As moms we tend to hold the concerns and challenges around us, working to fix what we see going wrong and believing we can help our communities. We tend to become involved in activism before we call ourselves activists. Opportunities to join in activism are all around us.
Quiana Agbai, the blogger behind Harlem Lovebirds, recalled her activation point being wrapped in motherhood: “I became more aware of what impacted my kids in general society. We moved from New York to New Hampshire and there was an active shooter incident.” This incident plus the incident that happened at Sandy Hook caused Agbai to jump into action.
Whether you are experiencing a specific life-changing event or being pulled by the needs of your community, you are skilled and suited for activism. Diana Limongi of Parenting and Politics believes that moms are always finding ways to get things done — making us perfect to change the world. “We can juggle a lot at the same time, mothers have an extra layer of empathy, we as moms just find a way, we’ve been doing that for generations probably because we didn’t have a choice as women,” Limongi said.
When to pick up activism
Be cautioned against doing it all
“Give yourself credit for what you are doing under your roof, that counts for something. Look at your role as a mom as activism — you are raising the next generation,” Agbai says. Mothers tend to take on the world all at the same time. This need to conquer the world can be a great skill for activism, but know that your work in your child’s school, at the local food bank, or by sharing messages between family and friends are all ways of getting into activism. We can all be activist moms.
