Lately, as the news unfolds each day I find myself in a state of despair and simultaneously overwhelmed by fear and anger. The people in our highest levels of state and national government do not represent me or the majority of the people I know. If they do their voices are drowned out by those that don't. There are so many things that I want to stand up and fight for --women's rights, immigrants, Flint water crisis, tearing down walls instead of building walls, minority rights, LGBTQ rights, continuation of the Affordable Care Act (just to name a few)-- that I don't know where to start and I am paralyzed by how huge and beyond me it feels.
Then I look at my amazing daughter. She is so lucky in that she only knows a world where a black man has been President. She is lucky that she has a family, a large extended family, made up of people from all walks of life that love her and she knows it. She is blessed that every day she wakes up and has access to electricity, potable running water, three meals a day and clean clothes. She is lucky because we shield her from as much of the hurt in the world as we can. One day we won't be that shield and when that day comes I want her to stand up and fight for herself. I want her to understand that when we see injustice that we can't sit by the sidelines and silently expect someone else to speak up. I need her to know that there may be a time that we are the people that need someone to fight for us so we need to fight for others.
In four years, no in a month, I don't want to look back and think that I've failed my daughter and the millions of children less fortunate than her. I want to know that I can look my neighbors in the eye and say that I fought for them and their families. I want to know that I've done everything I am capable of to make my country and the world we live in a better place.
When I look at Facebook I see hundreds of friends feeling the same way. Part of what is so distressful for me is that the issues seem so huge and my time and money seem so limited. So today I am starting a 100 days of action challenge. I am issuing the same challenge to my friends and their friends. The actions may be small like a tweet or Facebook post that challenges bigotry. The actions may be bigger like marching in a protest march or volunteering to escort women in to Planned Parenthood. It is 100 days of letting our political leaders know we won't silently watch the bigotry and hatred that has grown in the days since the election continue. There are other websites and organizations doing something similar check out 100 Days Action or Women's March. Since I need this to be something that works for me I will be creating my own plan and since I need to get my Village involved I'm challenging all of you.
So here are a few of the things I will be doing over the next 100 days:
1. Make a monetary donation to the ACLU.
2. Call my representatives at the National level to express my concerns about a myriad of issues.
3. Research what is happening politically at the state level.
4. Research volunteer opportunities that have nothing to do with politics but make a difference in people's lives.
5. Renew our New York Times subscription.
6. Get a subscription to other reliable new sources so I can be well informed.
7. Write the White House.
8. Attend a brown bag lunch with the Harris County Democrats.
9. Show up at work and make art.
10. Question what I am reading and fact check.
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and here so I can update you on my progress. Share your ideas for things to do.
Will you join me?
#ActionChallenge100
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