Tiptoeing Into Advocacy

Karen Levine Egee, Ph.D.

I suspect there may be lots of people out there like me -- deeply distressed about encroaching fascism, wanting to help, yet hesitant to dive into activism, not out of lack of conviction but out of lack of confidence that they can help, that they have useful skills, that their help could matter. I wrote this for people who may be considering taking that first step.

A few days ago I impulsively responded to Activate Maine's callout on Facebook for volunteers. I have done only a handful of advocacy actions so far, single acts like writing letters, sending emails. But then I went to the April 5th Hands Off protest in Brunswick, and found myself tearing up, feeling part of such a big group of like-minded people. I've done alot of advocacy in my professional life as a child psychologist, testifying on behalf of children with disabilities, but I wasn't sure I had anything to offer in this realm.

As soon as I typed my name in indicating I wanted to volunteer for Activate Maine, though, I felt an enormous unexpected surge of intensity. I really wanted to help. When there wasn't an instant response my determination grew. I messaged Rachel Flehinger, the founder and the poster. When she responded "Yes, we are still looking", I was overjoyed. Yes! I can help!

Instantly I felt a shift in my perspective. Now I was part of a movement to fight this facist tide that is rising shockingly quickly, spreading nastiness and anti-knowledge, anti-science, anti-kindness, anti-helping those in need, anti-diversity, anti- all that I so deeply value. I felt part of movements around the world and across history, fighting oppression in many forms, along with so many others: lawyers, journalists, politicians, organizers, advocacy leaders, and ordinary people all lending whatever skills they have.

I also instantly viewed the horrible news stories differently, as something together we could fight, as fascism just posing its horrible plans, making its terrible moves. I no longer read it as destiny, as the inevitable doom that I had been seeing it as. I was filled with hope and even a sense of certainty. Yes! We've got this.

I went on to read the messages in Slack, which Rachel invited me to join. One volunteer is a retired IT professional, already doing design for one of the Indivisible groups. Clearly she has incredibly useful skills for Activate Maine. Another, a retired Social Studies teacher is making amazing relevant short videos. Again, I was flooded with self-doubt, the same doubt that had kept me from joining resistance groups before. What did a retired child psychologist have to offer? But Rachel immediately embraced my background, including that I have written books and articles, and am a mental health professional, as relevant, useful. Skills that can be repurposed.

Then I read more messages on Slack, of volunteers working on the Events thread, which is the bulk of what the organization currently does, gathering and posting when what town is doing what protest or other event. People were asking each other how to delete when an event was cancelled, were those dates correct, is this event still on, and so forth. This was clearly a team hard at work, focused, collaborating, all about getting the word out about these important resistance events. While I would love to write, to edit, I would be thrilled to enter towns and dates into calendars, to make adjustments in how a page looks. I would be happy to do any of it, just to be a useful part of this movement.

But still here I am, watching the game from the sidelines, not quite sure how to play, but so eager to join. "Put me in coach"! I hope I have what it takes.

Now here is a message from Rachel popping up in Slack. "Are you comfy in Google Docs?" Yes, I am! We use Google Docs for the chapters of the book I am editing. I do know something that is relevant. I am filled with excitement again, hoping I can contribute. And the way she put it, 'comfy in google docs', struck me as playfully funny, as if Google Docs was a kind of shoe, maybe a cross between Dock Siders and Crocs. Fun to connect over a little humor. I see Rachel greets each volunteer with enthusiasm, confidence that whatever they bring to the table can be repurposed and useful.

And now in Slack Rachel added me to the group called Content. Just what I had hoped for! I am getting closer to participating. The closer I get, the happier I get. I don't know just what I will do, and clearly it won't be huge, each person's tiny or bigger efforts all add up. I am almost part of the resistance!! It's happening!

Just like I had no idea I would tear up going to the Hands Off protest, in Brunswick, I had no idea I would be so overjoyed at just the prospect of volunteering for Activate Maine until I signed up. If you are thinking about volunteering for one of the advocacy groups, but not sure if you could help, not sure if you have would have anything to offer, not sure if you would have an impact, I suggest just putting your name down somewhere to see how you feel. Sometimes our hesitancy, our self-doubt, our fear of failure, prevents us from even being aware of how much we want to do something quite wonderful, until we, as the saying goes, just do it. Maybe, like me, you will instantly feel a rush of resolve, excitement, and hope.