Sanders Soldiers On With "Our Revolution"

Sen. Bernie Sanders said time and again throughout his presidential primary bid that the movement it sparked must continue beyond his campaign. He urged his supporters to stay engaged in the political process even if he lost, but he's not just quietly returning to his Senate seat and hoping for the best. And Sanders is wasting no time in keeping his backers mobilized. What is "Our Revolution"? It's Sanders' organized effort to push his progressive agenda forward, with the help of his former supporters and, hopefully, some new ones.

The official website for the effort is notably sparse, offering only a section where you can donate and no information. That's probably because Our Revolution doesn't officially launch until Aug. 24, when Sanders will hold a live-streamed "organizing kickoff." But he offered details about the effort in an email to his supporters.

One of the main activities of Our Revolution will be to get more progressives into various levels of government — everything from local school boards to Congress. The organization will work to recruit progressive candidates and support their bids through campaigning efforts and, presumably, fundraising.

Another key activity of the organization will be an educational effort: "elevating political consciousness" by providing resources that teach the public about what Sanders called "the most pressing issues confronting our nation and the bold solutions needed to address them," though the email didn't detail what types of resources would be used to accomplish this goal.

A vocal segment of Sanders supporters expressed a sense of betrayal when the senator endorsed his primary rival Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination ahead of the convention in July. But it appears that support for his efforts going forward is still very much alive; spokesman Michael Briggs told USA Today that, as of the beginning of August, Our Revolution had already raised a "significant" amount in contributions, even with little detail about the organization provided.

With Our Revolution, Sanders will attempt to propel the progressive movement forward by disseminating information and transforming leadership at all levels of government. The effort will require substantial volunteer participation and financial support from working class Americans, two factors that raised Sanders' presidential primary campaign to the unexpected height it achieved.

You can be part of Our Revolution by donating, and by signing up to "attend" the live-stream kickoff on Aug. 24.