Preparing to Advocate in Any Climate

Just a quick note from my couch on Thanksgiving Weekend. I shouldn’t be writing, but I had a thought this morning that hasn't left me all day. It's about activists who train in and practice relational advocacy: We were made for times like this.

Image: Pans of rolls
baked this morning

My youngest daughter is a freshman in college now, and she insisted on continuing our traditions of making bread and watching the live broadcast Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The setting in Manhattan today was a rainy morning that dumped a LOT of water on the main stage. When dancers stomped, you could see splashing. Even on TV, you could see confetti floating by in the gutters. It was a treacherous route for sure. We gasped as two Riverdancers wiped out at separate times and fell to the ground. Both dancers popped back up again, but it certainly wasn’t ideal conditions for dancers or marching bands. What would have happened if a tuba or bass drum player slipped?

Image: The Rockettes on my TV screen
in a precise triangle formation

In any Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, it’s just a matter of time before the Radio City Rockettes arrive. The rain continued to accumulate as they appeared in their shimmery red outfits and dance heels. I said aloud, “It’s okay, they got this. The Rockettes are made for this.” They are professionals. New York is their home turf. Since 1957, they’ve been staple of this parade. They prepare to dance in the freezing temperatures for the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting. Sure enough, they high-kicked their way through the routine with precision and perfect smiles.

Image: The Rockettes on my TV screen
performing a kick line

I see a metaphor for activism here. I predict the political climate next year will be turbulent and unpredictable. Even those who voted for Trump can admit that the second Trump administration will contain surprises and disrupt order. In his first term, it was incredibly difficult to get through general business to maintain the country, much less make progress on issues like climate justice, gun violence, and poverty. I know it’s easy to look at stormy weather ahead and want to give up.

Image: Cindy with a team of St. Louis
RESULTS advocates after a senate meeting

But I take heart that my RESULTS advocacy partners and I practice the art of non-partisan, relational advocacy year-round. Like the Rockettes, we've been doing this for decades. We prepare so that we’re ready after any election season to work in a Congress controlled by Republicans or Democrats. We build personal relationships with our members of Congress and their aides because we never know who will lose an election or ascend to lead a committee critical to our issues.

Our progress is sometimes slowed, like when the tax package with a Child Tax Credit expansion failed in the Senate this year. Yet progress continues (the CTC was brought up positively by both parties during the election) and it's never stopped no matter who became president in any given year. We’ve suffered policy losses, but inspired each other to get up and continue just like the fallen Riverdancers.

There's no doubt that the next years will be an exhausting, marathon-like challenges. But I am thankful for my RESULTS advocacy community that works together to prepare for however the political winds may blow. To all the activists who ceaselessly work to build relationships with members and staff, take heart. We were made for times like this. Our time is now.

If you'd like to support RESULTS, consider donating to my St. Louis team's holiday online fundraiser. I have a goal of raising $1000 before the end of the year because we have a matching grant until December 31 to double your donation! Visit my fundraising page at www.tinyurl.com/DonateWithCindy and read more about how you can help!

Image: Book cover

Buy an autographed copy of "From Changing Diapers to Changing the World: Why Moms Make Great Advocates and How to Get Started" at my website www.changyit.com or order it from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any independent bookstore!