10 Tips for Getting Involved in a Political Organization to Fight Trump
Joining in political community alongside others is what our society needs from us. It may also be the very thing your heart is longing for right now.
As Trump and his officials rapidly accelerate their repression, seek to undo so many of the progressive gains of the last century, and continue to fund a genocide (while carrying out war crimes of their own), it is of real importance that all of us consider joining and finding meaningful roles in independent political organizations. This is how we can fight back.
One of the most common threads in the lives of change-agents of the past is this exact realization — that they could only do so much alone and that their efforts had to be woven into coordinated formations alongside others. Whether it be a community group, a local chapter of a national or international organization, a labor union, a social justice committee in your faith community, or a student organization, teams of people taking strategic collective action has always been the central means by which social change happens.
Getting involved in something like this may seem simple. However, I’ve found that when people try to do so they often come up against logistical confusion, emotional barriers, fears of future burnout, or dissatisfaction with the politics of various groups, all of which can stop us in our tracks before we even get started.
Below is a list of 10 tips to help us navigate these potential roadblocks. Even if you are already part of a political organization, you may find these suggestions useful as you strive to make your engagement more effective and meaningful.
Consider organizations with a “solidarity-based approach.” What do I mean by this? I mean an approach that forefronts the reality that all of our well-beings are linked together, draws connections between social oppression and an exploitative economic system that harms us all, and seeks to build powerful alliances across lines of difference. Perhaps the most central tactic of our corporate overlords and their political representatives is to divide and rule. To stratify the multiracial, multi-gender, multinational, and multi-religious 99% into social hierarchies. To pit us against each other so that we get confused about the real causes of our suffering and can’t come together to build the collective power we need to fight the oligarchs. This is especially true now. A solidarity-based approach identifies and directly counters this tactic. It firmly stands against bias while calling people in and constantly affirming the fundamental stake all of us have in shared struggle. When we join organizations that do this, we’ll feel like we’re really hacking at the roots of this terrifying fascist force we’re faced with today. This is what our world needs and what we need to feel real purpose in our activism.
Remember that these organizations want us to join. We are wanted. New membership is the only way these groups can succeed at carrying out their mission.
Consider joining your nearby chapter of a national organization. At the bottom of this article, I’ve included some that inspire me for you to check out. Or, consider joining a more local, community-based group. Instead of a national network, you may find that a good place to base your political engagement is within a neighborhood group, an advocacy group at your school, or a political committee in your faith community. In places like these, you can both engage in local projects and quickly mobilize as a collective to support campaigns, strikes or other actions of larger organizations.
Learn more about labor organizing. If your workplace is unionized, deepening your involvement in that union and striving to tie its efforts to broader social movement organizing could be a very meaningful role for you right now. If your workplace is not, you may want to begin organizing a union there. Or, you might enjoy plugging into other broader efforts outside your workplace to support the labor movement. Check out this guide I wrote called “Building the Labor Movement Inside and Outside Your Workplace.” It’s meant to help you wrap your head around all of these possibilities. Organized labor is the most powerful weapon we have to force our representatives to actually represent us and it is under more severe attack right now than it has been in decades.
You may want to join an organization alongside a friend or a group of friends. Sharing this journey of branching out into the world of political activism with someone you know can help you stay committed to the process of finding a meaningful long-term role for yourself in this work.
Use discernment and follow your intuition. What organization or group you choose to participate in is a personal decision. I encourage you to do your own research, use discernment, honor your intuition, and don’t be afraid to try out a few places. Know also that different local chapters of national organizations often have different feels to them and different dynamics at play. I also encourage you not to be afraid to reach out to people you know who are knowledgeable about this stuff and ask for their support in helping you decide where and how to get involved.
When you’ve identified an organization you’re interested in, push yourself to go to an initial meeting even if you’re nervous and challenge yourself to have at least one conversation with someone there.
While you’re there, work to learn about the various committees or working groups that make up the organization. Sometimes these will be focused on specific political issues and other times they will be focused on specific aspects of organizing (like direct action, political education or coalition-building). Find a committee that speaks to you, figure out when their next meeting is, and go to it. Begin building relationships with folks there.
Remember the following if you’re worried that getting involved might lead to burnout or overwhelm: No person can do everything. We can only do this together. So don’t engage from a place of guilt or worry that you have a responsibility to do it all. Do what your heart feels called to and take care of yourself along the way. Know that we can choose our level of engagement, change it as our personal needs shift, and rest when we need to. There will be periods when we need to pull back in significant ways. When this happens, we can feel held in the knowledge that we’re part of a larger web of people pitching in as they can. Even if you’re too busy to get seriously involved right now, you may want to still become a dues-paying member of a national organization, and attend at least a few meetings of your local chapter. This way you can be a part of something bigger than yourself and plug-in in the future when you’re ready.
For those of us struggling with loneliness, isolation, or feelings of helplessness in the face of rising fascism, the act of joining with other caring individuals to take strategic action has the potential to give us the sense of community and agency we need to find greater mental health. Coming together with others in this way is not only what our world needs, but it might be exactly the nourishment that we need right now.
As you work to figure out which organization to try out, consider a local chapter of one of the national organizations I’ve listed below. Each of them prioritizes a solidarity-based approach in some way. They are groups whose work I have really appreciated (though there are certainly many more similar organizations not mentioned here). Feel free to share other organizations that you think people should consider joining in the comments below.
Here’s the list:
Working Families Party: View Site
Democratic Socialists of America (DSA): View site / Connect with your local chapter / Become a national member
SURJ (Showing Up For Racial Justice): View site / Find your local chapter / Join as a national member
The Poor People’s Campaign: View site / Email your local chapter to get involved
Indivisible: I’m not highly knowledgeable about the intricacies of Indivisible’s politics, but they are currently very well-organized and playing an important role in resisting authoritarian measures. View site / Find your local group
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR): Website / Connect with a local group
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP): Learn more and join your local chapter (non-Jewish allies are also welcome).
People’s Action: View site / Volunteer or join a training / View list of Member Organizations
Sunrise Movement: View site / Join your local hub / Learn how to support this youth movement if you are 35+
Our Revolution: View Site and sign up to find your local chapter
Thank you for this! I’m saving to reference in future writing.
This is a super helpful article! I work with the Baltimore Green Party and will be sharing this as a resource for people looking at how to get connected.