Freedom Action Now is a far-left agitation and community organizing organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. The organization describes itself as a “radical queer black and Southeast Asian feminist” organization. ¹

The organization engages in voter education, leadership development, community organizing, and policy advocacy in Wisconsin. In addition to pushing a far-left feminist agenda, the organization also endorses the extreme-left policy of prison abolition. It calls for the closure of all jails, prisons, and detention centers. ²

It is the advocacy arm of the far-left organization Freedom, Inc. The two organizations share the same physical address. ³

In August 2022, the organization joined with other far-left organizations in denouncing the decision of the city of Milwaukee to host the Republican National Convention. The organizations said the Republican Party was not welcome in a “majority people of color city with the largest number of immigrants and refugees in the state of Wisconsin.” ⁴

Overview

Freedom Action Now is a far-left agitation, policy advocacy, and community organizing group based in Madison, Wisconsin. ⁵ It is the advocacy arm of the far-left nonprofit organization Freedom, Inc. The two organizations even share the same physical address. ⁶

The organization engages in voter education, leadership development, community organizing and policy advocacy in Wisconsin. The organization describes itself as a “radical queer black and Southeast Asian feminist” organization. ⁷

In addition to promoting standard left-feminist issues such as easy access to and taxpayer funding of abortion, the organization supports the radical-left position of prison abolition. The organization calls for closure of all jails, prisons, and detention centers. ⁸

Criminal Justice Advocacy

One of the major issues of the organization is advocating for the release of Kenyairra Gadson. Gadson was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the 2018 shooting death of Steven Villegas. Gadson and her attorneys claim the shooting was in self-defense, though she was convicted in January 2022 of the crime. ⁹

The organization has described the conviction and sentence of Gadson as Madison’s “indifference towards protecting black, queer women.” The organization claims that white women in similar circumstances are often not charged at all. ¹⁰

As a part of a week of action to support Gadson, the organization called for the defunding of the police. Instead, it advocated that the money be spend on social programs to benefit black residents. ¹¹

Abortion Advocacy

In June 2022, the organization took part in pro-abortion demonstrations at the Wisconsin State Capitol in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The demonstrators focused on the lack of abortion access for people of color, and some radical-left groups even began chanting against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. ¹²

The demonstrators also suggested that transgender men also have abortions. The protesters also chanted that abortion was a human right. ¹³

Opposing the Republican National Convention

In August 2022, the organization joined with other far-left organizations Voces de la Frontera Action, BLOC, Never Again is Now, and SEIU Wisconsin State Council to denounce the city of Milwaukee hosting the Republican National Convention in 2024. They described the Republican Party as an organization that “embraced white supremacy, authoritarianism, and acts of political violence.” ¹⁴

The organizations said the Republican Party was not welcome in a “majority people of color city with the largest number of immigrants and refugees in the state of Wisconsin.” It also criticized the possible economic benefit that the convention would generate, claiming that most of it would go to private corporations. ¹⁵

Leadership

Kabzuag Vaj is the executive director of the organization. She is also the co-executive director and founder of Freedom, Inc. ¹⁶

1. “About FAN”.   Freedom Action Now Accessed October 3, 2022. https://freedomactionnow.org/about.
2. “About FAN”.   Freedom Action Now Accessed October 3, 2022. https://freedomactionnow.org/about.
3. “Home”.  Freedom, Inc.. Accessed October 3, 2022. https://freedom-inc.org/.
4. “Milwaukee Betrayed: Decision To Host The RNC Undermines Public Safety And Normalizes The Far-Right”. Voces De La Frontera Action. August 6, 2022 https://vdlfa.org/2022/08/milwaukee-betrayed-decision-to-host-the-rnc-undermines-public-safety-and-normalizes-the-far-right/.
5. “About FAN”.   Freedom Action Now Accessed October 3, 2022. https://freedomactionnow.org/about.
6. “Home”.  Freedom, Inc.. Accessed October 3, 2022. https://freedom-inc.org/.
7.  “About FAN”.   Freedom Action Now Accessed October 3, 2022. https://freedomactionnow.org/about.
8. “About FAN”.   Freedom Action Now Accessed October 3, 2022. https://freedomactionnow.org/about.
9. Orlowsky, Zach. “Freedom, Inc. Launches Week Of Action In Protest Of Gadson Sentence”. The Badger Herald. May 4, 2022 https://badgerherald.com/news/2022/05/04/freedom-inc-launches-week-of-action-in-protest-of-gadson-sentence/.
10. Orlowsky, Zach. “Freedom, Inc. Launches Week Of Action In Protest Of Gadson Sentence”. The Badger Herald. May 4, 2022 https://badgerherald.com/news/2022/05/04/freedom-inc-launches-week-of-action-in-protest-of-gadson-sentence/.
11. Orlowsky, Zach. “Freedom, Inc. Launches Week Of Action In Protest Of Gadson Sentence”. The Badger Herald. May 4, 2022 https://badgerherald.com/news/2022/05/04/freedom-inc-launches-week-of-action-in-protest-of-gadson-sentence/.
12. Katzenberger, Tyler.  “‘Heartsick, Angry And Afraid,’ Protestors Organize For Abortion Rights”. The Cap Times. Jun. 25, 2022 https://captimes.com/news/government/abortion-rights-protest-roe-vs-wade-madison-capitol/article_2bf27d24-5c8a-56e8-ae4c-31e995dabaee.html.
13. Katzenberger, Tyler.  “‘Heartsick, Angry And Afraid,’ Protestors Organize For Abortion Rights”. The Cap Times. Jun. 25, 2022 https://captimes.com/news/government/abortion-rights-protest-roe-vs-wade-madison-capitol/article_2bf27d24-5c8a-56e8-ae4c-31e995dabaee.html.
14. [1]”Milwaukee Betrayed: Decision To Host The RNC Undermines Public Safety And Normalizes The Far-Right”. Voces De La Frontera Action. August 6, 2022 https://vdlfa.org/2022/08/milwaukee-betrayed-decision-to-host-the-rnc-undermines-public-safety-and-normalizes-the-far-right/.
15. “Milwaukee Betrayed: Decision To Host The RNC Undermines Public Safety And Normalizes The Far-Right”. Voces De La Frontera Action. August 6, 2022 https://vdlfa.org/2022/08/milwaukee-betrayed-decision-to-host-the-rnc-undermines-public-safety-and-normalizes-the-far-right/.
16. “Kabzuag Vaj”.  The Network. Accessed October 3, 2022. https://www.thenetworkwi.com/kvaj.