conversation will be grounded in the anthology "We Grow the World Together: Parenting Toward Abolition" Saturday, September at 11 a.m., Plymouth Court Stage Featuring Bill Ayers, Keisa Reynolds, and Anya M. Tanyavutti in conversation with Maya Schenwar
August 28, 2025 at 5:28 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
Zams Cat-Schenwar, caring for caregivers (well, for me) since 2015.
Maya smiling while Zams the Cat cuddles.
July 26, 2025 at 4:04 AM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
Going to Socialism today? If you want to share some space to talk about care (giving it, receiving it, reflecting on its role in movements), join me and amazing Nadine Naber! This will be small group conversations among participants, mostly—a chance to think, vent, imagine, and strategize together!
Caregiving Toward Abolition: Workshop and Story Circles Friday July 4, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT Regency Ballroom C Caregiving is an integral part of movements for liberation. In this moment of rising fascism, it's especially crucial to uplift this care work, including care for children. Supporting young people and each other in concrete, material ways, day to day and hour to hour, is an essential component of resistance. In this workshop, we will engage with these themes, informed by the anthology We Grow the World Together: Parenting Toward Abolition. We'll also offer an opportunity to be part of a circle in which we'll share stories of caregiving in a supportive space.
July 4, 2025 at 1:47 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
Art, care work, and movements for liberation are intertwined. Children’s books hold liberatory potential!

Come join @ollycostello.bsky.social, Keisa Reynolds, and me TODAY to talk about this stuff and more.

www.eventbrite.com/e/on-caregiv...
a graphic of 3 people and text that says 'ON CAREGIVING, KIDS, LIBERATION: A CONVERSATION WITH WRITERS AND ARTISTS Wednesday, June 18 I 6:30 Three Avenues Bookshop Books pictured are "We Grow the World Together" and "Prisons Must Fall." Maya Schenwar Keisa Reynolds Olly Costello Two books sit on a desk with a plant in the background. Book covers featured are "We Grow the World Together: Parenting Toward Abolition" and "Prisons Must Fall."
June 18, 2025 at 1:54 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
Join @ollycostello.bsky.social, Keisa Reynolds, and me to talk about "We Grow the World Together" and "Prisons Must Fall" -- along with abolition, caregiving, art, imagination, and more, at Three Avenues Bookshop!
Sign up here: www.eventbrite.com/e/on-caregiv...
@haymarketbooks.org
Two book covers are pictured: We Grow the World Together and Prisons Must Fall. Text says: "On Caregiving, Kids, & Liberation: A Conversation with Writers and Artists" Wednesday, June 18 | 6:30pm Three Avenues Bookshop
May 30, 2025 at 1:05 AM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
How do we talk to kids about horrific things, like war & incarceration?
The next caregiver virtual discussion group for We Grow the World Together (@haymarketbooks.org) is on June 1! Whether or not you've read the book, you're invited. My amazing partner Willow will drop in to discuss her essay too.
Against a backdrop of blue sky and razor wire, words read: "We Grow the World Together, Parenting Toward Abolition Book Club Discussion. "In order to talk to my child about war and incarceration, I must talk to them about resistance."
May 19, 2025 at 1:30 AM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
Outside Cook County Jail yesterday, we chanted, “Free Our Moms, Free Them All!”
Sign says NO MORE JAILS, PRISONS, YOUTH JAILS. Green grass is in the background.
May 11, 2025 at 11:42 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
“Let’s join hands & open our hearts. Together we can tear down walls! No more cages, no more chains, we can free us all.”

