The ICNW Parents Group: How Kate and Alison have made activism family friendly

In February 2025, soon after the second inauguration of Donald Trump, Kate Downey was feeling motivated to do something, as were many Chicagoans. She attended the kickoff for the Indivisible Chicago Northwest chapter at Gracie O’Malleys and thought, “This is awesome.” But at the time, she had a 3-year-old and was pregnant with her second child, and the Indivisible events were often scheduled at times that made it difficult for families to attend.

“I felt a little left out,” she said. “I wanted to participate in the rallies but wasn’t sure I could manage it with my kids, and honestly, I was a little afraid.”

She figured she wasn’t the only parent feeling this way, so she reached out to Kevin Naglich, the founder of the Northwest Side chapter. He suggested, “Let’s just have an event in the park on Saturday.” This was in April 2025.

Alison Anselmo was one of the 10 or 12 people who came to that first small gathering of parents in Jefferson Park, along with Kate. “Kate and I have a very similar origin story,” Alison said. “I also went to the Gracie O’Malley’s event and reached out to Kevin to say I was interested in getting involved. At that meeting in the park, Kate and I were both looking to volunteer, and I think we kind of locked eyes.”

And just like that, Kate and Alison formed the ICNW Parent Group. “There was a lot of momentum across the whole city,” Alison said. “That was the perfect moment to create something for families.”

The Parent Group’s core model and crowning achievement came soon after, in the weeks before the first No Kings: Chalk the Walk. “Alison was really the brains behind Chalk the Walk,” Kate explained. “A family event to coincide with the No Kings march. Sidewalk chalk, bubbles, face paint, sign-making — and holding it right by a Blue Line station so people who want to go downtown for the big event could head out from there. I don’t know exactly how many people came to that first one, but it was hundreds—an incredible turnout.”

 “It was funny,” Alison continued. “We were trying to set a goal. I said, ‘Kate, let’s aim for 100,’ and she was hesitant. Two weeks before the event, we had about 20 or 30. And then the RSVPs just started flying. We were frantically texting each other ‘Oh my gosh, we’re at 100.’ Then 200. Then 300. It took on a life of its own. We had to figure out permitting, get a larger permit, order extra supplies, staff the event, coordinate marshals. It all came together in about two weeks.”

The overwhelming feedback was one of gratitude. Parents thanked them for their work and for giving them an opportunity to teach their kids about activism. “This was the perfect way for us to get involved,” Kate added. “It was a great way to introduce people to the chapter.”

Building a Family-friendly Movement

Chalk the Walk events are usually about an hour and a half long and take place around once a month when the weather is nice. The first hour is for chalking, sign-making, sometimes puppet-making, face painting, and more. Children can play at the playground while parents connect with one another. At a set time, the organizers gather everyone for a parade along a planned route. When the gathering coincides with a larger No Kings event, as it has three times already, they wrap up by sending off those participating in the bigger gathering.

There are also smaller events that are more intimate, usually 20 to 30 people—a nice touchpoint for the community and just as fun.

For Kevin and the ICNW leadership, of which Kate and Alison are a part, the goal is for this to be an onramp to other forms of activism and to make activism accessible.

“And something really cool,” Kate said. “Other groups completely unconnected to us have adopted the Chalk the Walk name. We’ve seen other Indivisible chapters, Moms for Democracy groups, and others essentially replicate the structure. It’s spread to other states too.”

“People are using Chalk the Walk and running with it,” Alison said. “Kate and I would love to see a Chalk the Walk in every park across the country. It gives people an easy-to-follow blueprint, something they can say, ‘I can replicate this.’”

Making it Happen

People often ask Kate and Alison if their contributions to the cause take a lot of their time. They say no, it actually doesn’t.

“We have a template. We’ve got it down to a science,” Alison said. “This is something I want to amplify: how easy it actually is to do something, small or big. A lot of people worry about their commitment level. But if you can do it once and learn from it, you can do it again and again. Even that first time, when we were learning, it wasn’t a huge time commitment. Kevin and the rest of the leadership team are hugely supportive, so we’re not on our own. We didn’t have any special sauce—we just decided we would, and we did.”

On a personal level, the experience has been amazing for them both. “I now have Kate as a great friend,” Alison said, “and I’ve gotten to meet so many other parents. It was a catalyst for me to get more involved in everything. I have a first grader, and I helped launch a school safety patrol at his school during the height of the Midway Blitz. Now we’re turning it into a progressive parent group and pushing for issues related to inclusivity, equality and support for all students at the school. Kate and I have organized other family events together, whistle-packing events. This is the most connected I’ve ever felt to my community. It’s lit a fire in me. I always knew I wanted to do something but didn’t know how. It’s been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, hands down.”

Many of the touchpoints that connected people in the past— going to church, commuting downtown together — aren’t as present anymore. More people are working from home and are more connected online than in person. “This group has created so many opportunities to meet people who live here and care about the same things,” Kate said. “It’s really expanded my in-person network and built my connection to the city.” The events have also been a great way for others to make connections. “Even if you don’t make a new best friend, you at least have a group where before you were feeling alone, and now you have people to talk to.”

“At our last event,” Alison added, “a few parents left their kids with a spouse or partner and formed their own little collective to go to the rally together. People are definitely starting to build those connections, which is exactly what we were hoping for.

 For more information about the ICNW Parents Group, reach out to kevin@indivisiblechicagonw.org. You can explore the range of ICNW's upcoming events at https://indivisiblechicagonw.org/#events.