I’m so glad you’re here! I’m grateful you have decided to grace the activist world with your specific brand of badassery. Your bravery is evident, and your passion is palpable. No matter what cause has drawn you; you are exactly where you are meant to be.
Activism is not for the faint of heart. The work is invigorating, challenging, rewarding, crushing, amazing when we win, despairing when we lose. Often times its repetitive, boring, grunt work, physically exhausting, and mentally exhausting. You may be a behind the scenes organizer or policy writer, or front-line bullhorn shouter. But you’re here for all of it!
I’m sure by now you have realized that not everyone appreciates your soul-draining efforts to save us from ourselves. Disappointingly there is no “letter from Hogwarts” moment where you’re invited to learn all the ins and outs of activism with wise sages. You have decided to act, but there will be those around you like Draco Malfoy who don’t want to sacrifice their privilege to do the right thing. There will be those around you who do not have the courage to act. You will see modern-day real-life “blood purity” issues and folks who are like the “pure bloods” will try to shut you down because you threaten their power. Unfortunately, there are “dementors” or folks that will attempt to suck the joy out of your life by insulting your intelligence, motives, abilities, and morals. I am no wise sage or professional like McGonagall, but I want to give you some hope. As Dumbledore says, “We must all choose between what is right and what is easy”, and you have chosen what is right. You’re not alone.
No matter if you are here for the environment, social justice, world peace, safer gun laws, equality, animal rights, public safety, public health, education, or political party support, you’re kicking ass and taking names and pissing people off. It’s imperative that you spend a lot of time making sure you know what it is you’re fighting for. Keep your eye on the prize and the prize = your core values. Find the cause that meets your morals and take actions that match your goals. When you go along with your core values, you won’t get distracted by shiny objects and people or demagoguery. Make sure you are attached to a set of values, not a person. In activism, the people and players change often, but the cause should remain steady. Find your people, but don’t get too over-reliant on individuals. Allies and mentors are extremely important to help you make decisions, take actions, avoid pitfalls, and call you out when you are wrong. But leaders sometimes move on, move up, fall from grace, or retire. Find a group whose leadership is representative of the community it serves. Make sure you stay true to the cause.
Before you start from scratch, make sure you reach out to the groups that have been doing the work. Listen to folks who have been doing the work but add your individual spice and flavor. You may not want to be the voice or face of a movement. You may want to write, or design, or fundraise, or research. There is a role for you no matter what your skillset. If you are working on a cause that is new to you, chances are people have been pounding the pavement and organizing before your arrival. You likely have so much to add so they will likely be happy to have you. If you look around and there is no existing local group, then go for making your own! Check to see if there is a national organization you can be a chapter of. There are lots of rules and regulations that come with organizing. It’s important to have a legal adult on your team to open bank accounts, file paperwork, permits, etc. While young energy is a valuable, huge driver to action, laws are laws, and you need someone 18 or older. Find someone who is willing to enable YOU to do the work, not tell you what to do.
Get comfortable with chaos and pushback! You will get lots of pushback for your age and they’ll tell you you’re not smart enough or know enough about the real world. Don’t listen. You’ll find out soon enough that not everyone who is in power is smarter. Don’t let their fancy titles intimidate you. Funny thing is that you may suffer from the delusion that other folks have it together. You’re wrong. Organizing is infamous for being disorganized. Communication is not always what you want it to be. There is often disagreement between national initiatives versus grassroots initiatives. Leaders in the intersections of causes sometimes have variant visions. Egos get in the way. Don’t be discouraged as you learn the pitfalls of an organization you may have idolized. Organizations are made of people and we make mistakes. But the cool thing is that we learn with each failure or mark that is missed. When we know better, we do better. And If the group you run with does not learn, find a new group.
You are a real-life person outside of your activism. It’s essential that you protect your time and hold firm boundaries. Activism takes a lot of time and energy so it’s important that you have other outlets and interests to fill your emotional bucket. You must still make time for fun. You need to have areas of your life where your activism is not first and foremost. Make it a priority to be around folks who are not activists, so you do not lose your grounding. We tend to sink into echo chambers and get tunnel vision when we are only around our fellow activists. It is easy to lose yourself in the cause, but that will cause burnout and resentment.
Check your feelings. Sometimes we get into activism to escape our feelings. That does not work. Rage will not sustain you. Anger can get you moving but cannot fuel your journey. That fuel has to come from love. Pace yourself. Take good care. Eat well, hydrate, exercise, getaway, travel, hike in nature, listen to amazing music, and sleep because you are going to need it. Public support waxes and wanes, so get prepared for the emotional whiplash of your cause being loved, then abandoned, or attacked. That goes for you personally and your organization. Humans are fickle and we overcommit. Humans hate shame. Humans get bored and complacent. Keep going anyway.
All that is to say I am so glad you are here, and I love your heart and grit. Learn from the Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers, but know you have something of value to offer. I expect you to bring it. All of it. All of you and your passion and energy and savviness is needed and of great value. You have my support and I have your back. See you on the field.
*note: my use of Harry Potter references is in NO WAY an endorsement of JK Rowling or her TERF-y beliefs. I denounce transphobia in no uncertain terms. I believe Harry Potter belongs to all of us, so I don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. I can separate my love for Potter characters and stories and push back against the author while I believe Trans Women are women.
*Alexa Griffith, LMHC, LCAC, NCC, RPT is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist. Alexa enjoys providing individual counseling and family counseling. She also provides play therapy for children, as well as teen and adolescent counseling via telehealth or in office. Alexa's practice serves the Indianapolis area, including Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield. Learn more at AlexaGTherapy.com
