Marching further with Progress
This is an informative guide for all minorities that want change in their societal life. Do not use one method and believe success will show its face; Utilizing every method discussed will help influence change; The more people involved in the process, the better.
Education
It is proper that we begin with the purpose of this article; Education. To progress yourself, family, community, and society at large; You must inform others, share wisdom, and educate yourself. A pillar of success within any organization or society is their knowledge base on a topic. An act of war would be to destroy what they know: silencing the leaders, destroying archives, and suppressing the elders and youth. Your elders hold parts of the story that the archives do not have; Your youth hold the potential and future of your society. Understand that your silence is one of the strongest weapons against yourself and others.
Formal education is not necessary for you to be knowledgeable. This Digital Age we live in gives you an ample amount of opportunities to educate yourself and others by typing in your interest, clicking a button, and scrolling. Of course, Be aware of misinformation and disinformation! These can be intentional [or unintentional] misuse or abuse of information. For example, you share a picture of a Police Officer hugging a protestor during a demonstration, this sends a message of ‘change is happening’; however, it was a ‘PR stunt’ before they coldly responded with brute to protestors with Rubber bullets and Tear Gas; Thousands have seen what they assume is a live witness of honest action, but was pushing a certain image. Whether the agenda is ‘far-left’ or ‘far-right’, you must stay vigilant on the information you consume.
Social Media and the rest of the Internet world has become a direct source of various media channels and all types of information for you to educate yourself with. Social Media is the ultimate platform for breaking news from TV and newspapers, radio station updates, and statements from Public figures. That being said it is important we consume the best information.
A key tool you gain with your education is Critical Thinking. Your research feeds your thinking; The observations and conclusions you build will lead you deeper into the roots of whatever issue you investigate. The more aware you are and the more educated you are on a topic, the more effective your protest will be.
Protesting
Protesting is voicing your opinion or objective to a situation; Whether it is a vote against a movement or message disapproving a business action. Direct Action Protests are confrontation and ‘verbal’ forms that include boycotts, strikes, and sometimes disruptive mass demonstrations on city streets and major roads. Passive actions include informative and persuasive displays (e.g. flyers, signs), Petitions, and Speech. On Social media, it is popular to see passive action amplifying direct action events. The most volatile of direct action protests are riots; however, these are seen, heard, and felt very often. Simply put by Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “A Riot is the language of the unheard.” It may not be the solution for all things; Nevertheless, the public will respond with what is felt to be necessary.
Voting
One of the most effective methods of protesting that is in a world of its own is Voting. The most proactive measure to voting individuals into office is participating in both Primary and General Elections. Participation in the ‘Primaries’ nominates members of the affiliate party to run for a position; You must be registered to vote and have chosen an affiliate to participate in this step of the election process. However, If you do not want to be limited to certain parameters of what your party affiliate might have, you can register to vote as an independent. This comes with the possible consequence of not being able to vote in Primary Elections (Closed Primary). You can dive deeper into independent voting with the link below:
After Primaries, all citizens can participate in the General Election; Which is the majority vote instead of the partisan vote. After General Elections conclude, the new leaders will push their agenda; So, you must support your ideal leaders as soon as possible! These newly elected local and state-level leaders are the voice of the community; Your mayor or city manager could lead your city to desperately needed progress such as police reform, education system reform; Also, youth and community involvement.
It is important to voice your opinions and promote the welfare of your community: Being a lobbyist; Or, being a part of an Interest Group, could be the difference-maker in having your voice amplified when the voting or opinions were not enough for the elected official. Though we may look at lobbying as a ‘dirty game’ that mostly ‘big business’ plays to protect themselves; We can use that methodology as well to promote our welfare on the local, state, and federal levels. Speaking of State and Federal level; It is vital that you vote in the correct congressmen and executives to be your leader, they represent your state and country. If you vote in your preferred President but neglect your vote for congressmen of the said state; The leaders within your state can slow down, and even tarnish the agenda of the executive you elected to the lead nation! The same can be said for your state executive; the Governor and your members of the General Assembly or local government.
Yes, it can be difficult choosing a nominee for a position when multiple people fit your lifestyle; Or, the opposite can be said, where none seem to be best: Nominee ‘X’ and ‘Y’ want to promote certain topics however they are funded by an org that is known to support contrasting ideas. Nominee ‘Z’ supports less of what you want; however, they are independent, “middle of the road”, and are mutable with situations and decisions.
To make it clear and concise: You must vote often and consistently, and with full consideration of the future it holds; Nevertheless, without a community that is in-tune with its needs, it will be difficult to elect a leader that suites you all the best.
Community Support
Knowing your community is a very important step towards a better population. Whether the community is centralized within a neighborhood or branched off between multiple areas that come together as a School, Church, or Lodge; Being able to understand each other, have goals, and contrast each other at times is vital.
Another step in community support is supporting small businesses when possible. These small businesses are a part of the community as well; They are elders, parents, growing young adults, and teenagers that live just like you. The dollars you put into their product are their bread and butter. Whether it is a replacement to the chain store’s product or luxury to try once in a while, even sharing their information with someone else makes a difference. It is free to share their business card with someone else you know. It may be a little more expensive to buy their product compared to the chain store, but they are not asking for your commitment; They just want some support.
Latter Thought
The world continues to change; Note, this does not mandate that we must change everything; however, the forethought should be that things will not stay the same forever. This should not be taken as a prophecy from a higher-order or being, but rather an observation of effective methods that may be neglected by some that influence change.
“. . .in our own despite, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.” ~Aeschylus
This story is a supplement to a shorter, informal thread of tweets written on Twitter in response to the murder of George Floyd with the rise in outrage by the Black community and those worldwide. I observed that some would want to go into full battle with no plan of ‘What’s Next?’ and others wanting to continue strictly peace and be soft-spoken. The tweets I wrote are to be used as an emphasis that no one single method will work, it requires organization.