Hello Fellow Radical,

Recently I was invited to speak with two high school senior classes about anarchism, mutual aid, and what it means to build the world we deserve.

The teacher asked me to share:

• how I became interested in anarchism

• what it actually looks like in daily life

• how anarchism might shape society today

• why “anarchy = chaos” misses the point

I talked about growing up watching power used to harm both people and animals, and realizing that the problem wasn’t just “bad people” but systems built on domination. I remembered seeing animals used in entertainment and for food, and being told it was “normal,” even when it was clear it involved suffering. Later, I saw similar patterns in how employers treated workers and how police treated communities. Anarchism gave me language for what I was already feeling: that we can organize our lives through mutual aid, consent, and shared power, rather than through hierarchy and control.

After the visit, students were asked to write what they took away. Here’s some of what they said (shared anonymously with permission):

“After we talked with Jason, I really wondered what our country would be like if we lived in an anarchist society. How would people behave? Would our country benefit? Would people still try to claim power, or would that not even be an issue?”

“What I took away was what a real anarchist would do. I think in society anarchy is seen as something bad, but really it’s about people wanting to be free and doing things they should get to do, which is their right.”

“I wondered how he was able to tie in the dark elements of the entertainment industry with anarchy in a way I can understand. I also wonder if he ever lost friends because of his belief system—and if he did, how he processed that.”

“I liked hearing your upbringing and what made you pick this path in life… I feel like you could’ve talked more about the problems you faced before, or other things you wanted to do before doing what you do now.”

For a lot of them, this was the first time they’d heard anarchism described as everyday practice—how we relate to each other—rather than just a word for chaos in headlines.

They walked away asking:

• What would an anarchist society look like across thousands of square miles?

• How do we handle people who still try to dominate others?

• What does it cost to live by these values in your friendships and life choices?

Their questions show how seriously they’re thinking about the world they’re inheriting and what it would mean to live their values in real relationships, communities, and structures.

A Radical Guide exists to give people places to ask these questions, learn from movements, and see anarchism and mutual aid as living practices rather than distant ideas.

We do that through:

• talks in classrooms and community spaces

• free guides and booklets

• our podcast and online courses

• the directory of 1,200+ liberation spaces where these ideas are already in motion

If you’re an educator—or you know one—who’d like a visit like this, reply to this email.

And if you want to help us keep saying “yes” to invitations like these, one concrete way is to support A Radical Guide’s work here:

Thanks for being part of building a world where students are trusted with real conversations about power, care, and collective freedom.