Showing Up for Social Justice Action
When is the best time to act? It is now, it is yesterday, it is tomorrow.
A lot of us have been awoken into action in the past weeks. As a privileged, able-bodied, white person without much political education it has taken me a while to figure out how to be more of an activist. I’m not perfect. I don’t think I am doing ‘enough’. I get overwhelmed and say the wrong thing sometimes. I’m going to share with you here what I’ve learned in case it supports you on diving deeper into this journey that is so important, but will never end.
First thing to understand is who you are and what you are willing to do. You can judge yourself into action, but if you’re in it for the long haul it is best to choose activities that you will show up to again and again. See where you are ready and willing to stretch out of your comfort zone and see where you are not. Some people may disagree with this, but I believe we want inspired activists who will be energized by how they contribute so that they will keep showing up. In service of this, I’ve broken down the different ways you can help into categories of action. See what fits.
From my vantage point, I have seen that real change gets made when:
- Laws are amended or written to protect and support the people or places you care about.
- Resources, like money and time, get supplied to the people or places you care about.
Keep these two things in mind as you take action. Ultimately you want to see your acts leading towards one of these two outcomes.
A word of caution: when reading a long list like this, it can be easy to glaze over it, feel overwhelmed, and close your computer. Pick one small thing that feels attainable today. It doesn’t have to be the perfect thing. It also doesn’t have to be the most impactful thing, just begin to flex that muscle. See how it feels. Was it painful? Confusing? Did it feel helpful? Did it create a small change?
Ask yourself:
What do I care about?
What am I willing and able to do?
Resource Lists to Use for Any of the Action Items Below
Anti-racism
Women’s Liberation — Coming Soon
LGBTQIA — Coming Soon
Sexual and Reproductive Health — Coming Soon
Climate Action — Coming Soon
SHARE
Follow people who talk about the things that matter to you and share their posts on your social media, or in direct messages to friends.
Good for: People who have a social media following and are willing to engage in meaningful conversations via the internet.
DONATE
Commit to spending some portion of your income towards causes that matter to you. You can pick one organization to sustain or spread your contribution amongst many.
Good for: People who have their basic needs met and are willing to redistribute some of their wealth.
FUNDRAISE
Create or share fundraisers with your network for organizations that are doing work that you want to support. Use your network to help them get more funds.
Good for: People who like to champion causes by being a public voice and are willing to ask people for money and engage in meaningful conversations.
CALL or EMAIL
Program your senator, congress person and state assembly person’s phone numbers into your phone. Call them when you are concerned.
The Indivisibles provide scripts for current issues and can help you know what to say.
Good for: Everyone with a phone and/or computer. Pull up a seat in our democracy.
ORGANIZE
Create materials and events to get the message out. You can do this on your own or as a part of a group.
Good for: People who are looking to build relationships with others in their community over time, have the ability to manage multiple different tasks and commit time regularly.
GET MORE EDUCATED
Learn more about the history and present day status of the issues that you care about.
Good for: Everyone with access to media libraries.
FACILITATE CONVERSATIONS
Get curious about other people’s views. Ask questions to understand how they are coming to the conclusions they are coming to. We want to invite people to justice movements, not shut them up.
Use this resource guide to prepare for the conversation.
Good for: Calm, curious and leveled listeners who are willing to engage in meaningful conversations with people who may have opposing views.
FACILITATE HEALING
Whether through art, medicine or healing modalities, offer your work to those who could use it. Consider providing sliding scale service to increase accessibility.
How to Reduce Biases as a Practitioner
Good for: Trained practitioners, artists, and empathetic souls with access to individuals and groups who can benefit from their services.
PROTEST and DIRECT ACTION
Take a sign into the streets and use your body to say what you are trying to say. Be sure to prepare properly and to know your rights and resources.
Good for: Everyone who is willing and able. Particularly those who experience less biases from the police, such as white people.
If you need any help determining where you are best situated to support the causes you care about, don’t hesitate to reach out.
