4 new sites to help you take action after the Women's March on Washington
Millions of people around the world marched on Saturday to speak out for gender equality, stand up for human rights and tell the newly inaugurated President Trump that hate has no place in his administration.
But the work has just begun. As everyone discussed the impact of the Women's March on Washington (and what fell short), activists and advocates across social media were quick to ask an important question: What's next?
While the Women's March and its many sister marches were an extraordinary display of solidarity, unity and democracy, creating change also requires dedicated, tangible actions on a daily basis. Several online tools are helping to lead the charge.
"Our march forward does not end here."
"Thank you to the millions of people around the world who, on Jan. 21, came together to raise our voices," the Women's March official website now reads. "But our march forward does not end here. Now is the time to get our friends, family and community together and make history."
Here are just a few websites that have popped up in the days immediately following the Women's March to help you take action, push for social progress and fight for our collective future in the dawn of Trump's America.
Be sure to also check out our list of extremely useful apps and sites to help you organize here.
1. Women's March 10 Actions / 100 Days
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The Women's March organizers launched a new campaign on Sunday, called "10 Actions / 100 Days," in an effort to galvanize people involved with the movement to continue fighting.
Every 10 days during Trump's first 100 days in office, the organizers "will take action on an issue we all care about," posting each digestible activity on the site.
The first action is writing a postcard to your senators about the causes and issues that matter most to you. You can download printable versions, and even get together with friends and family to fill them out.
Sign up here to get notified when the next actions come out.
2. The Big Hundred
Continuing the trend of taking action during the first 100 days of Trump's presidency, the Big Hundred is a celebrity-filled social media campaign promoting non-partisan actions the average person can take. The goal is to get everyone to "become more active in their government and communities."
Every day, The Big Hundred is posting a new piece of content on its Instagram account, complete with actions across the social good spectrum, from contacting your elected officials to volunteering.
"No more tears, America!" the site's press release said. "It's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work."
Celebrities and influencers taking part in the campaign include comedian Paul Scheer, actress Constance Wu and artist Lisa Congdon.
3. Call Them In
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Contacting your elected officials to voice your concerns has been a common, impactful call-to-action ever since Donald Trump was elected. But for people who might have trouble finding the right contact information, or those who might not know exactly what to say, it can be a daunting task.
Call Them In is a new website and email subscription service that has already done most of the work for you. If you sign up, you'll get strategically timed email reminders to contact politicians, including tailored scripts to prepare and curb some of the anxiety you might feel. The site also has a handy list of Trump's cabinet nominations.
"We will provide all the tools young people need to contact their elected officials, so that a growing constituency eager to communicate their views will be heard loud and clear," said Bella Pori, cofounder of Call Them In, in a release.
The site's strategy focuses on the Senate, and aims to help people "back progressive legislation in a meaningful way."
4. Swing Left
"Don't despair. Mobilize."
That's the tagline of Swing Left, a website that points out swing districts, or "places where the winner of the last House of Representatives election was determined by a thin margin." The site helps you find the swing districts closest to you and, in turn, find progressive politicians to support.
The goal of the site, whose team says it has no formal affiliations with any party, is to regain Democratic control of the House in 2018. Republicans currently control the House and the Senate, which significantly narrows the path toward progressive legislation.
When you sign up with the site to join a Swing District Team, you can get information on how to fundraise for or donate to local progressive candidates, join a phone bank, volunteer, canvas and more.
If you live outside a swing district, Swing Left will send you ways to help from afar.
Topics Activism Social Good Donald Trump Politics
Matt Petronzio was the Social Good Editor at Mashable, where he led coverage surrounding social impact, activism, identities, and world-changing innovation. He was based at the New York City headquarters from January 2012 to April 2018, and previously worked as the assistant features editor.
