Five little everyday things you can do to fight back against this administration!
1. Donate to Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood provides so many services to women all across the country, so it is crucial that we support the organization. Even donating $5 is still making a huge difference. Think about it! If everyone donates $5, Planned Parenthood can raise tons of money. Just look at how much the ACLU has raised since the refugee ban! It sounds cliché, but every dollar counts. Seriously. Also, make sure you’re a Planned Parenthood member! I realized I wasn’t actually an official member while I was writing this story and just joined now. So learn from my mistakes, and join the cause. There’s power in numbers, people.
2. Call Congress
Guys. Congress is in the process of confirming a bunch of unqualified members for Trump’s cabinet, and they aren’t going to do anything about it unless their constituents advocate against the confirmations. So call your Congressmen and Congresswomen!! If you happen to live in a blue state, like me, call senators from other states! It only takes a minute or two but makes a huge difference. Seriously. People are powerful as hell when we all rally behind a cause.
3. Go to 5calls.org
This is an amazing resource to use if you want to call somebody or talk to someone about a certain issue, but you don’t know where to do. The website is super easy to use and allows you to learn more about the issues that are most pressing to you from a list of hot-button items, and then click on the issue(s) that are most important to you. The website then allows you to connect with your representatives by sharing your location. There’s also a place at the bottom where you can share the link through social media, so make sure to spread the word!
4. Get involved in local elections
The census is rapidly approaching. Chances are, your state going to have a change in your Congressional representation based on population changes, and the state legislators and governor are the ones who get to redraw Congressional districts. I cannot stress enough how important it is that we have leaders in charge in all states’ legislations. Gerrymandering is a problem in every single state, especially the red ones, and it negatively impacts minority voters. Let’s win back state legislations so we can win back the House, and ensure that everybody is being represented fairly!
5. Join Swing Left
Swing Left is an organization that works to “swing” districts, which are typically fairly split in voter ideology, for the Liberal candidate. You just Google the words Swing Left, click on the first link that pops up, and put in your residential information. The website will then let you know what your closest swing district is, for instance, mine is Virginia’s 10th district. You can then opt to sign up with your district, to receive more information on volunteer opportunities, and other ways to get involved. Again, make sure to share the information on social media!!
