A week and a half ago, we, the American people, elected Donald J. Trump as the fourth fifth president of the United States of America.
If you’re among the citizens who are feeling alarmed and concerned as the president-elect announces his policy priorities, here are some ways you can to do support causes that will be jeopardized by the administration’s agenda—and to make your voice heard by your elected representatives.
Give reoccurring donations to nonprofits like Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, ProPublica, Black Lives Matter, The United Nations Fund for Population Activities, The American Association of Peoples with Disabilities, and The Center for Health and Gender Equity. Explore other organizations and their missions and check their impact metrics and transparency at CharityNavigator.org.
Strapped for cash? Donate your time or talents to the same nonprofits! Volunteers are vital to grassroots organizations: they need passionate supporters to make phone calls, knock on doors, stuff envelopes, and assist with other very necessary work. These organizations stand to lose federal funding and could be operating at capacity as their services are called upon by citizens who lose access to other services, so public support will be needed more than ever. You can find ways to volunteer on New York Cares, The Gay Center, or Volunteer Match.
The upcoming 2018 Senate elections will be an opportunity for the balance of power in America to shift away from the far right. Here are some races to keep on the radar; You can contact the offices of these elected officials, and your own representatives, to find out what kind of support will be needed in the next election.
Be familiar with your own biases. In 1998, three scientists started Project Implicit, a nonprofit and research collaboration that aims to understand implicit bias. The organization offers a test that covers areas like age, race and gender. To assess your own biases, take the Implicit Association Test.
Finally, be open to having difficult conversations with your friends, family, and colleagues about sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, or racism. Remember that Facebook and other social media platforms are mostly echo chambers. Strong allies who are willing to be uncomfortable and unwilling to be silent are necessary in order to silence the deafening reverberations of hatred.
Practice self-care so you can support those around you who need it, stay informed and critically engaged—and remember that Bushwick Daily is your free press! We want to hear your stories and perspectives as the country makes this major transition. Managing editor Emilie Ruscoe can be reached at emilie at bushwick daily dot com.