Change in Washington cannot happen overnight.
Change in Washington cannot happen for free.
Change in Washington cannot happen with scrolling and liking.
Change in Washington can happen without you.
Change in your community can happen overnight.
Change in your community can happen for free.
Change in your community can happen by sharing information.
Change in your community cannot happen without you.~ Atticus Tyler Gore, Public Policy Major at William & Mary (and Susan’s nephew)
(Auntie addition: Change in our community is how we change Washington.)
When I emerged from the black depression that was the 2024 election, I had a couple of realizations. The first was like waking from a delusion. The second was a vision of how to move forward.
My whole life, I always thought that if we just get the right people at the top, then the problems could be solved. Elect super smart, deeply empathetic people who want to make lives better, and *shazam* problems, solved.
But it never worked. Not really. No matter who we elected.
This, I realize is a patriarchal capitalistic delusion. I have been acculturated to believe in the white male hierarchy. I have been taught to turn over my power to the anointed few who lead us. Sure, I voted. I followed what was happening but otherwise, I figured it was their job to fix what wasn’t fair or working for everybody. I awoke from this delusion with eye-rolling sheepishness that it took me more than 40 years of adult life to see this. But you don’t know what you don’t know until you know it, I guess, so there you go.
Now I see: the politicians aren’t leading us, we are leading them. We have to show them where we want the country to go.
Which brought me to the second realization: the most positive impact we can make is local, in our own communities. Big national campaigns are sexy and glitzy and exciting. But the real work? The real difference we can make? That happens only right here in front of us in our own neighborhoods. Stay hyper local in order to make a positive difference.
Whatever change you would love to see – no matter how big – start right where you are. Right in front of you.
There are lots of reasons to choose to take local action. Here are three:
1. Act locally to help directly.
Almost $16 billion was spent on the 2024 election. Take that in. $16 billion. Imagine if that money had gone directly to people and organizations that needed it? Imagine if it went toward directly easing suffering, reducing harm, and solving problems.
This is the power of local action: your effort goes directly toward the needs in your community.
In September 2024, we did a fundraiser for the presidential campaign. We raised more than $2500. In the scope of a $1 billion campaign, that wasn’t even a drop in the bucket. Last week, we did a fundraiser for a local community center. We raised more than $1600. In the scope of a new community center, it made a world of difference to them.
2. Act locally to build relationship and community.
How do you understand and respond to the needs in your community? Listen to those in local non-profits and other helping organizations to build connection and trust. Local action means working together and taking the lead from the people doing the work. Offer the skills you have to fill their most pressing needs. This is supportive to them and sustaining for you.
3. Act locally for YOU.
It’s important to understand what’s happening. When what is happening goes against your values and/or the rule of law, we must stand up, speak up, and act to resist it. When wrongs are happening, silence is complicity. Consuming news, protests and rallies, boycotts and strikes are essential parts of the resistance.
AND so is doing positive things to directly help the community. Show up and say NO and resist. And be sure you are also showing up to support by doing positive action.
You may feel righteous and resilient at a protest. That’s great! And tap into your feelings of compassion, generosity, and care by doing directly helpful things, too. Donate money, goods or time to a cause – for them and also for you.
For most of my life, my understanding of social and political change was upside down. Now I see that the only way we shift things is by shifting the culture and the only way we shift the culture is to do it from the bottom up. We can speak up about what’s happening in the larger sphere. We can stand up for our values and against wrong-doing. And that resistance will have more impact and change the world faster, if paired with direct, partnered, local action.
Keep an eye on what’s happening in the larger world.
And put your energy into your local community.
Say no to what you see as wrong.
And also say yes to what you want to build.