Sustainable Community Activism
A series of retro posters from early to mid 1900s on a wall.
It’s a new school year for a lot of us! Whether that means you yourself are taking classes, moving to a new city, or stressing about school supplies for your kiddos, this change of season can act as a starting point for new activism. Maybe your frosh week is not accessible or your department is not funding enough instructors to cover the work. Maybe the dying grass is uncovering piles of garbage, or the changing temperatures are a new danger for your neighbours without homes. Maybe your kids’ school has a racism problem or you want to mobilize in favour of affordable daycare. There’s always work to be done in the world, and our increasing awareness of global injustices can feel like an onslaught. But how to keep up? How do we find our role in the struggle for a better world without burning out? I’ve burnt out a dozen times trying to strike this balance, so I did some research and put together a couple key points I found in a few places that seemed helpful.
Here goes!
Ideas gathered from “How To Be Outraged” by Lindsay Braman
Avoid reactive activism
We are bombarded by issues every day, and it can feel so pressing to address each one. Especially when a lot of these issues are interconnected. But that interconnectedness can be used against the forces of injustice all around us as well! Activism can be a sustainable part of our everyday lives and that can make the onslaught of injustices feel less depressing. If you find yourself driven to “react”, follow the helpful flowchart linked above to help direct your energies. Taking a moment to reflect on where you are, what skills you have, and what is already being done can help save energy and avoid us spinning our wheels.
Speaking of wheels,
Don’t reinvent the wheel!
If you’re interested in organizing around an issue, look around your community first. There may be plenty of pre-existing groups and collectives doing work on this. Tagging along to a meet up or discussion group could provide you with camaraderie and structure, as well as historical knowledge on what has been tried before. There might be times where having multiple groups and approaches makes sense, but it is always a good idea to know what’s already out there and what everyone is working on.
Ideas gathered from “Sustainable Activism: Managing Hope and Despair in Social Movements” by Paul Hoggett and Rosemary Randall
Check in about black and white or all or nothing thinking
Sometimes defining some situations as life or death can motivate us. Sometimes things truly are that extreme, but if we are in that space, we need support from others first and foremost. If things are not life and death for us personally, we tend to be less exhausted if we engage with nuance and flexibility, and understand that there can be a range of actions and responses in working towards justice. This can be hard when things seem to be on a one way ticket to where we really don’t want them to go, but every small thing we do now can have an effect, and the only way we can focus on the work ahead is if we aren’t in fight or flight all the time.
Focus on the practical: Practice a “pessimism of the intellect” but an “optimism of the will”
Allow yourself to think critically about the world and its problems, and plan for likely outcomes, but believe in the power of your own will, and hold onto the sense that every little bit counts.
The scale of some issues can really seem overwhelming. Think about the skills and access you have right now in your life, and what kind of work on the issues feels not just possible, but rewarding. You might be a good cook, but cooking for 40 people sounds like your worst nightmare. Maybe you’re much better suited to acting as a driver, painting banners, or supporting parents with childcare. You might not love the crowd of a protest or rally, but love creating posters and walking your dog around town to put them up. Maybe you don’t like writing letters or news releases, but you feel confident chatting to your neighbours about the issues. Find the spot where both your strengths and interests combine to support the movement, and the work won’t seem so exhausting in the day to day. Remember that the little tasks you take on add to a swell and keep things moving towards change!
Acknowledge your vulnerability
Some forms of activism can put a lot of physical and emotional strain on people - whether that’s burnout, physical danger, long hours, or just hitting the wall of other peoples’ indifference, these things take a toll. Instead of muscling through it because it’s important, recognize that caring for yourself and each other is part of the work!
“I can’t be there for other people unless I’m there for myself. I can’t really work to push our movement without really investing in myself. By investing in yourself you’re also investing in your community. “ - Dior Vargas
It’s also important to recognize that if we are advocating for change, for justice, we will necessarily be pushing against existing structures. This can put us in varying forms of danger just by nature of the status quo. The act of organizing of any kind is a way people build power.
“Sometimes people try to destroy you, precisely because they recognize your power - not because they don't see it, but because they see it and they don't want it to exist.” - Janet Mock
It might feel hard to recognize this, so talk to your fellow activists about how it feels to hold to your values in face of structural opposition. Talk about the ways it might feel alienating or lonely, and reach out for help if you feel unsafe.
Build trustworthy and supportive networks
Sometimes we align on political frameworks, on ideas, but we don’t treat each other the way we should. Find people who live their politics through kindness, accountability, and mutual respect, and practice the skills it takes to build trust. This can include debriefing actions, following through with consistent meetings, and leaving space for unrelated activities. Get to know each other as whole people and community members, not just activists. You’ll come to know more about each other’s strengths and where everyone might need more support. Plus, the act of making friends can make activism seem less lonely and more rewarding.
Ideas gathered from “Pleasure Activism” by adrienne marie brown
Live the life you want to live now!
As much as possible, make choices within your own life that create the world you want to live in. As much as possible, find places and people that feel hopeful and capacious. If you find yourself making too many compromises for how you want to live NOW in order to build a life for some indeterminate future, reassess and look around for role models who might be able to provide alternatives.
Specifically, if you are organizing on behalf of your own marginalized identity, remember that your joy, your existence, and your continued survival are a part of the revolution!
"We struggle and fight for our joy — an unreserved and unapologetic joy that springs from our ability to live as we are. It’s a joy worth fighting for and it’s this joy that links all of our struggles together." — Lady Phyll
Here are some links related to what we’ve discussed above, and some further reading for any social justice nerds out there:
How to be Enraged by Lindsay Braman 2022
Sustainable Activism: Managing Hope and Despair in Social Movements by Paul Hoggett and Rosemary Randall 2016
Sustainable Community Movement Organizations by Francesca Forno and Richard R Weiner 2004
Here are some books that might be helpful to your organizing efforts!
Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by adrienne marie brown
This book is part of the Emergent Strategies series and contributes to a great pool of activist knowledge shared by adrienne marie brown. She also has two podcasts, one called How to Survive the End of the World, and one is a read-along podcast about Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower
Full Spectrum Resistance Volume 1: Building Movements and Fighting to Win
and
Full Spectrum Resistance Volume 2: Tools and Strategies for Change
By Aric McBay
Both illustrate with historical examples movements that have worked. Reading about these can really make things seem possible. If you’re interested in more historical examples of effective resistance, specifically around labour organizing, you can also try…
Subterranean Fire by Sharon Smith
Any other suggestions? What has and has not worked for you? Want to talk about fighting burnout in your activism? Get in touch!
