Farrah Alexander - Raising the Resistance: A Mothers Guide to Practical Activism

Coral Gables

Copyright 2020 by Farrah Alexander.
Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.

Cover Design: Elina Diaz
Cover Photo/illustration: Angelina Bambina/stock.adobe
Layout & Design: Elina Diaz

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Raising the Resistance: A Mothers Guide to Practical Activism

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication number: 2020940773
ISBN: (print) 978-1-64250-374-6, (ebook) 978-1-64250-375-3
BISAC category code: FAM032000, FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Parenting / Motherhood

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

A t the dawn of the millennialsthe 1980stime traveling was all the rage. Marty McFly went back to the future and things got awkward with his mom. Bill and Ted took an excellent adventure and saved Ted from being forced into military school, which would not have been totally rad. The idea behind the films we couldnt get enough of was this: what if we could go back to the past and change o ur future?

We look to history to understand the past and how it relates to today. Our present lives are made up of choices made in the past. First Amendment rights were established; now Im writing this book. I became pregnant, and now I have two children. I didnt do the laundry; now my kids wearing pajamas at three in the afternoon. Actions, consequences. Caus e, effect.

The idea of going back into the past to change the future is impossible. I know Keanu Reeves made it look so cool, and thats a bummer. You cant travel back into time and prevent a global tragedy like the Holocaust by handing Adolf Hitler a Snickers bar. The opportunity to make a small change in the past to affect our presen t is gone.

But the opportunity to affect change isnt gone. We know the past affects the present, so doesnt the present affect the future? If one persons small action in the past could make a huge impact on the future, what kind of action could we take to change t he future?

When you look around, it seems like the world is on fire. (And if we dont accept climate change, the world might one day literally be on fire.) Americans are deeply divided. It turns out electing a reality TV show host as president of the United States may have been a poor choice. Our democracy is in decline. People are suffering. Fox News commentators can bait the president into declaring World War III via Twitter. We were hit with a plague and were constantly looking overhead for a swarm of locusts. We get breaking news alerts and just say, Oh, what the hell now? Thing s are bad.

Things are so bad; this is being recorded. These moments are being etched forever in the history books of the future. Our grandchildren will study this time and want to know where you were and what you were doing. What you do now will shape what that moment looks like. What do you want to be pro ud to say?

When you look back in history, do you see yourself as one of the good guys? Did you read Anne Franks diary and think you would be the one breaking the law to save Jews from certain death in Auschwitz? Well, you dont have to wonder what you would do. What are you doing now? There are concentration camps keeping migrants hostage while they wait in asylum purgatory to hear if they get to stay or sent back to their home countries, where certain death awaits them. Did you read Letter from a Birmingham Jail and believe you would have marched alongside Dr. King and fight for civil rights? Well, Black Lives Matter exists because Black lives are being senselessly, callously taken, and the fight for their rights continues. There is an opportunity to affect change all a round you.

Mothers are in a unique position to change the present to affect the future. The resistance against bigotry, misogyny, and injustice is largely being led by women, especially mothers. Activists are out there pushing strollers as they protest or registering voters with babies on their hips. We not only have the heart for activism, we are raising t he future.

If we want to live in a world without the hatred and bigotry we see now, we need to teach our children about love and equality. What is so cool about being a mom and raising these little humans is that their world is whatever we make it. If we believe anything other than treating human beings with respect, dignity, and fairness is wrong, then we must teach them that so it becomes their truth. If we want to make the future a kinder, more just place for our children to grow old, we need to do everything in our power to m ake it so.

Whether its managing your familys busy schedule between school assignments and extracurricular activities or excelling in your career and still helping with your kids homework, moms get it done. Might as well throw in defeating bigotry and saving the world while we re at it.

In this book, you will be given the tools you need to discover, or further cultivate, your path in fighting for change through political activism. By using your time, your strengths, and your parenting, you can leave a serious impact on our world. Let this book be your guide to harnessing your power and turning your passion in to action.

As mothers, we have plenty of problems, and Ill dive deep into them: the threat of infringement on our reproductive rights, lack of proper womens healthcare and self-care, inequality in the household, inequality in our communities, the Mommy Wars, and lack of representation in our political landscape, to n ame a few.

But I wont just leave you raging over the current state of affairs. Ill follow each issue with easy, accessible ways you can fight the problem. These solutions are sometimes as simple as correcting a well-meaning but misinformed family member about racial inequality. (Your racist comments will no longer be tolerated at Thanksgiving, Uncle Mike. Pass the mashed potatoes.) Sometimes theyre more involved, such as running for political office yourself. Although they may differ in time commitment and difficulty, all the solutions are well within your reach and power. Being part of the solution will feel so much better than diving into a pint of Ben & Jerrys and rage-Tweeting. (Im speaking from experience on that one.)

We have a problem. Its not going to fix itself any more than our children are going to teach themselves to use their manners and eat their vegetables. They need their mothers and so does the country right now. Lets raise the resistance today for a better tomorrow.