Change Begins With ME Overpass Alliance Marks One Year of Weekly Bridge Activism For 52 weeks,
Change Begins With ME volunteers have returned to the bridge with changing messages and one enduring call: Pay attention. Stay engaged. Vote.
On Monday, August 10, 2026, Change Begins With ME (CBWM) will celebrate the one-year anniversary of its Overpass Alliance, marking 52 weeks of sustained grassroots activism above San Diego freeways.
Since August 11, 2025, volunteers have gathered every week at the I-5 overpass at Clairemont Drive, holding large-scale banners and handmade signs addressing some of the most consequential issues facing our country and communities. Each week, those messages are seen by thousands of passing drivers—and thousands of potential voters—giving CBWM’s Overpass Alliance a unique opportunity to reach people where they are.
The messages change from week to week, responding to current events and issues ranging from democracy and immigration to civil rights, government accountability and the rule of law. One of our messages was picked up by Congressman Mike Levin on Instagram, taking it viral with Meidas Touch and Occupy Democrats!
Our overarching message has remained consistent: pay attention, stay engaged, and vote. With the November election approaching, the Overpass Alliance is especially focused on encouraging people to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
What began on one bridge has also grown. In March 2026, CBWM volunteers launched a second weekly Overpass Alliance action at I-15 and Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
CBWM’s Overpass Alliance is also part of the larger San Diego Visibility Brigade, a countywide network of local activists bringing messages of civic engagement and resistance to freeway overpasses throughout San Diego County. On any given day of the week, drivers may encounter volunteers on bridges across the region—expanding the reach of this highly visible form of grassroots activism.
The effort is powered entirely by volunteers. Some have stood on the bridge nearly every week for the past year; others join whenever they can. Some discovered the Overpass Alliance online, while others first encountered our group as they drove beneath the bridge and later decided to join.
Behind every weekly banner, CBWM’s Letter Librarians maintain, paint, and organize the extensive collection of letters, numbers, and symbols used to create the large-scale messages, then assemble new banners each week. Their work also supports other CBWM actions and allied organizations throughout San Diego.
The Overpass Alliance has been documented nearly every week by our group photographer, whose photos capture the volunteers, banners, and energy on the bridge. Watch our first anniversary video: https://youtu.be/k6-reZBPAqk
ABOUT CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME
Change Begins With ME is a grassroots, volunteer-driven network, uniting people across San Diego County to advance justice, equity, and democracy. We believe change is most powerful when it’s rooted in community, and we organize people to take meaningful action in solidarity with frontline organizations to amplify collective impact. Our priorities span racial, environmental, and social justice; reproductive freedom and gender equity; immigrant rights; climate justice; gun violence prevention; LGBTQ+ rights; education; economic justice, and more. We champion civic engagement and drive political change – starting at the local level.
Through our e-newsletter, social media, community meetings, and local and virtual events, we offer a supportive space for people to stay informed, connected, and empowered to act – because change begins with US. We are proud to be part of the Indivisible network.
Changebeginswithmesd@gmail.com
