Where Did Grassroots Power Go — and Can We Get It Back?

Before the pandemic, Denver felt like a place where civic engagement was not only possible, it was welcomed. I remember attending Denver Days at Civic Center Park, where individuals, organizations and communities came together to share their ideas and causes. I didn’t agree with every message, but I valued the sense of openness. You could walk up to someone, listen, talk, agree or disagree, and walk away more informed. That’s a sign of a healthy democracy.

That same year, I attended a campaign event at Blush & Blu in support of an LGBTQ candidate. The atmosphere was electric. It wasn’t about partisan politics; rather, it was about shared values and a belief in the desire to be part of the city’s future. These were people willing to put their time, energy and feelings behind someone they felt could make a difference.

But since COVID, that sense of grassroots vitality seems to have faded. Many of the neighborhood meetings, town halls, independent forum and coalitions that once fueled civic action have gone quiet. What’s taken their place is a wave of bureaucracy, top-down decision-making and performative politics that feels increasingly out of touch with the everyday realities Denver residents face.

Everyday people trying to engage the system, whether by running for local office, speaking at city council meetings or forming new community groups, often struggle to gain traction. The hurdles aren’t always ideological; they’re logistical, systemic and financial. Opportunities to address serious issues like homelessness or mental health care frequently get caught in political limbo or buried under a lack of visibility.

As I began looking more deeply into how the city handles homeless and mental-health services, areas I used to wonder about from the sidelines and as someone who experienced transient periods as a seasonal worker, one thing becomes clear: long-term stability for individuals and families requires systems that are humane, coordinated and accountable. Yet the infrastructure for that work seems fragmented at best, and absent at worst. This problem extends far beyond Denver.

For years, one issue that has deeply concerned me is the broken state of our national health-care system. From a sociological, historical and economic perspective, it's baffling that the U.S., a global leader in innovation and wealth, still burdens everyday citizens with some of the highest medical costs in the developed world. The dysfunction is obvious: a convoluted relationship between insurance companies, service and supply providers, government subsidies and regulatory loopholes has allowed health care to become both inefficient and inaccessible. And yet, any push toward a more affordable, effective system is constantly stalled by corporate lobbying and congressional gridlock.

The same goes for immigration. There is widespread agreement that the U.S. needs a comprehensive policy that welcomes global talent and treats all immigrants with dignity. But instead of constructive solutions, the conversation is often hijacked by partisan narratives and fear-driven rhetoric. When you talk to people on the ground — business owners, immigrants, workers, educators — they’re often on the same page, but their voices get drowned out by political theater.

So I keep asking myself: why is it so hard to organize around these issues when the stakes are so high and the problems so clear?

I think it’s because we’ve lost the connective tissue that once held grassroots movements together. Civic engagement doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It needs community spaces, shared language, local journalism, economic stability and the time to care about more than just survival and appealing to mainstream supporters. When those pieces are missing, political power shifts away from the general public and toward institutions that already hold it.

But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

We need to rebuild civic culture from the ground up. That means not only calling out systemic failures, but also empowering ordinary people to act by running for office, joining neighborhood councils, attending public meetings and organizing around shared values instead of party lines. It means amplifying local voices and creating forums where people can connect across identity and ideology. It means pushing for transparency in governance and holding leaders accountable when they drift from the people they claim to represent.

Denver is still a place of creative, engaged people. What’s missing is the bridge between those people and the institutions that shape their lives. The grassroots aren’t dead — they’re just waiting for oxygen.

Let’s bring them back to life.

Rodney Baker has been visiting Denver since 2015; he moved to Colorado officially in 2017, and worked for several ski areas. He is currently finishing college in Denver.