One positive that has come out of the Coronavirus global pandemic is that people are trying new things, reading, and looking for ways to get more involved. For me, I’ve used the time to read some of the books that have been on my list for quite some time, but also to look for ways to continue to get involved in civic action with the upcoming elections in 2020. With all that in mind, I wanted to share 5 actions you can take to make social change during quarantine! I’d love to hear your thoughts on how to make social change during quarantine!
How to Make Social Change During Quarantine: 5 Actions You Can Take
- Read: Some of you may remember that I was a history major both in undergraduate and graduate school, so I love recommending history books to read. However, following the #twitterstorians on Twitter is another great place to read threads with primary source documents related current events. I also look to Twitter to find articles written by historians about topics I am interested in. Those are great starting points for understanding the complexity of our society and learning from there. I highly recommend reading Fault Lines: A History of the United States since 1974 by Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer also a good choice for starting your research as well.
- Encourage Voter Registration: Depending on where you live, look up how to register to vote so you can help encourage friends and family to register. If you have Instagram, consider adding the “Register to Vote” button in your Instagram stories frequently to encourage your friends and followers to register as well. If you have friends who are passionate about civic engagement as well, consider having an online party where you create flyers and write letters to friends and family with information on registering to vote.
- Engage with Your Representatives: Now is a great time to call or email your representatives to discuss items that you support or are opposed to with your representatives! Depending on your interest, share information, resources, and why. Let them know what they’re doing well and what they could improve.
- Watch Documentaries: One of my favorite ways to learn is through documentaries. A few of that I highly recommend are: RBG, 13th, Raising Bertie, and Filthy Rich.
- Support Local Groups: Again, depending on your interest, find local groups to support. However you are able to support, whether it’s through donations, canvasing (practice social distancing!), sharing on social media channels, writing letters or calling on their behalf, there are so many ways to support local groups that you engage with.
Photo by Chana at Raleigh What’s Up
Do you have any extra tips on how to make social change? Let me know in a comment below!