This powerful—and exquisitely illustrated—book is exactly what we all need right now. Thank you for making it, @prisonculture.bsky.social @ollycostello.bsky.social & Jane Ball!
A beautiful book cover depicts people dancing and hugging in a field of flowers. Against a black background, the title says in orange, “Prisons must fall.” The illustration depicts people dancing on rooftops. The text says, “let’s join hands and open our hearts. Together, we can tear down the walls! No more cages, no more chains, we can free us all.”
April 11, 2025 at 1:09 AM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
It was a relief to join 30,000 people chanting through the streets of Chicago today for the #HandsOff rally and march.
People are in the background at a protest. Sign says “free Rumeysa Ozturk, Mahmoud Khalil” A sign lists many demands: biodiversity, public libraries, LGBTQ, rights, Black and Indigenous history, clean water, Social Security, public schools, national parks, free speech A sign says hands off Gaza in red, with pictures of watermelons. In the background, people march at a protest Sign says put Donald Trump into the dump. Held by arms in red sleeves. Buildings are in the background.
April 6, 2025 at 12:06 AM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
Tonight, join a zoom conversation about caregiving toward liberation, and how we can collaboratively build the world we want to live in, even in desperate times.
Join Kim Wilson (co-editor, with me, of “We Grow the World Together”) and contributors Nadine Naber and D’Marria Monday!
Against a blue background, text says: PLEASE JOIN US FOR A BOOK TALK & CONVERSATION WE GROW THE WORLD TOGETHER: PARENTING TOWARD ABOLITION TUESDAY, APRIL 1 6-7:30PM LOCATION CHANGE: ZOOM LOCATION CHANGE: ZOOM Scan QR code for link Scan QR code for link FEATURING: D’MARRIA MONDAY (contributor), FOUNDER OF THE GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY- BUILDING ORGANIZATION BLOCK BUILDERZ NADINE NABER (contributor), FOUNDER OF LIBERATE YOUR RESEARCH & COFOUNDER OF MAMAS ACTIVATING MOVEMENTS FOR ABOLITION AND SOLIDARITY KIM WILSON (co-editor), ARTIST, EDUCATOR, WRITER, AND COHOST/PRODUCER OF THE BEYOND PRISONS PODCAST MODERATOR, LAURA CIOLKOWSKI, WGSS FACULTY & DIRECTOR, UMASS JAIL EDUCATION INITIATIVE COSPONSORED BY: UMASS JAIL EDUCATION INITIATIVE, DEPARTMENT OF WOMEN, GENDER, SEXUALITY STUDIES, LOIS E. TOKO LECTURE SERIES, TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE COALITION, FEMINIST FAMILY STUDIES, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH & RIGHTS CERTIFICATE, REPR
April 1, 2025 at 12:35 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
I’m grateful to have been in the streets of Chicago with thousands today for the Trans Day of Visibility rally & march led by @transupfrontil.bsky.social.
Even in the pouring rain, people kept marching.
It was a reminder that together, PEOPLE HAVE POWER, and we have to keep building it every day.
Two people hold signs. One Sign says incarcerated trans lives matter. Another says Trans Liberation Always. A person holds a sign that says None of us are free until all of us are free. Someone is holding a sign that says trans people will always exist, linking arms with someone wearing a keffiyeh. A blue and pink sign says Trans People Are Magic.
March 30, 2025 at 11:22 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
“When trans lives are under attack, what do we do? FIGHT BACK!”

Chicago’s Federal Plaza is filling way waaaaaay up for the Trans Day of Visibility rally!!!
Heart shaped sign says “dear trans kids, this world is better with you in it and you are worth fighting for!” A pink blue and white sign says “A world without trans people has never existed and never will” Rainbow sign says “we are stronger together” Pink, blue and white sign says “gender-affirming health care saves lives “
March 30, 2025 at 6:31 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
“What?!”

—Zams
A tortoiseshell cat’s face emerges from a thick blue blanket
March 6, 2025 at 12:54 AM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
What’s the role of care in movements? How do we show up for each other tangibly in repressive times?
Chicago folks, come join me & @mskellymhayes.bsky.social, Bill Ayers (@underthetreepod.bsky.social) & Anya Tanyavutti at @pilsencommbooks.bsky.social to discuss!
pilsencommunitybooks.com/events/45361
We grow the world together: parenting toward abolition. Maya schenwar, kelly hayes, Anya Tanyavutti, Bill Ayers. Thursday, March 13, 7pm. Pilsen community Books.
March 4, 2025 at 1:25 AM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
In front of Lurie children’s hospital in Chicago, hundreds of people are showing up to defend access to gender-affirming care for trans youth!!

❤️❤️❤️
Sign with flowers says let trans kids bloom Sign says they can take our health care, they cannot mute our spirit Sign says access to medical care is a right, not a debate! Sign says gender affirming care literally saves lives
February 15, 2025 at 7:36 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
Chicago caregivers & parents (in the broadest sense): The @haymarketbooks.org discussion group for "We Grow the World Together" begins this weekend! It'll feature contributors Keisa Reynolds, Holly Krig, Jenny Viets, Shira Hassan, Bill Ayers. Register here:
www.tickettailor.com/events/hayma...
Against green background, text says: "We Grow the World Together: Parenting Toward Abolition." Saturdays Feb 1, Feb 15, March 1, 10am-11:30am. haymarket house. The book cover of "We Grow the World Together" is included to the left.
January 27, 2025 at 3:25 PM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
My cat tweeted this 8 years ago, and it holds up.
A gray cat looks at the camera, bored. Text says, breaking news, we just issued an executive order to turn the White House into a large litter box.
January 25, 2025 at 1:31 AM
mayaschenwar.bsky.social
My partner’s plants have overtaken our apartment and there’s no sign of stopping. I’m coming to accept that soon there will just be no place for me to sleep. And maybe that’s ok, because who’s going to be able to sleep in the coming years?
A wall is covered in framed pictures of plants and also vines. Maya stands in front of the wall holding a loose vine.
January 18, 2025 at 1:50 AM