10 Ways We Get it Wrong as Activists

As we work to make our world better, it can be hard not to get caught up with some of the common struggles that activists face. Here are ten mistakes that are easy to make in social justice activism and some strategies to help you address or avoid them, inspired by 20th century queer activists.

1. We get caught up in what activism is supposed to look like. Sometimes the grunt work of activism doesn’t come with glory: solutions might not clear initially, and it’s common for activists to worry about seeming like a “real activist” or “committed enough” to their cause. While it’s important to be visible in social justice work, the obligation is to work toward the larger goals through activism, even if moving toward those goals might happen in unintuitive ways. If you find yourself getting stuck or worrying about what other people in your activist community think about your activism, it might be a great time to have a conversation to define the goals/outcomes you have and how you can meet them, instead of working to seem more/differently invested than you are.
2. We get “stuck in a rut” when it comes to methods of activism. While protests and marches are one often-effective form of effecting change, it’s easy for us to get stuck in a rut of thinking that they’re the only ways of doing activism. In fact, there are many ways to approach social justice goals — some of the most effective acts of activism are done in surprising new ways, which can make them more memorable and impactful. Don’t be afraid of trying something new to get your point across. If you’re looking for some inspiration, 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action and the Global Nonviolent Action Database are great places to start.
3. We struggle to talk with people who we don’t already agree with us. It can be really easy for us to communicate within our own circles, but some of our most important impacts can be on people who aren’t already on our “side.” Successful activists often approach activism in a way that gives people from different perspectives a way into the conversation. Dialogue can be one of the most productive tools in creating solutions that work for both sides, and in helping people understand social justice concepts in a new way. Knowing how to approach dialogue, especially with individuals who are really ideologically different from you, can be really tricky: We Have to Talk and Want More Effective Activism? offer some great tips about how to handle these conversations.
4. We don’t know when to take a break. It’s no surprise that activist work can be exhausting, and especially when it seems like we’ve got a lot of work to do, it’s easy for us to burn out. One of the most important struggles that activists face is knowing when it’s okay to take a break — especially before they burn out entirely. While this doesn’t mean we should take time off from activism because it conflicts with a Netflix schedule, it can be healthy (and sometimes necessary!) to take a step back and recenter. Mindful Occupation: Rising Up without Burning Out is a fantastic resource exploring activism and mental/physical health, and How to Be Better at Stress gives some great info about staying in control of stress in general.
5. We get caught up in doing activism through anger and hate. Anger is absolutely valuable for us, and a central tool in creating some types of action. However, by focusing on anger alone, our scope of tools and the population we can reach become limited fast. Anger can also hurt our communities from the inside — if we only know how to be angry, it becomes hard to collaborate and talk with activists who take different approaches to activism. Everyday activism that focuses on love and patience, especially for people who are new to the scene and have a lot of questions or who are trying to learn, can ultimately be essential. Nonviolent activism is rooted in a tradition that’s based in this kind of love. Barbara Deming’s amazing On Revolution and Equilibrium and On Anger are great resources that both honor the contribution anger has on activism, but also pushes us to go past it.
6. We get insular, too focused our own lives and groups. While the causes and groups we find central to our activism are obviously essential, it’s important that we understand the way that activist causes work together. Building coalitions can help our numbers and add to our resources, but it can also be helpful in avoiding getting “stuck” in thinking about our own experiences singularly. The Healing Power of Community explains how community-based models like this work.
7. We don’t have big enough support networks. The work that activists do comes with unique stressors, and it’s so important to be connected to people around you who share causes and experiences. Facing pressure in relationships because of the stress that comes with activism is a common occurrence. Many historical activists needed to rely on the friends they made along the way. This can help in avoiding burnout, coming up with new solutions, and finding collaborators. Some activists make activism support groups in order to make this happen: Keeping Us Going has great info about how to use intentional support time. However, some of the best activist friendships get their start on the ground, in shared work toward the same goal. United Way of Pierce County and Volunteer Match both list current local opportunities to get involved if you’re looking to find somewhere new to help out.
8. We don’t always know how to turn our feelings into action. One of the strongest tools we have as activists is to find motivation in the strong emotions that emerge in our communities. Being aware of the way that you’re responding to an event and considering how to respond to these emotions in a productive and healthy way can help make activism that addresses problems in an impactful way. How to #StayOutraged without Losing Your Mind is a great place to start.
9. We can get stuck in the little stuff. When we’re working “on the ground,” it’s easy to get caught up in planning and end up disconnected from the larger goals that we’re trying to achieve. Remembering to take a step back and look at the bigger picture can help us to make sure that the steps we’re taking move in the right direction, and to evaluate what we’ve done so far. It can also be helpful in reminding us that the work we do is never “done,” which helps us fight complacency and keep moving. Returning to a mission statement if you work with an organization can be helpful here (Find Your Why has a few activities like this for individuals), but another source of strength can be to look back on the work of people whose activism you especially admire.
10. We forget that we’re part of a larger conversation. Something that’s easy for us to forget is that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel as activists: we’re part of a long line of people who took social change into their own hands. There’s a ton of books on the topic, with a great Goodreads list collected here and a few great ones highlighted in 7 Books about Activism. For a shorter read, Lessons for Anti-Trump Activists from ACT UP is a great example of how we can learn from the activists who came before us.

Given my first point (“We get caught up in what activism is supposed to look like”), I would be remiss to say that these are the ten ways we can get stronger in our activism. These are some of the tools I’ve found compelling or salient in the work of queer activists like Barbara Deming, Essex Hemphill, and Harvey Milk, but are only a few of many strategies we can gain from those who came before us.

What am I missing out on? Who else can we learn from, and what do they have to offer us in activism today?