MORE THAN A BOOK
A Guide for
All of Us
The future of our country lies in all of our hands. Drawing on her frontline experience challenging threats to democracy in courtrooms across the nation, Skye Perryman combines gripping personal stories with practical how-to guides that empower readers to take action in their own communities — from protecting voting rights and public schools to finding courage in the face of fear.
Accessible, hopeful, and deeply practical, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times shows that the path forward begins not in the halls of power — but at our kitchen tables, in our neighborhoods, and through the everyday choices we make to speak up, build community, and protect our future.
The Only Way Out is Through
When fear and confusion are the point, the most powerful thing any of us can do is refuse to look away — and to act.
This book is for anyone who wants to know where to start.
About Skye Perryman
Skye Perryman is the President and CEO of Democracy Forward, a national legal organization that advances democracy and progress in the courts. Named one of TIME‘s 100 Most Influential People in the World, she has led the largest affirmative litigation effort against executive branch overreach in United States history.
Known for blending legal expertise with accessible, inspiring storytelling, she is a frequent commentator on NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and NPR, and her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, TIME, and Newsweek. A proud product of K–12 public schools in Waco, Texas, she holds degrees from Baylor University and Georgetown University Law Center.
I started writing this book when it became undeniably clear, as our history also teaches, that it is not our institutions that will save us—not the courts, not corporate generosity, not the universities, not the media—but it is the people.
—Skye Perryman
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times 