Sankofa and Struggle in 2026: ED Paul Briley Reflects on the Year Ahead

In the face of unimaginable violence and chaos in 2025, our response was resilient. The stakes felt higher than ever before, but protests across the country proved that we the people are no longer afraid. We showed up for our communities to stand against ICE, authoritarianism, war and fearmongering, and for justice. The old-school scare tactics of the oppressor remain, but our movement has evolved into a force to be reckoned with. We organized locally, raising awareness globally. Mass demonstrations around the world displayed a unified front and brought together people from all walks of life.

No matter the assignment, regardless of your confinement, liberty for all was our alignment.

Our job is nowhere near done. The fear and uncertainty we faced entering last year pales in comparison to what we march into for 2026.
The power of our momentum lies in the actions we take now. From organizing to strategizing to lobbying, what we do this year is what matters the most. It is our duty to turn the tides of justice. The political pendulum swings as far away from justice as we watch. We are not helpless. We must swing it back. Our collective power will determine the future of the world we choose to live in. We dream of a world where chains are broken, not just on wrists but in minds and hearts.

As we continue this journey to freedom, we embrace the ancestral wisdom of Sankofa: learning from the past to build a better future. Those oppressed know what’s best. All of Us or None represents our people who are currently locked up, as well as the formerly incarcerated who are committed to looking back and refuse to carry on without bringing everyone along. We’ve come a long way, but we still have so far to go. This struggle requires patience: if we move too fast, our struggles stand alone. If we want to go far, we must travel together. We are building a movement that is constantly growing, bolstered by solidarity and support from all corners of our community, and our strength is undoubtedly showing.

The movement for liberation is alive, and it shall outlive us in freedom for our descendants.

All of Us or None is co-led by every single member. The best leaders are those who know how to serve. Our greatest acts of service should be to center and uplift the voice of the most suppressed. I found purpose when I realized my life is not about me: this movement is bigger than me. It is about you just as much as it is abou`t me; it is because we stand on the shoulders of giants that we can see further. I pay homage to every ancestor, predecessor, descendant, and successor. The past informs our future. We do not share our stories to show pity, but rather so that our unheard experiences might be understood. Those of us closest to the problem are the closest to the solution, yet we are the furthest away from resources to make change. Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
This year we face ongoing threats of climate change, crimmigration, and an authoritarian administration. But if there’s one thing this administration fears, it’s the collective power of our civic engagement. We fought and won the right for people inside of county jails to vote. We fought and won the right for people on parole to vote. People inside of prisons have not lost their citizenship, yet they are still denied the right to vote. For this reason, our political agenda is to represent all of us as one.

We demand that you accept All of Us or None.

In solidarity,
Paul Briley, LSPC Executive Director