In the past two years, our timelines have been flooded with pictures from protests and decorated with hashtags advocating for everything from women's reproductive rights to family separation. While protests are most definitely not a new phenomenon (in fact, minority kids have been taking to the streets for ages), they have recently become the most mainstream way for previously politically inactive people to take a stand. While protesting is an effective channel of spreading a message, people often let their activism end when they pack up their posters and flee the streets; to take that activism a step further, here are some ways to get involved even after the chants have died down.
1. Volunteer With An Organization You Believe In
There are a plethora of organizations that span a variety of issues, so there's bound to be one that is akin to your interests. Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, for instance, allow their volunteers to choose particular causes to aid from the ones that they advocate for, such as first amendment rights to women's reproductive care to LGBTQ+ rights. Other organizations, such as Planned Parenthood and the League of Women Voters, are more focused on specific issues. For any issue that you are passionate about, it is almost guaranteed that there is a corresponding organization -- and they're always looking for volunteers.
2. Join A Political Campaign
Lucky for you, it's campaign season. For the upcoming midterm elections and primaries, make sure to read up on who your local representatives and their competing candidates are. Find candidates that appeal to your beliefs and have policy plans that are in line with your interests instead of just blindly supporting candidates based on party ties. After finding a candidate you want to put in office, reach out to their campaign team using their website to get involved.
3. Volunteer At Your Local Polling Station
Voting is arguably the most crucial component to maintaining democracy. If you don't necessarily want to get involved with a particular party and simply want to encourage activism in any form, volunteering at your local polling station is a great step to becoming more involved -- especially with primaries and midterm elections dawning upon us. Along with this, another non-partisan way to become more politically active is to volunteer to register voters.
Even with all of these ways to take your activism to the next level, protesting is still an effective way of upholding democracy and making way for change. Similarly, protests allow you to connect with community leaders and organizations that can further your political activism. So, the next time you're taking to the streets, remember to ask yourself: what next?
The minimum wage is not a living wage.
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