Scot Nakagawa
Co-founder & Executive Director, 22nd Century Initiative
Scot Nakagawa is co-founder and Executive Director of the 22nd Century Initiative, a national action and strategy hub building a strategically aligned and resilient field of pro-democracy practice in the U.S. His current work builds upon a 47+ year history of social and economic justice advocacy over which he has served as a community organizer, political campaign strategist, and political analyst in movements for school reform, criminal legal system reform, LGBTQ equality, racial justice, and indigenous rights.
His specific focus on the existential threat posed by authoritarian movements and our reaction to them began in 1988 when he became a leader in the fight against the violent factions of white Christian nationalism. He has worked with organizations such as the Coalition for Human Dignity, the National Anti-Klan Network, the National LGBTQ Task Force, the Highlander Research and Education Center, and numerous campaigns to limit the power and influence of racist, antisemitic, patriarchal, and religious fundamentalist leaders and groups.
Scot is also the author of the Anti-Authoritarian Playbook on Substack, a resource for civil resistance activists.