Frequently Asked Questions About Being an Activist

A Guide for HCR Activists, Part 2 of 7

—NEA Human & Civil Rights

This is an excerpt from "Putting Our Values To Work: A Guide for the Association Human and Civil Rights Activist."

Q. Why become an activist in the first place? I already work very hard.
A. Because you care deeply about children and young people, and as hard as you work in your classroom or at your work site, it's never enough to ensure that every child or young person receives the quality education he or she needs to succeed in life.

Q. How do I find the time to be an activist? I am already so busy.
A. If you're concerned about time, start small. Everyone has time to talk, for a minute or two, one-on-one, with a colleague about an issue of mutual concern—or to e-mail your elected representative about an important piece of legislation affecting children and our profession. Do what you can. "Am I doing all that I can?" is the question to ask.

Q. I don't feel comfortable speaking in public. Can I still be an activist?
A. You bet. Public speaking isn't for everyone. But you can write a letter, make a phone call, and speak one-on-one with a friend or neighbor. What's more, the Internet now provides people who are uncomfortable with the public spotlight with a wonderful opportunity to be cyber activists. Besides, a lot of people who once dreaded public speaking actually get good at it, with a little training and encouragement.

Q. I have read about the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, and seen the documentaries, but as much as I admire the heroes of that era, I just don't see myself doing the stuff they did. Is that wrong?
A. We revere the memories of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, the Greensboro Four, and the other civil rights warriors of that erA. Their stories inspire us to this day. But their heroism can also be intimidating, if we let it. There are many actions you can take right now to make a difference, and, yes, those actions will probably be less dramatic but no less important than the heroic deeds of yesterday's civil rights warriors. That was then, this is now. We do what we can with what we have.

Q. But haven't all the great human and civil rights battles already been fought and won?
A. Absolutely not. That's a common misconception. It's true racism has changed. It's been beaten back, and in the process, like a virus, racism has mutated into new forms. It comes out, however, when a well-known radio personality insults the young women who played for the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship or when a noose is hung from a tree in a school yard. And racism is cropping up frequently in the current debate over immigration. Racism lives.

Q. But isn't institutionalized racism a thing of the past?
A. No, it is not. Take the chronic underfunding of schools that serve poor and minority children, for example. It's true that the decision makers who perpetuate this injustice don't espouse racist views. They don't say: "These children are less capable of learning, therefore we will invest less in them." But they still go ahead, year after year, and invest less in some children than others.

Q. Isn't being an activist really a drag—endless meetings, long hours, and mindless chores?
A. Heck, no. People get involved in their Association to meet people, have fun, learn new skills, pursue an interest, and link their lives to some higher purpose. Activism adds breadth and depth to your life.

Q. But what about the endless meetings, long hours, and mindless chores? You didn't address them.
A. OK, there are meetings, hours, and chores. But this is shared work, and you will find camaraderie among your fellow activists when the cause you are fighting for really matters.

Q. I am very independent and I am professional. Will I sacrifice my independence or my professionalism by getting involved in collective action?
A. No. Individuals are strengthened by working together for the common good, not by giving up their individuality. And as education professionals, we advance both our professional status and the quality of public education when we work together.

Q. By becoming an activist, aren't I setting myself up for disappointments?
A. Psychologist Leo Buscaglia said it best: "To reach out to another is to risk involvement. To expose feelings is to risk rejection. To place your dreams before the crowd is to risk ridicule...To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing."

Q. I am one person, and the problems we face today seem so huge. How can I make a difference?
A. It's easy to feel overwhelmed. The way to avoid this, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., suggested, is to proceed at your own pace, step by step, breaking down our goals into manageable tasks—not worrying too much about the precise political impact of every action we take at any given time. Moreover, there's an old saying among human and civil rights activists that's worth remembering: "An individual can fight injustice, but only a community can do justice."

Q. I understand that if you volunteer, it is very difficult to get other people to volunteer. Is that true?
A. Sure. Everyone's very busy these days. The demands of work and home seem greater than ever. But people still hunger for a higher purpose. It's the challenge of the activist to herald a higher purpose.

Related Resources

"Putting Our Values To Work"

1. Intro: Somebody Ought To Do Something
2. Frequently Asked Questions About Being an Activist
3. Tips for the Association Activist
4. Feeding the Activist's Soul
5. A Tool Kit for Human and Civil Rights Activists
6. The Activist's Library
7. The Activist's Cyberspace Resources