If you’re not happy with things you see in your community - like how Black people are being unfairly and disproportionately targeted by police, or how your town’s budget is being distributed - you have the power to change that! First and foremost, change starts with you. Make sure you’re taking action to change your behaviors and beliefs to better reflect how you want to show up in the world. There is no shortcut for this, unfortunately. And it can be uncomfortable work, but I know you can handle it. Plus, if you’re not doing the work yourself, you can’t expect that other people will do it either. And each time we change and grow ourselves, the positive impact ripples out into the world around us, so it really all does start within!
Next - make sure you vote! If you’re not registered, you easily can do that right here, right now. Besides being a presidential election year, there are also local elections going on. And the elected officials in your city are the ones responsible for everything that’s going on in your community. Take the time to decide who has your best interests at heart, and not just their own, and then use your vote to let them know what you want.
Can’t wait til November? Awesome, there are ways for you to hold your current officials responsible for their own policies and the values they claim to uphold right now. Do a web search for your city’s website. I’m almost positive that one exists. See who’s in charge of running what, and if your town has any mission statements they’ve published to let you know what promises they’re making to citizens like you. Are there any specifics listed? There weren’t any on my city’s website, just vague promises to treat people equally. So I wrote letters to my mayor, city council president, ward alderman, and many others asking them what specific actions they’re taking to back up their promises. I even printed out my town’s mission statements to include in my letters, along with handwritten notes of what I felt was missing. And now I’m trying to make it a weekly habit, forcing them to listen to me and to take looks at themselves and how they’re leading my city by example.
You have a right to demand that your representatives represent your voice! Keep in mind - this is not an opportunity for bullying or belittling, because that is what we are fighting against, but there’s nothing wrong with reminding elected officials that they work for you, and their actions affect your entire community. Tell them what you want to see, and keep telling them until they listen!
Not into handwritten letters? I had a feeling that hand-written cards would catch their attention over an email, but I’d encourage you to send an email as well. I’m sure your city’s website has contact info listed for each of your officials, so send your thoughts and concerns digitally! Why not create a form letter and share it with your neighbors? That way your local government sees that lots of people in the community want to see some actions being taken towards guaranteeing the safety and equality of all.
Want to contribute on a more national scale? Check out this link of resources where you can see where to donate to help communities directly, sign some petitions, and help demand and get justice for the innocent Black people who are being systematically targeted and murdered by racist policies all over the country. If this subject is still uncomfortable for you, that’s okay. It’s just proof of where you need to heal and do some work on yourself. There’s no shame in changing, or changing on your views on issues. In fact, it’s quite the opposite - it’s beautiful evidence that you are willing to open your mind to new ideas and how you’re growing. We all start somewhere, so start wherever you are. But please just start.