Biden Wins, Now What?
Summer Wadleigh
This past month has concluded the 2020 Election with Joe Biden as the new president elect. While this is an immensely large win for those that he has avidly stood behind throughout his campaign, it also presents an entirely new set of challenges. An election does not halt all that has been done in the name of equality and progression. It is not an end all, be all. This election provides us with the hope of a president that will listen to the people as we continue to fight for numerous justices, the hope of a president that will be able to take accountability. With Biden’s win there is still much to be done and there are endless resources available to begin that journey if you have not had any involvement in advocacy apart from your blue ballot.
To begin, the first organization on my list of resources is Color of Change. Color of Change is a nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization founded by Van Jones and James Rucker in 2005. Color of Change is the largest online racial justice organization in the country and is a great place to start in becoming involved. Through both their active and inactive campaigns available on their website, you can take action in current events as well as educate yourself on important past causes. They also provide opportunities to help them fund their campaigns directly through donation. You can donate one time or set up a monthly withdraw to help forward the process of transforming Black communities. The website for Color of Change is https://colorofchange.org/.
Another resource that could assist you in your advocacy is the Human Rights Campaign. The Human Rights Campaign is the largest LGBTQ advocacy group and political lobbying organization in the United States. Founded by Steve Endean in 1980, HRC has made it their goal to ensure that all members of the queer community are treated as equal citizens throughout the world. HRC provides annual reports that go in depth on their advocacy and what their campaign has done for the LGBTQ community. They’re also the curators behind Equality Magazine, the nations largest circulation LGBTQ magazine. Aside from your own reading, you can help directly by donating to their campaign and helping further the progression of gay rights. The website for the Human Rights Campaign is http://hrc.org.
The concluding resource of this small portion of the vast amount of causes to become involved with is the American Immigration Council. The American Immigration Council is a nonprofit organization based in Washington DC that advocates for a more fair and just immigration system in the United States. The AIC believes that immigration is “a part of our national fabric, bringing energy and skills that benefit all Americans”. The AIC provides a blog that makes it easy to stay up to date on current events, as well as a column on their website dedicated entirely to ways of becoming involved. Like the previous two nonprofits, they also are taking donations to receive direct financial help in their fight for immigrant rights. The American Immigration Councils website is https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/.
In brief, there is still so much more to be done following Biden’s election win. While it provides numerical evidence that American citizens want their country to be lead differently, we are also simultaneously responsible for making that change within our communities. We cannot depend solely on the people in power for progression and it is our responsibility to actively contribute to the things that matter to us. Hopefully these few resources can act as a start or a continuation of your involvement in these important causes.