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I’ve been writing/publishing two series on how people can effectively oppose Trump’s actions, one at Education Week specifically offering recommendations for educators (which is ongoing) and another on his blog sharing ideas for everyone else and informed by my prior nineteen year career as a community organizer.
The first post here was How To Respond To Trump’s War On Decency, Social Justice & Equity – Part One In A Series, followed by Six Elements Of A National Strategy For Responding To Trump.
Today’s post will focus on offering ideas for actions that everyone and anyone can take on a local level.
Here are five ideas, not listed in any order of importance:
- Educate yourself on effective strategies to make change. You could start with The Best Posts & Articles On Building Influence & Creating Change, which is a list I’ve been curating for the past thirteen years.
- Think about how you can influence mediating institutions that you are part of now to take actions opposing Trump, and/or join mediating institutions that are new to you so you can begin to influence them to do the same. Mediating institutions are organizations – political parties, community groups, labor unions, even schools, etc. – who have historically supported people who have had little power against those who have had more (government, corporations, etc.). These organizations already have “relationship” glue and “collateral” developed, so you’re not starting from zero when trying to move people toward action. That’s why during my nineteen year organizing career with the Industrial Areas Foundation, we emphasized building an “organization of organizations” in different communities around the country. Many organizers and researchers have found that it “only” takes organizing between 2 percent and 3.5 percent of a population to make dramatic and lasting change, and going the mediating institution route is generally the fastest and most effective route to that number. See if there is an “organization of organizations” in your area, such as ones affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation, PICO, or Faith In Action.
- When talking with people you want to influence, lead with listening and not convincing. There are many good, and short, guides on how to have these kinds of conversations, and you can find many more on The Best Posts & Articles On Building Influence & Creating Change list. Do not assume you already know how to do this – there is an art to eliciting people’s stories, sharing your own, and then helping people develop different interpretations of them from what they held prior to your conversation.
- Share with friends and acquaintances – both face-to-face and on social media – specifically how Trump’s actions are affecting you and your community. Don’t do it just with numbers and data – tell stories. Never, ever under-estimate the power of story-telling.
- Even though working through mediating institutions can be the most effective organizing strategy, ad hoc actions organized by individuals can have a positive impact, too. Attending town halls organized by Congresspeople, demonstrations and vigils can build momentum to fight against Trump. If you participate in them, do what you can to turn those groups into min-mediating institutions by making sure names and contact information are collected, group members gather to evaluate what they’ve done, and think strategically when planning for the future.
- Contact your elected representatives and tell them what you think about what’s happening (and if you think they should be doing some of the things I described in my previous post). Calls to their offices tend to be most effective, and you can read more about the best ways to communicate with them here.
As always, any kind of feedback is welcome. AI bots have found this blog, so comments are turned-off. But you can find me on all the major social media networks, as well as sending an email to me here.
I’ve been writing/publishing two series on how people can effectively oppose Trump’s actions, one at Education Week specifically offering recommendations for educators (which is ongoing) and another on his blog sharing ideas for everyone else and informed by my prior nineteen year career as a community organizer. The first post here was How To social studies Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…
