The call is clear: Don’t wait for someone else to act; find your voice

“Never ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” John Lewis

The phrase “good trouble” captures a truth we often forget: some moments demand disruption. Polite disagreement and quiet diplomacy have their place, but there are times when they fall short, when injustice is so deeply embedded that only bold, visible, and unapologetic action can challenge it.

Good trouble is not trouble for its own sake. It is principled disruption with a moral compass, aimed at confronting systems that: harm, exclude, or oppress. It is loud enough to be heard, firm enough to be felt, and persistent enough to make those in power take notice.

At its core, good trouble is about refusing to let wrongs pass unchallenged. Many people, especially those who face discrimination, or economic vulnerability, do not have the same freedom to speak up without risking their: safety, livelihood, or community ties. That’s why those with greater security, privilege, or visibility have a responsibility to use their voices; not to speak over others, but to stand with them.

“Right is right. Wrong is always wrong.”

Good trouble is not an excuse for: chaos, vandalism, or destruction. It is not about creating disorder for its own sake. The difference lies in intent: anarchy seeks to dismantle without vision, or structure; good trouble seeks to confront injustice and replace it with fairness, equity, and compassion. It requires discipline, focus, and a clear sense of purpose.

History is full of examples where silence allowed injustice to deepen. When people decide not to “get involved,” the result is that harmful systems remain unchallenged, discrimination becomes normalized, and cruelty takes root. Good trouble disrupts that pattern. It breaks the cycle of indifference by forcing issues into the light.

Sometimes good trouble looks like public protest. Other times, it’s a private conversation that challenges harmful language, or prejudice. It can be confronting an unfair workplace policy, organizing to demand better conditions, or simply refusing to let someone’s dignity be diminished in your presence. The scale doesn’t matter as much as the principle behind it.

“It’s not just about speaking for people but making sure they can speak for themselves.”

One of the most vital forms of good trouble is amplifying marginalized voices. People who have been excluded from power often lack safe platforms to speak for themselves. That’s not because they lack: ideas, strength, or courage, but because systems are built to silence them. Good trouble means helping to dismantle those barriers. Sometimes that means sharing your platform, sometimes it means listening deeply, and sometimes it means refusing to allow powerful spaces to remain exclusive.

Anyone can engage in good trouble. You don’t need to be a career activist, a public figure, or a charismatic leader. It could be an artist creating work that challenges stereotypes, a teacher ensuring diverse voices are included in the curriculum, a voter holding leaders accountable, or a neighbour standing up against discrimination in the community. Good trouble can happen with placards in the street, or at a kitchen table; what matters is that it’s rooted in justice.

The path of good trouble is rarely comfortable. It can mean criticism, personal sacrifice, or social isolation. It may require breaking from tradition, questioning authority, or defying public opinion. The alternative, staying silent while wrong persists, is far worse.

Every generation faces a choice: to leave things as they are, or to push for what they should be. Good trouble is not about tearing down for the sake of destruction; it is about breaking barriers that should never have existed in the first place.

The call is clear: don’t wait for someone else to act. Find your voice. Use it. Make noise where silence has been the norm, because without good trouble, justice remains only a dream.