How to Get Out of Your Bubble and Start Making Change in Your Community

I spent theDay Without a Womanat a mini-conference for aspiring activists.

It neatly solved the problem of what to actuallydowhen youre refusing to work or spend money.

(Other options: tweet to raise awareness?

Sneak into a showing of Hidden Figures?)

Heres what I learned.

I gave him a pass.

The crowd that showed up for todays event, dubbedIntersectional Womens Day, was capped at 64.

There were a few empty seats.

They also called out specific national, state, and local policies that affect their cause.

If you dont live in Pittsburgh, the names of your local groups will be different.

The relevant state legislation and the school board petitions will be different.

But just as racism, sexism, and injustice exist everywhere, so do efforts to fight it.

Ill tell you what I learned, and how you’re free to join in.

Here Are Some of the Issues… (94 percentof women who are raped, for example.)

We heard from a spokesperson forPittsburgh Action Against Rapewho explained their huge slate of services.

They have served people from age two (audible gasp in the room) up to elderly folks.

PAAR trains volunteers to help victims on their hotline, in emergency rooms, and in court.

And education programs always need teachers.

What you might Do: This is a major area where your school board matters.

Pittsburghs school board is elected; not all school boards are.

To start making change, though, youll want to connect with your local schools and their parents groups.

This burdenfalls hardest on African-Americans, hence #blacklivesmatter.

They provide legal support for people in those situations.

Get in touch with the one in your area to find out what kinds of volunteer help they need.

But the organization needs other kinds of volunteer help too, including things like phone banking.

Nationally, start withHuman Rights Campaignorone of these organizations.

Every group needs money to exist and to do their work.

If you want to help a cause and you have some extra cash, donate.

If you dont have the extra cash, join or lead fundraising efforts.

Every group needs volunteers.

If you have special skills, offer those: lawyers can offer legal help, for example.

Politics affects these causes, too.

For example, Pennsylvania recently considered a bill to hide the names of police officers under investigation.

Before you dive in, remember one thing: educate yourself.

Dont jump into a group without understanding their fight and where theyre coming from.

That means do your homework rather than expecting your new friends to explain everything to you.

And if you stay focused, youll be able to help change your community for the better.