No Kings: What Comes After the Protests

Saturday marked the second round of No Kings protests and rallies against the Trump administration's actions and it got me thinking of what's happened in the six months since the last organized action. A lot of the visuals and coverage were similar to the last round (witty signs, lots of inflatable costumes, and helicopter shots over massive marches) but much of the social media conversation I saw yesterday focused on what happens next. What do we do tomorrow to keep up the resistance we kicked off at the protest? It got me thinking and I wanted to share a few ideas that I want to implement both during this administration and beyond.

But first, I want to share this quote that kickstarted me writing this post. It's from Senator Robert Winthrop at the 1885 dedication of the Washington Monument (more on that in a future Notepad newsletter) and it speaks to the resolve of both the physical monument and the country as a whole. It struck me as a beacon of hope and I hope that it can be a glimmer in these trying times.

I think these protests acknowledge that there is a good conscience among at least a subset of the nation that is worth fighting for. It's fully democratic and patriotic to engage in that fight. A one-day protest might not solve all of the problems with this nation, but it can be a start to realizing that we're not alone in this fight. As we've seen time and time again, collective action can have a huge impact. You don't have to do everything on this list, but I believe that everyone has a role that they can play.

So you like the rush of directly fighting the status quo? Short of making your voice heard at the ballot box (which you should absolutely do especially on the local level), you can make your voice heard at local community meetings on a topic of interest. For example, I recently went to a town hall on transit in metro Atlanta and got to directly advocate with a changemakerfor better transit connectivity in my area and for the region at large. This can be extrapolated to school board or city council meetings as that's where legislation with the most direct impact on you and your community is formed.

• Mutual Aid: Volunteer your time and/or money towards helping your fellow man. It can be as simple as making a donation to a local food bank or reading at your local library.
• Zac Jones-Gómez wrote a great piece on advocating through written comment for issues that matter to you. I'll lead with a quote from him to entice you: "If we, as everyday people, take a little bit of time to become involved in our surroundings, we'll be more in tune to the rhythm of the society we live in."

You don't need to be an expert on every issue but there's something to be said for reading/watching someone else's experiences and realizing that maybe you don't have it as bad as you thought you did. It starts with the news you consume and trying to get a different perspective whenever possible to the stories that go untold or the voice that doesn't get heard from

• I just officially became a moderator for #TheDiverseBaseline, a reading challenge that encourages readers to look outside themselves and read from diverse perspectives. I've been participating throughout the year and have gotten to know organizers Brittany, Margherita, and now Mylynn and see how they've intentionally cultivated a brave space for exploration.

Enjoy the View

You may think it's weird for me to end a post on advocacy and change making with enjoying the current conditions, but I think it's important to recognize that not all is doom and gloom. My friends and family have been an anchor for keeping me sane in these insane times. They're a necessary check for the death spirals your brain can go on when you're clinically depressed. Having someone to say that "you're not crazy for feeling xyz" is so crucial.

Hobbies are also very beneficial for taking your mind off of the daily news cycle (which I believe everyone should do as it's designed to keep you riled up... that's a tangent that could be its own post honestly). Photography has been that thing for me as an anchor to see the everyday beauty in the world. It calms me and also reminds me that there is still good in the world.

Some things I've been loving:

• Chris Orange blends photography and documentary filmmaking to take viewers inside Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai that's home to nearly a million people. It's a piece that will make you count your blessings amidst this relative hellscape.
• Molly Sandén's new album Blåögd is a downer but sometimes you just need a good cry... even if it's entirely in Swedish. As Nicole Kidman says in the AMC ads, "heartbreak feels good in a place like this."
• MARO is truly a wunderchild that I'm blessed to be living in the same time as her musical career. She just released the first single for So Much Has Changed, her next album out in January dedicated to her mom. I Owe It to You has this tenderness that instantly makes you feel warm and comforted. It makes you want to cry but also have immense gratitude in the same breath.