Feb. 15 is unofficially known as Susan B. Anthony Day. It was proposed to the U.S. Congress as a federal holiday to celebrate the work of famous suffragette and voting rights activist, Susan B. Anthony, but was shot down in 2011. Activism is a crucial aspect of society and it is something we should all be grateful for. However, the work of activists are largely looked down upon by governments and large corporations, making the legwork very unappealing to most people.
Throughout history, activists have pushed for real change in the world and real change is exactly what we need at this point in time. Our planet is dying and society is arguably in shambles. Change is something we desperately need. Change, however, is hard work and most people are not willing to go the lengths that are needed to establish the necessary changes.
With that being said, activism has changed greatly over the decades. Activism today is not just letter-writing campaigns and sit-ins. There are many ways to spread awareness about the causes that are near and dear to our hearts. With the age of the Internet (typing out that phrase made me feel old, wow), social media and other communication platforms are great ways to raise awareness about issues and to educate people about problems in society. In many cases, change takes money in being able to lobby for legislation to fix problems, and obviously, most people are not going to be able to lobby on their own. For this, the Internet is a great way to crowdsource funds to bring about change.
Activism is very important to our society and if all of us could do just a little bit to help, we’d make a real change in the world. Education and teaching others about issues in the world is a great way to spread information. The more that information about an issue is spread, the more people get involved in helping with it. The more support that the movement gets, then the more likely that the change that is being advocated for will happen. Community service is also a great way for individuals to get involved with activism. Whether it is picking up trash on a beach or at a park or volunteering at a shelter to feed the homeless, volunteering is a great way to get started on the road to change. Every little bit that each of us do to help a cause we care about brings us closer to a better world.
Photo: H. Be
