Friends Carrie and Marjona became involved in activism as students. Today, they work together to show people how a little action can make a big difference.
Carrie and Marjona's Story
Marjona: I got started in activism when I was in high school.
As a junior in high school, I participated in a walkout against budget cuts. We didn't want to lose our sports and music programs, or our great teachers, so we decided to do a walkout to the administration building. We were able to keep our teachers from getting fired. That was the beginning, and once I got to college, I was active on multiple issues.
Carrie: My experience as an activist started in college as volunteerism.
I was involved in environmental clubs and community service - I had a do-gooder mentality. Being involved eventually made me realize that community service only deals with the symptoms of a problem, not the root causes. If I wanted to have a real impact, I would have to be more active and attack a problem at the root.
1. Ask questions.
Carrie: As an activist, you have to ask yourself, what causes this problem? You always need to be asking questions.
Marjona: There's always something behind the problem that causes it.
2. Be passionate.
Marjona' I credit my grandmother and discussions around the dinner table with helping me appreciate passion. Her ideas and her passion were as clear as day. I definitely think passion is a key part of activism. You've got to be passionate about what you're trying to change in the world and embodying the change you want to see. And you can't be passionate about an issue until you understand it - which takes me back to how important it is to ask questions.
3. Do research.
Marjona: Nowadays, it's easy to learn more about issues, and to get different perspectives. The Internet is an amazing resource with which you can find out how to become active. If there's an issue that makes you mad and you want to find out more information, it's definitely out there somewhere on the Internet.
4. Join an existing organization.
Carrie: For people who are just starting out in activism, a good approach is to join a pre-existing organization. Whether it's through a web site or a good friend, it's important to stay connected to other people who share values similar to yours. It's then that you can begin to create the type of change that you're seeking to create.
Whether it's in your tiny community or in the broader world, you can find other people who are trying to do the same thing, and that's a really good way to start out.
5. VOTE!
Marjona: It's so easy to become active just through voting. The rate at which we vote in this country is pitiful!
We forget that many people have died and suffered fighting for our right and our choice to vote. It's a great privilege that people just shrug off, like they don't have the short amount of time it takes to read about the issues and cast a vote. Things like the candidate's voting record, the issues that they care about, and policies are they trying to move - that stuff can really affect you. It's a cliché, but it's true: every vote counts.
Carrie: In this day, there's no excuse for apathy.
As I look back over the course of American history, I see an evolution of how human beings have lived their lives and have generally interacted with one another. The abolitionist movement, the women's suffrage movement and the Civil Rights movement - all strong activist movements - show the progression of people learning how to treat each other right.
So my question is, looking back at where activism has brought us, why aren't more people trying to participate in creating a better world and a better space?