HOW TO BE AN ACTIVIST

/ Chasing Brighter Blog / By
Crowd holding a protest sign with 'Fight Today for a Better Tomorrow', outdoors and during the day.
  1. Pick a cause. Identify your personal values and explore organizations that align with these personal beliefs. You can find something that feels personal to you. Think about your own life experiences and personal history.  Is there a memory that resonates with you?
  2. Educate yourself. 
    • Expose yourself to media and literature about the topic you are passionate about. Follow leaders on social media: @taranajaneen: Tarana Burke founded the #MeToo movement
      @emmawatson: Emma Watson is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and works to bring people together for women’s rights and gender equality.
      @ibramxk: Ibram X Kendi is America’s leading racism scholar wrote a 2019 book called How to be an Anti-Racist, which is being included on lists of essential reading.
      @chimamamda_adiche. Chimamamna gave her second influential TED talk called We Should All Be Feminists. Adichie has written six critically acclaimed books, including Americanah which explores the realities of race in the United States.
      @lavernecox.  Laverne Cox is a Black Trans Lives Matter activist on both social media and mainstream media. 
      @jameelajamil.  Jameela Jamil is primarily a feminism activist on social media, however, her platform has expanded to showcase activism in LGBTQ+, BLM, and more. Jamil is an actress and podcast host for I Weigh. I Weigh, founded and hosted by Jameela Jamil, is a podcast (and Instagram account) dedicated to amplifying voices who advocate for body positivity and inclusivity in their field. 
      @amberrosetamblyn. Amber Tamblyn is a social media activist and co-founder of the Time’s Up Movement. Tamblyn’s voice on female empowerment and sexual harassment has led to a storm of voices telling their stories in the entertainment industry.
      @shirien.creates. Shirien is a social media activist who uses her artistic talents in graphic design to amplify social issues. Her work has spread all over social media by people reposting her content worldwide. Her account has dedicated posts to victims of police brutality, such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, while also using her art to speak to movements such as BLM protests, supporting healthcare workers facing COVID-19, self-love affirmations, and more.
    • Read a book. Here are some recommendations: How to Be an Activist: A practical guide to organising, campaigning and making change happen by Vanessa HolburnHood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot  by Mikki KendallDisability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century by Alice WongAlgorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism by Safiya UmojaHow to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. KendiBeyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement – Leah Lakshmi Piepzna by SamarasinhaHope in the Dark: Untold Stories, Wild Possibilities by Rebecca SolnitWhat’s on Your Sign?: How to focus your passion and change the world by Terri L. Lyon 
    • Watch documentaries 

      Whose Streets? (2017)  A portrait of Ferguson, Missouri, uprising. Showcasing the strength of a community that came together to speak the truth after the killing of Michael Brown. 
      Rise (2017)This docuseries investigates the environmental rights struggle of Native American and Indigenous citizens and the inspiring legacy of their 500-plus-year resilience. 

      Inner Climate Change: The Change Starts Within You (2020) How do we navigate the intensity of emotions and reactions stirred up by climate change? 

      Audrey and Daisy (2016) The Netflix documentary centers around two teenage girls from different parts of the country who both pass out while intoxicated at high school parties and are sexually assaulted by boys they had considered to be friends.  
  3. Join a Local Group.  

    Here is a list of a few websites dedicated to helping you find a local group dedicated to various causes:
    • My Civic Workout’s mission is to help those feeling overwhelmed, daunted, and disheartened to engage in meaningful civic activism. 
    ​https://www.mycivicworkout.com/activist-groups
    • Meetup is a platform for finding and building local communities. The have groups for Social and Political Activism. 
    ​https://www.meetup.com/topics/social-and-political-activism/https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/Take action.
    • Educate othersProtestCreate awareness with social media.  You can make a difference utilizing modern technology, like text messaging, blogging, Twitter, and Facebook, to help bring about social change.Raise moneyVolunteer in community ServiceDonate money to causes you care aboutwrite letterssign petitions. 

Being an activist doesn’t necessarily mean you will be marching or protesting. We all have different skill sets. It’s important to lean into your own strengths and you will be able to put them to good use by helping your cause. You can take the time to find the right opportunity for you. Some of these strategies may seem insignificant, but they’re a great starting point and can make a difference for the people affected.

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