This post was originally published in October of 2020. Now, more than five years later, 45 has started his second term, his buddy Musk is helping him stage a coup, CDC data is being purged, and many many other horrifying things as a result of his executive orders that amount to the country falling apart at the seams. Escalating fascism is quickly getting out of control. This post offers resources on what you can do next.
Tag: institutional power
Creating Social Change One Person at a Time
Do you remember a time when you were a child and an adult in your life changed something in you for the rest of your life? Maybe they were the only person who believed in your ability to achieve your dreams. Maybe they taught you kindness and compassion towards the people you found difficult to forgive. Maybe they saw you for who you were and reflected you as good and valuable when no one else had before. Even just a small word of encouragement can be important enough to us at that age that we remember it for decades. That person that helped you probably has no idea that they affected you so much, even if that impact lasted a lifetime. What if you could be that person for someone else?
The problem of activists feeling simultaneously overwhelmed by so much to do and helpless at how little they have control over continues to be prominent in circles of people devoted to social justice. Today I’m re-publishing an updated version of an article I originally wrote and published for The BeZine as “Using Social Interactions to Create Change One Person at a Time” in September of 2019 which covers my philosophy around enabling social change. Enjoy!
Stonewalled: That Time I Fought the Law and the Law Lost
One of our favorite re-occurring guest-writers, Denny Upkins, is back with this amusing and empowering tale to remind everyone fighting the impacts of marginalization to share and celebrate our wins.
S.W.A.T.: How a TV Show Gave Us A Template For Police Reform
We know that fiction can be based on fact but how often is fact influenced by fiction? The beloved show Star Trek has long been famous for inspiring the invention of many of the “futuristic” technologies used in the show. The Black Lives Matter movement has repeatedly called on us to dismantle and recreate our law enforcement systems, to replace the current oppressive, violent, and racist version. Now, Dennis Upkins takes a look at how the reboot of the television show S.W.A.T. can offer inspiration for what police, and related agencies, could look like in the future.
What Bolivia Can Teach Us About Confronting Systemic Violence
Guest writer Marie-Ève Monette does an excellent job connecting the recent protests in the US to movements in Bolivia that have fought against colonialism and gender-based violence, as well as looking at the question of when we should use which tools in activism.
A Letter to My Local Government Regarding Covid19
I have written a letter to send to my local government representatives that outlines what I believe should be top priority concerns for our government to address regarding Covid19 on both a state and federal level.
Article on Medium: When the Heck are Women Going to Get a Shot at the Presidency
On Thursday, I received the news that Elizabeth Warren was ending her campaign for president. I had intended to write an article about why Warren had my vote, but I never got to write it and I never got to vote for her. I had a lot of grief and anger around the circumstances of her campaign ending. So I wrote an article on Medium about that instead.
Power Dynamics Part 2: Privilege and Power
In Power Dynamics Part 1, I looked at the traits and patterns that can be used to identify uneven power dynamics in interpersonal relationships. In Part 2, I explore how these patterns manifest themselves between marginalized and privileged groups in society.
When Charity Masks Injustice: Thoughts from an Ex-Missionary
In today’s guest post Newbury Caulfield, who is now an ex-missionary, looks at how her relationship with her faith evolved over time and how that process was influenced by the sometimes oppressive mechanisms within missionary work.
Essay on The Bezine: Using Social Interactions to Create Change
An article of mine was published today on The BeZine, an online magazine that looks at efforts for peace, sustainability and social justice through the lens of art.