When We the People Lead, the Leaders Will Follow
Richard McKnight, PhD
This spring, Main Line Unitarian Church is reading When We the People Lead, the Leaders Will Follow by Richard McKnight, PhD—a clear, hopeful, and deeply practical book for anyone who loves this country and wants to do something about it.
Written for the moderate majority of Americans who feel demoralized and sidelined by our politics, the book argues that America is not a nation divided into warring tribes but a country of exhausted, decent citizens who have slowly been separated from their power. Drawing on research, lived experience, and stories from communities across the country—including right here at MLUC—McKnight shows how small groups of ordinary people can spark real, lasting change.
Join us for a reception with the author Sunday, March 29 at 11:15 a.m. | Coffee Hour | Fireside Gallery
Author Richard McKnight will introduce the book and take questions. LEARN MORE
Book Discussion Sunday, May 2 at 11:30 a.m. | Main Meeting Room
Join fellow congregation members for a guided discussion of When We the People Lead, the Leaders Will Follow.
A Conversation with Richard McKnight
What inspired you to write this book?
About a year ago, I was invited to a potluck dinner. It was right after Donald Trump had signed his 100th executive order. Two friends were very concerned about where our country was going, and they gathered 20 neighbors in their home and asked each of us to say how we feel. You can imagine what people said—angry, worried, concerned, distressed. It turned out I was the very last one. And what I said was: I am feeling very, very determined that no one is going to take my country from me.
I left that meeting and criticized myself, because I didn’t know what that meant. But in the writing of this book, I discovered in myself a very fiercely resolved patriot that I never expected to find.
Why should people read this book?
Here’s what I think people will get out of reading the book and joining with others to have a conversation about it: they will feel more hopeful. They will have greater clarity about what they might do to get our country in a better place.
Anger is often a secondary emotion. It’s secondary to something way more tender. For me, it’s grief—grief at the loss of something crucial to my life and my history. But at some point you say to yourself: it could be different. If I take my grief seriously and put some action against it, I’m going to join with others. I’m going to join we the people.
When we the people lead, the leaders will follow. Think about the women’s right to vote. Think about abolition. Think about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — 80% of both houses of Congress voted for it. Why? Because we, the people, forced the issue. That’s always been true in America.
What do you want readers to walk away feeling?
The last chapter in the book is called “Light Many Fires.” I encourage people to light a candle, a torch, or a bonfire. This book is my bonfire.
Not all of us are going to light a bonfire. Some of us can barely have enough energy—with kids and work responsibilities and whatnot—to light a candle. But you can light a candle, and maybe a torch. And as you do that, especially as you join with others doing that, you will address spiritual despair.
What I didn’t realize, because I never really reflected on it before, is that as you volunteer, as you contribute, and especially as you join with others to do that, it’s not only energy additive—it helps you flourish as an individual. It’s a win-win.
When We the People Lead, the Leaders Will Follow is available for sale at:
Main Point Books, Wayne, PA
Narberth Bookshop, Narberth, PA
Bookshop.org
Barnes and Nobles
Amazon