Casco resident promotes national unity through South Haven Indivisible

Mary Jackson stands near her American flag outside of her Casco Township home

Mary Jackson, a Casco Township resident, sits at her dining room table that shows hints of her new activism--an open laptop and a cluster of American flags. "This is not the country I grew up in," she laments. "We are of the people, by the people, for the people."

Spurred by that commitment to the USA, Jackson is one of 4 local people on a South Haven Coordinating Committee for Indivisible, "a grassroots movement of thousands of local Indivisible groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda," per the organization's website.

Jackson's patriotism is shared by South Haven residents Cindy Ariel, Lindy DeVries, and Mary Kay Gilbert who, together, lead a Coordinating Committee for South Haven Indivisible. Launched in South Haven in May after local PUSH (Progressives United in South Haven) leader and South Haven resident Julia Ludwig gathered a few friends to explore the work Indivisible was doing in Paw Paw, Gilbert and Jackson volunteered to take the lead locally. The two women met the next day and scheduled their first Indivisible meeting within a week.

South Haven Indivisible is now 200+ members strong. "Fifty were added yesterday," Jackson says, ahead of the Saturday June 14 "No Kings" protest scheduled for the sidewalk along the First Congregational Church, 651 Phoenix St from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.

"Have I ever stepped up before?" Jackson says aloud. "Not really like this. I am so upset with what's going on with civil rights, women's rights, [the decimation of] agencies, public health... Our government is gone."

She is determined to take advantage of the opportunity "to stand up with others, without violence; together we are stronger, our power becomes stronger and we can make changes" to address what she considers an authoritarian takeover.

Mary Jackson talked about the goals for the protest called "No Kings Day," also Flag Day, June 14. "We hope to send that united message that there are no kings; we are united and we are resisting this takeover." She is committed to waving the American flag: "the flag belongs to the people."

Indivisible is a non-partisan movement. "We welcome Republicans, Independents, Democrats with open arms. We never ask party affiliation," the leader said. "We are not looking at the divide."

Jackson spent her professional years working for a non-profit focused on advocacy for children's education. As a member of the group of four women leading South Haven Indivisible, she is determined to "reach out to the community and help in any way we can."

"We're a lot of old white people," Jackson admits; "a lot of groups can't stand up on the street right now. We are there for everyone. 'We the people' own our government, 'we the people' elect people to represent us. We need to make change to that power together." The planned protest is non-violent, complete with a peacekeeping committee on site and de-escalation strategies.

Jackson has American flags and extra signs for those who choose to join the protest on Saturday June 14 at 2:00 pm, rain or shine. Protesters are to gather on the sidewalk near 651 Phoenix Street; the church parking lot is not available for parking.

South Haven Indivisible meets at the South Haven Memorial Library, 314 Broadway St, every other week on Thursday at 5:30 pm. The next meeting is June 26. The group has a Facebook page and an email list.

To build community, Indivisible South Haven also holds a social-only event called Indivisible Together Tuesday (ITT) at Lakeside Entertainment Center (bowling alley), 09921 Blue Star Hwy at 5:00 pm. The next ITT meeting is Tuesday June 24.

A protest by South Haven Indivisible on Saturday May 17, 2025