In conversation with colleagues, it has been repeatedly addressed that the field of education research, whether philosophical, historical, or political, can be wildly depressing. One source of frustration is the subject content. Discussing historical and contemporary injustices in education, such as forced assimilation through residential schools, inequitable educational outcomes, institutional reproduction of hegemony, disproportionate discipline practices, and a seemingly insufficient progressive response to these injustices, seems to take a toll on the collective psyche of my peers. In this paper, the authors begins by positing a conception of academic fatalism. Then, addresses the work of scholars on critical hope and critical pedagogies. The authors concludes by bringing the literature together within the metaphor of a forge. This metaphor addresses the material and communal aspects of academic fatalism and pedagogies of hope with a call to action for the academy.