No kings. As we stand in 2026, a president with historically low approval ratings (37%) has expanded executive power beyond the founders’ fears and beyond what appears Americans actually want.
It’s true. As part of our nation’s founding 250 years ago, George Washington refused to be king. When his supporters pushed for grand titles like “His Elective Majesty,” he said no. When custom at the time dictated he could rule indefinitely, he walked away after two terms.
That’s exactly why FUNKY BROWN CHICK, Inc. will close our doors on February 16th for Presidents’ Day. Not just because it’s a federal holiday, but because resistance demands we pause and reflect.
As Washington and the other founding fathers crafted revolutionary documents about liberty, many simultaneously enslaved other human beings. That contradiction is in itself the whole story of liberty in the United States. The American democracy project extends beyond holding the founders in reverence; it requires we complete their unfinished project. The Constitution includes amendment processes because their work was imperfect.
US presidents were always meant to serve the people, not rule them. This day is a reminder that we must all insist that the United States finally live up to its founding principles.
A President, Not a King
Washington didn’t just “decline” to be king. He built an entire system to stop presidents from becoming one, with regular reports to Congress, shared decision-making, and an expectation of transparency.
As executive orders rain down faster than ever, bypassing the very systems Washington created to keep presidents in check, we’re reminded: it’s often that case that, when communities in the US push for justice (voting rights, reproductive freedom, immigrant rights), we slam into this wall of unchecked presidential power.
Our democracy gives up tools for this exact moment. The question isn’t whether we’ll use them, but rather how hard we’ll continue to fight to make them work.
Why Your Rights Depend on Democracy
The fall of democracy doesn’t just live in history books. We’re all living it. Right now, communities fighting for reproductive healthcare are fighting base as rights come under attack via a presidential pen stroke. Trans youth seeking gender-affirming care are facing state-by-state bans emboldened by executive power. Immigrant families are abducted from their communities where presidential authority has progressed unchecked.
When presidents act like kings, human rights crumble first. Ask any community organizing for justice today. Whether they’re fighting for voting access, racial equity, or workers’ rights, they’ll tell you how quickly executive orders can erase decades of progress, how swiftly presidential proclamations can turn neighbors into “others.”
Follow the Money, Find the Power
When governments deny people food, security, and healthcare for far too long, authoritarian leaders often prey on their justified anger by scapegoating and offering empty promises.
When the economy denies workers living wages, authoritarians position democracy itself as the enemy rather than the wealth extraction as the root of the problem.
Suddenly, democracy feels like a luxury many can’t afford.
You’ve seen it: food prices soar while wages stagnate, healthcare remains out of reach for millions, employment discrimination pushes entire communities to the economic margins. These aren’t just policy issues, they’re democracy issues. Every time economic inequality grows, presidential power expands to fill the gap, promising quick fixes through executive action rather than democratic solutions.
Democracy stands strongest in communities with economic security, worker protections, and equal access to opportunity. Authoritarianism first takes root in the waste of economic devastation.
Our communities deserve both bread and ballots. That’s what we are so inspired by those already organizing like they know it.
Your Power This Presidents’ Day
Every revolution starts with a single action. This Presidents’ Day, we welcome more people into action. Remember: it’s never to soon or too late to turn your concern into concrete change.
Power Moves for Individuals
1. Pick Up Your Phone
Call your representatives. Tell them you expect Congress to check presidential power, not rubber stamp it. Numbers matter–your voice joins thousands pushing back against executive overreach. You can find your representative’s information here!
2. Stay Informed
Follow local journalists who accurately cover the news in your state. Subscribe to their newsletters. These reporters track how presidential powers affect your neighborhood before national media catches on. Or stay informed through credible media outlets like Reuters, BBC, and The Guardian.
3. Create Civic Action Hubs
Host civic action parties. Screen documentaries about successful grassroots movements. Create spaces where neighbors connect their daily struggles to larger democratic principles. Spaces where you can support one another safely.
4. Leverage Social Media
Join the thousands of others amplifying community voices and standing strong for democracy by sharing videos of yourself or others. Use it to encourage action and change. Use it to battle misinformation.
5. Form Unlikely Alliances
Join groups that serve and connect you to diverse populations you may not otherwise be regularly connected to. LGBTQ+ organizations or faith groups. Groups that volunteer for social causes. Be the bridge that connects racial and economic divides. When diverse communities unite around shared democratic values, presidential overreach meets its match.
Washington didn’t preserve democracy on his own. Networks of committed citizens, each playing their part, did that job. Your actions today, multiplied across communities nationwide, carry that revolution forward.
Power Moves for Organizations
Your nonprofit already fights for justice. Now amplify that impact:
1. Map Your Presidential Impact Chain
Create a rapid-response team to track how executive orders affect your community. Document every impact. Share these stories through your networks. Real examples of how presidential overreach hurts real people? That’s power.
2. Build Your Democracy Defense Squad
Cross-train your staff on civic engagement strategies. Make it part of every program you run. Turn your office into a civic engagement hub. Partner with election protection groups to safeguard voting rights.
3. Level Up Your Digital Game
Transform your social platforms into democracy defenders. Share infographics breaking down executive orders in plain language. Create TikToks explaining checks and balances. Stream Instagram Lives connecting presidential powers to your community’s daily struggles.
4. Flex Your Coalition Muscle
Join forces with organizations outside your usual circle. Food banks? They know how economic justice and democracy connect. Healthcare clinics? They see how executive orders impact patient care. Environmental groups? They track how presidential power affects community health. Build these connections even more to strengthen our movements.
Washington chose a cabinet over a crown. Today’s organizations choose collective action over going it alone. Your organization’s power grows because you connect, collaborate, and create change together with others.
The Revolution Continues
When Washington walked away from a crown, he made a choice. Every community fighting for justice, every organization pushing for change, every individual demanding better. We’ve echo Washington’s proclamation: We, too, say “no kings” as we continue to fight for democracy.
The tools exist. The networks thrive. The power grows. And, none of us can do this alone. At FUNKY BROWN CHICK, we’re helping organizations harness their power to defend democracy. Whether you need support reaching wider audiences, engaging voters, or building stronger coalitions, we’re here to amplify your impact.
During federal holidays, as our team steps back to recharge, we invite you to join us in reclaiming the revolutionary spirit of this holiday. Because Presidents’ Day has always demanded more than store sales and a day off. It demands we fight to preserve the democracy over a crown. Ready to amplify your impact this Presidents’ Day and every day after?
Drop us a line at smile@funkybrownchick.com or contact us here.