How to "Do Something"

Lessons from those who know

When Michelle Obama says, “Don’t just sit there, do something,” I, for one, really feel like getting up and going. Judging by the DNC crowd’s reaction Tuesday night, I am not the only one.

While this inspiration is awesome, the directive is a little open-ended, and I am seeing people kind of stirring around a bit, wondering what exactly it is they should be doing. Watching political stars make big speeches can make everyday citizens feel motivated, but unsure where to start. Without a clear role they can feel like their contribution may not be impactful.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Our role as everyday citizens is just as important, and if done right, our efforts pave the way for achieving the campaign goals that others are talking about.

Here are a few foundational principles of community organizing that help provide clarity on what exactly we all should be doing in the movement to elect Kamala Harris and other Democratic leaders. It speaks to why what we do as everyday citizens matters so much:

Lean Into Relationships

A key to organizing and advocating for change is building meaningful relationships between people with different perspectives. Being a part of and physically present within a community is necessary for building trust. Through that, the door is opened for people to see new perspectives and adopt new ideas.

For instance, when activist Suzanne Pharr campaigned in rural America for LGBTQ rights and against big chemical companies, she made progress by living and working there as an out lesbian farmer. She would then enter into conversations and friendships with local people. One by one, people who were initially against her causes changed their stances, not because she debated them or argued her perspective, but because they knew her as an individual that they liked. Someone who showed up with them at church fundraisers, high school basketball games, and estate sales. They were invested in her as a person, wanted to find out more about her, and supported her.

“I believe that the basis of all of our organizing has to be building relationships. This belief runs counter to the notion that we are in a war, and a shoot-out is required as we line up along strictly marked and separated sides…It is through building relationships that we achieve transformation,” Pharr says.

She emphasizes having patience for others to come around, understanding that others have had much different exposure to issues than you have, and thoughtfully entering a community as an outsider.

Though it might not seem political, the interactions we have with neighbors as we walk down the street can shape how people see the world. Is it friendly and caring or isolationist and cutthroat? The same goes for those honest conversations with colleagues over coffee, that help you mutually learn about one another and understand different perspectives. You learn how to speak compassionately and they can see you as more than just the labels that identify you.

The first step of “doing something” is not a small one. It requires showing up and sharing your story. Being vulnerable and honoring every person you encounter by allowing them a safe space to do the same.

Create Community

A big reason for people joining an activist organization or identifying as an advocate for a cause is that they get to be included in a social group. A big reason they don’t join a cause is that they feel they would be excluded and isolated. Creating reliable groups that people take ownership over and feel comfortable identifying with is crucial for long term success. 

As we try to recruit volunteers and win votes in places that we are not from, we would be wise to look at Dr. Shannon Elizabeth Bell’s research with people in rural coal-mining communities. She looked at factors that kept people from becoming environmental activists, and her findings are eye-opening.

“In the absence of a bond with other participants in a social movement, an individual is not likely to become involved in protest activities, even if she or he identifies with the values and aims of the movement,” says Bell.

Her research participants were more likely to become activists if they had more than one other person to join with. It also helped if they had a strong network of social support that would still be there if they took part in the activism. Bell also found that without reliable presence of fellow activists, people who had signed up for a cause later abandoned it. They were too exposed to blowback from others and, without continued reinforcement, they lost the identity they had formed when they adopted new views.  

For the 2024 election, there are a lot of people working to create in-person and online communities that revolve around supporting the Harris Walz ticket. From “White Dudes for Harris” to “Red Wine and Blue”, there are great organizing groups to join or find inspiration from. On Substack, Jessica Craven, Jess Piper, Scott Dworkin, and many others are creating action-oriented communities for people to be a part of.

Being an anchor or an active member of a group where you live helps others feel less alone and more certain about their position. 

Piggyback Efforts

Championing already existing ideas, movements, and political action is one of the most important things you can do if you want to make a difference right away.

There are two big reasons for this:

1. It is likely that someone is already organizing for whatever it is you are thinking about, whether it’s locally, regionally or nationally. Joining these efforts helps to add momentum to something that is already moving. It eliminates the drag you would have if you took off with a new idea on your own. Likewise, you would not be at risk for bumping into or diluting other people’s organizing efforts.

   A grant officer once shared with me how people would pitch community development ideas that were remarkably similar to initiatives others were already doing. They’d say, “why is no one doing this???” And she’d just smile, knowing that they would try their own thing, duplicating efforts without doing research or reaching out to others in the field. She wished they would work together to strengthen and expand progress already being made, or at least not set it back. 

2. Big, top-down efforts are most effective if they connect with strong, supportive grassroots foundations. One great example of how this works is in food activism. National campaigns often focus on consumer boycotts and demands. They are frequently criticized for producing results that mostly benefit the buyer, and not the farmworkers who are looking for fair working conditions. The consumer movements sometimes lack knowledge of the whole system, and their campaigns can be shortsighted.

   Dr. Minkoff-Zern talks about how campaigns that initially had narrow, single-stakeholder goals were able to make a bigger difference when they began to work together:

   “The power of farmworker grassroots organizing, combined with consumer power, has exhibited new ways that food injustice can be challenged by bridging physical and social geographical divisions. Recognizing workers as key actors in achieving social change opens new avenues for addressing inequalities in the food system.”

Cooperation is mutually beneficial and so important for any movement’s credibility and efficacy. It brings in more people who can accomplish more comprehensive goals.

For the 2024 election, don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Join campaigns that already exist where folks are sending postcards, knocking doors and making calls to voters. Whatever you choose to do, know that it all matters!

Going Forward, Remember This: 

When we participate in political campaigning, we are building communities. We meet people online and in person and have meaningful conversations about where we are as a nation. We talk about ideas for the future and how we might achieve them. We talk about fears and ways to collectively look out for one another. We get to know our fellow citizens a little bit better. Collectively, we are growing closer.

We meet like-minded people that help us stay active and motivated. We stretch to reach those from different places and understand their situation. We form ties with people who can support us and add meaning to what we do in our own corners of the world. Individually, we are getting stronger.

As Oprah says, “This election isn’t about us and them. It’s about you and me.”

Let’s get going, doing that work of showing up fully and openly to the wider world, giving the best of ourselves and asking others to do the same. It’s the something that is everything. Simple and small but infinitely challenging and rewarding. 

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Together we can share knowledge, celebrate successes, and build stronger communities.

Cheers,

Stephanie

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Resources:

1. Pharr, S. (2021). Transformation: Toward a people’s democracy. Virginia Tech Publishing.

2. Bell, S.E. (2016). Fighting King Coal. The MIT Press.

3. Minkoff-Zern, L. (2017). Farmworker Led Movements Then and Now: United Farm Workers, The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, and the potential for farm labor justice. In A.H. Alkon & J. Guthman. The New Food Activism: Opposition, cooperation, and collective action. University of California Press.