In *"This Is an Uprising,"* the Engler brothers describe "moments of the whirlwind" as brief, intense periods of mass mobilization and radical direct action that occur during nonviolent resistance movements. These moments can dramatically shift the political landscape, drawing in vast numbers of people and escalating the urgency of a movement. They are characterized by rapid, unexpected mobilization, often fueled by crisis or outrage, where traditional political processes are disrupted, and authorities are forced to respond to overwhelming public pressure. The concept of "moments of the whirlwind" echoes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s idea of "the whirlwinds of revolt," which he referred to in his "I Have a Dream" speech. King spoke of a forceful, unavoidable tide of social change that emerges from the discontent of oppressed people, moving with unstoppable momentum toward justice. Both metaphors emphasize the spontaneous, powerful nature of collective action when a movement reaches a tipping point and surges forward. ### Key Features of Moments of the Whirlwind: 1. **Sudden Mobilization**: Like a whirlwind or storm, these moments arise quickly, often sparked by a specific event or crisis, and involve large-scale participation that might not have seemed possible before. 2. **Escalation**: Movements push their demands forcefully through direct action, civil disobedience, protests, or strikes, disrupting daily life and placing immense pressure on those in power. 3. **Intense Media Attention**: The visibility of these actions in media channels amplifies their message, spreading the movement’s goals and galvanizing more people to join. 4. **Polarization and Tension**: These periods create divisions in society, forcing people, institutions, and governments to take sides. The stakes are raised, and the potential for change becomes greater. The Englers argue that civil resistance movements cannot sustain these whirlwind moments indefinitely. However, these brief, dramatic peaks of action have a ratchet-like dynamic, meaning that while the whirlwind eventually calms—like a storm running out of rain—movements are left with a set of achievements, ideas, or momentum that can be institutionalized during more stable periods. These periods of calm are opportunities for the gains made during the whirlwind to be solidified into policy changes, new institutions, or cultural norms. ### Expansion and Contraction: A Reciprocal Process The Englers emphasize that civil resistance is not a series of disconnected outbreaks of unrest, but rather an iterative process of **expansion and contraction**. After a whirlwind moment of intense activism, the movement might retract or slow down, but this contraction is a necessary phase in which organizers and leaders take stock of what has been accomplished, consolidate those gains, and plan for future actions. - **Expansion (Whirlwind)**: During moments of the whirlwind, movements achieve rapid visibility and progress. They escalate demands and force institutions to reckon with their grievances. The public becomes more aware of the issues, and new narratives of possibility begin to spread. - **Contraction (Stabilization)**: After the storm passes, the movement enters a phase of reflection and stabilization. The ideas and demands from the whirlwind are integrated into more permanent structures—laws, institutions, new social norms—that embody the changes the movement fought for. ### "Every Storm Runs Out of Rain" - Maya Angelou The metaphor "Every storm runs out of rain" reflects the idea that moments of intense action—no matter how powerful—will eventually dissipate. Movements cannot live in a constant state of escalation, just as a storm cannot last forever. But, as the Englers note, this doesn’t mean that the movement is over. Instead, the movement enters a quieter phase where it can focus on consolidating the progress made, preparing for the next push, or adjusting its strategies based on lessons learned. In this way, civil resistance movements are seen as a long-term process of creating change, with whirlwinds acting as catalysts for significant leaps forward, followed by periods of institutionalization and regrouping. The Englers suggest that the success of nonviolent movements depends on their ability to navigate these cycles of expansion and contraction, rather than seeing the whirlwind moments as isolated or disconnected events, which can lead to disillusionment. Movements that can do this will not only survive but thrive in the long run, using the energy from moments of intense action to create lasting change. ### MLK and Whirlwinds of Revolt Dr. King’s use of "whirlwinds of revolt" parallels the Englers' notion of moments of the whirlwind. Both capture the sense of unstoppable momentum that emerges when a movement reaches critical mass. King saw these whirlwinds as necessary for breaking the inertia of injustice and inequality, just as the Englers view them as essential to pushing forward change in civil resistance movements. However, both perspectives also recognize that these moments are temporary but essential sparks that ignite deeper, more enduring transformations in society. In this way, civil resistance becomes not just a series of disruptive events but a dynamic, ongoing process, with moments of intense action (whirlwinds) propelling the movement forward and quieter periods allowing for reflection, consolidation, and planning.