Malynda Hale: I’m Not Leaving Progressivism — But We Need to Have a Talk
By Malynda Hale
I love being a multi-hyphenate. If I get tired of being an actor, I can be a singer. If I need a break from singing, I can pivot into activism. When activism gets too heavy, I focus on content creation or directing. If I need to, I can just focus on being a mom and a wife—and when it all gets exhausting, I can hide in my room and binge Netflix with no shame. (Don’t judge. All parents do this.)
I value this freedom to explore all the parts of myself, embrace complexity, and hold space for a multitude of ideas and opportunities. That’s what progressivism is supposed to be about.
And yet… that’s not what I’m seeing from us anymore.
A movement that once stood for compassion, growth, and justice is being replaced by quick judgement, ideological purity tests, and a constant readiness to turn on our own when their beliefs fall out of step with what we’ve collectively deemed right or true.
Many progressives are growing frustrated with this change, pushing some to leave the movement. While I’m not walking away, I am, however, deeply concerned with what we are becoming and urge us to reflect on who we want to be before it’s too late.
Progressives say we want progress, but we demand perfection to get there. We talk about healing, yet project our unhealed wounds onto everyone around us. We preach empathy, yet sometimes show the least of it to people in our own communities.
I see this playing out in real time, particularly in the most divisive mouse trap there is – social media. Whether it’s related to calls for a ceasefire in Gaza or the debate to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in society, the debate amongst progressives has quickly shifted from what people believe on the issue to how loudly, quickly, or perfectly they express those beliefs in public. Instead of building unity and leading constructively to achieve our shared goals, factions are splintering over rhetoric and timing.
These aren’t isolated controversies. They are a part of a larger pattern where mistakes, big or small, are no longer met with dialogue and accountability. Instead, we “cancel” people over minor missteps. And this scrutiny is having the opposite of its intended effect: People are staying silent to avoid “social sanctions” for expressing unwelcome views. Research by the Cato Institute found that 62% of Americans, including 52% of Democrats, feel the current political climate prevents them from saying what they believe out of fear of offending others. Notably, even among strong liberals, only 58% feel free to express themselves, down from about 70% in earlier years.
Every time we respond this way, we lose sight of the real fight: creating the policies, protections, and cultural changes that improve people’s lives. These goals require broad durable coalitions we keep fracturing.
Leading with a toxic zero-sum mindset isn’t just silencing members from within. It’s pushing people away from progressivism altogether. A 2023 study by More in Common found that 67% of Americans belong to what researchers call the “exhausted majority,” people who are tired of political extremes and hungry for nuance. People disengage – not because they oppose our values, but because they see no room for complexity and grace. The only real winner at the end of this are the extremists who continue to advance their agendas.
Progressives must choose a different path—one where disagreement sparks dialogue, not division, and mistakes become opportunities to learn, not reasons to exile. We must focus our energy on solving problems together rather than proving who is “pure” enough to lead.
There are already organizations modeling this approach. Groups like the Builders Movement are bringing people from across the political spectrum together to tackle problems constructively, find common ground, and actually move solutions forward. They prove it’s possible to stay true to your values while also making space for complexity, nuance, and growth.
The real justice we seek for our country and the world can only be achieved when we approach differing ideas, beliefs, and experiences with curiosity, humility, and compassion — not by policing one another.
I challenge progressives to stop the infighting, extend grace to one another, and build the coalitions necessary to actually get the work done. By doing so, we can turn our values into meaningful, lasting change.
Malynda Hale is an actress, singer and activist based in Los Angeles. She is the executive director of The New Evangelicals and a Builders Movement Partner.
