Use Your Privilege to Make a Difference – Vote, Stay Present, Take Action

Let me start by first saying, if you have the privilege to vote, please vote! If you have time, encourage others to vote or find ways to volunteer. If you don’t have the time, but have resources to spare, donate to organizations that support the voting process. See the end of this post for a few recommendations.

Over the past few weeks, I have heard many friends and colleagues reference feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, concern, or deep fear about the upcoming election. I have felt myself at times push back similar feelings including a sense of impending doom. These feelings are real and valid and can make us want to just shut everything out, escape, or shut down. However, I am trying my hardest to stay in what Austin Channing Brown calls “the shadow of hope” (see my other recent article on School’s Out Washington’s blog about being a POC leader in the shadow of hope here). In Brown’s book, I’m Still Here: Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, the shadow of hope refers to how we must continue to do the work in hope of the outcome we seek, even if we may never actually see the outcome for ourselves.

For me, the shadow of hope also means looking for opportunities where we can effect change; where we can make a difference. If you feel like your vote won’t have an impact on the results of the presidential election or it won’t be counted, I encourage you to remember that voting is more than just the presidency. All of the federal Senate & House races, state races, local initiatives, ballot measures, referendums, and elected positions have consequences and impact. Your choice for each of these matters.

Cultivating Presence

When I start to feel that sense of doom rise to the surface or that feeling that we can’t control anything, I have been trying to remember this excerpt from Laura van Dernoot Lipsky’s Tedx Talk about how in such times of overwhelm, one thing we always have is the ability to bring an “exquisite quality of presence to what you are doing and to how you are being.” With this, she reminds us to call on our ancestors and those who came before us. Leaders such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Wangari Maathai, Desmond Tutu, Maya Angelou, or Nelson Mandela to name a few – even when outside circumstances seemed hopeless, they drew on their power of presence. We can do the same. No matter what happens, we all can commit to cultivating our sense of presence in whatever it is we are doing.

Beyond Voting

I also acknowledge that voting is a privilege not everyone has in this country. There are so many who believe in and care about what happens, but who don’t have the right to vote (e.g. if you do not have citizenship status, are currently incarcerated, do have permanent resident status, etc.). Regardless, those of us with, and without that right, have others ways to advocate for our communities and continue to fight for racial justice aside from voting – whether that’s through protesting, supporting others in their voting process, attending school board meetings, writing letters to policy leaders, and so on. Even seemingly small actions, like perhaps sharing your story or perspective with someone new or continuing your individual work on the journey to becoming antiracist, are still powerful actions you can take now, next week, and in the months to come. This past week, I was able to listen to Dr. Megan Ming Francis share in a keynote address that to be an ally, to be in solidarity, means that every day, we must do the work. Every day, we must “use our power and privilege to end our power and privilege.” Ultimately, “the burden of repair should not fall on the shoulders of those experiencing injustice.”

Our work does not solely begin or end with election day.

Call to Action

I urge you again, if you have the right to, please vote. If you can call someone to encourage them to vote, pick up the phone right now. If you made a commitment to racial justice back in June as protests took place across the country following George Floyd’s murder, revisit those commitments. If you bought a book to increase your knowledge about race and racism, and you haven’t finished it yet, pick up that book and continue reading. If you did finish that book, name one concrete step or action you will take this week to fight for racial justice in your local community regardless of what we will or won’t know yet about the election.

No matter the outcome of this election, there is still so much work we can do individually and in partnership with our communities. Please do not numb out, escape, despair, or give up. We have so much work to do. You have work to do, work that always matters. And it’s okay if you haven’t done anything for awhile. Start again. To be honest, I missed writing a blog post for both September and October even though I had committed to writing at least once a month. I am starting again. I may falter again too, but I won’t let my mistakes or failures keep me from continuing the work. There is too much at stake – too much to be done. This week, recommit yourself or make a new commitment – join me in the shadow of hope.

References & Resources

List of organizations that support voting rights – https://mashable.com/article/organizations-get-out-the-vote-donate/

Austin Channing Brown – http://austinchanning.com/

Laura van Dernoot Lipsky – The Trauma Stewardship Institute – https://traumastewardship.com/ See her Tedx Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOzDGrcvmus

Dr. Megan Ming Francis – Associate Professor in Dept. of Political Science at the University of Washington https://www.polisci.washington.edu/people/megan-ming-francis