This class explores the power of Beautiful Trouble. Much like the “good trouble” championed by Civil Rights icon John Lewis, Beautiful Trouble refers to life-affirming, non-violent direct action seeking greater freedom, justice, and peace. . The course is ideal for activists and artists, already committed to causes like the Movement for Black Lives, climate justice, reproductive freedom, migrant rights, LGBTQ rights, and criminal justice reform/abolition. . But anyone is welcome who wants to learn the art and science of making positive change. The class partners with the Beautiful Trouble collective — a global network of artist-activist-organizers. . Our main text will be Beautiful Trouble: A Toolbox for Revolution and the group’s awesome website (www.beautifultrouble.org - check it out!). Senior Beautiful Trouble trainers will come to our class, sharing their experience and expertise. Part of the class is historical. We will learn about past episodes of beautiful trouble, like the 1961 Freedom Rides, Occupy Wall Street, the Standing Rock protests, and the whimsical actions of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army and Venezuela’s “Replacing Cops with Mimes” campaign. We will assess the role of beautiful trouble within social movements and both the power, and limits, of creative protest to change hearts, minds, and policies. Movies, video, music, and works of social theory will figure heavily in our inquiry. Part of the class is also practical. The Beautiful Trouble staff will train us in how to conduct a power analysis and devise beautiful trouble actions. Ideally, we will attempt to “make” beautiful trouble around issues care about — with existing organizations or on our own as a class. Finally, the class aspires to be a community, bound by common aspirations, support for one another, and respect for the legacies of collaborative resistance on which we draw.