With inflation, student loans, paying the bills, climate
change, police violence and so many other
problems we face, there is a tendency to feel
helpless and complain that elected leaders are
not responsive to our needs. But there is
something we can do. Even in a small way, we
can grab the reins and take control, and make
a difference in our community.
People tend to look for leadership elsewhere, when they
themselves may very well be the leadership
they are looking for. It’s so simple, yet so
profound. What it means is that people should
not consider themselves as armchair spectators
in society, but rather as active participants
and change agents. If you don’t get it done,
who will?
Here is a term to focus on for a
minute: civic engagement. Civic
engagement has been defined as “individual
and collective actions designed to identify
and address issues of public concern.” Another
definition is “working
to make a difference in
the civic life of one’s community and
developing the combination of knowledge,
skills, values and motivation to make that
difference. It means promoting the quality of
life in a community, through both political
and non-political processes.” And according to the New
York Times, civic engagement is “working to make a difference in
the civic life of our communities and
developing the combination of knowledge,
skills, values and motivation to make that
difference. It means promoting the quality of
life in a community, through both political
and non-political processes.”
Civic engagement can involve many
things such as involvement in an organization,
volunteer work or paid political activism,
participation in the electoral process, or
working with other people in the community on
a cause or initiative. The common thread tying
it all together is a sense that folks with a
sense of civic and moral responsibility view
themselves as part of a larger social fabric.
Taking ownership of society’s problems, they
may take action when appropriate, and become change agents in the process.
Consider the activism of young people
around the protests against the murder of Breonna
Taylor and George Floyd in 2020, or those who organize
to end gun violence in their communities.
Consider people who demand environmental
justice in Black communities who suffer more
from climate change and pollution, or women
who are fighting for the right of low-income
women to have safe reproductive healthcare.
Black Lives Matter started with a few sisters
and a social media hashtag, and the rest is
history.
Communities with more civic
participation have a greater
sense of community with happier people and fewer
problems. Young
people who are engaged in activism,
volunteering and voting experience better
mental health, higher incomes and higher
educational achievement. Studies have shown
that adults who are civically
engaged enjoy better personal
relationships and higher self-esteem, less
depression and illness, and longer lifespans.
For example, elders who are community
volunteers have a 40-50 percent drop in
mortality compared to those who are not
serving their community.
Join or support an organization that is trying to change
things, or form your own group. Run for the
school board. Help register people to vote.
Make phone calls or start a letter writing
campaign to elected officials. Mentor students
and show them the way. Being engaged with the
community and finding leadership within
ourselves, we create a society that looks the
way we want it to be, and we heal ourselves in
the process.
