The Next Advocates

By Amanda Musolf

Think of any movement not female-centric. Now, take a pause long enough to think of the first five people who come to mind. Chances are the majority of that list is made up of men.

There are simply not enough stories that champion young women and the strides they are making. The Next Advocates works to remedy this.

• Language: English
• Publisher: New Degree Press
• Release date: Feb 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9781641374408

Book preview

The Next Advocates

The Next Advocates

Twelve women. Twelves stories. Endless possibilities.

Amanda Musolf

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New Degree Press

Copyright © 2020 Amanda Musolf

All rights reserved.

The Next Advocates

Twelve women. Twelves stories. Endless possibilities.

ISBN

978-1-64137-438-5 Paperback

978-1-64137-439-2 Kindle Ebook

978-1-64137-440-8 Ebook

Contents

Introduction

How To Read This Book

Chapter 1

A Brief History of Activism & Advocacy

Chapter 2

Why Now?

Chapter 3

Causes & Issues Covered in This Book

Chapter 4

Get Connected

Chapter 5

Get Social

Chapter 6

Get Out There

Chapter 7

Get Organized

Chapter 8

Say Yes

Chapter 9

Inform Yourself

Chapter 10

Build Your Network

Chapter 11

Keep With It

Final Thoughts (...For Now)

Acknowledgements

To all the strong, brave women before and after me, may this book further your work.

I think it’s important for our kids to know that they can make decisions about what to care about, and that they don’t need to pay attention to the approval or condescension of other people in deciding how to live their lives.

–Sarah Knight

Introduction

If tobacco companies are banned from public health conferences, why are big oil conglomerates allowed in climate change debates?

For twenty-four-year-old Eilidh Robb, the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland, was more than just a meeting of world states. Eilidh, who is currently a member of multiple youth organizations and volunteer groups campaigning on the climate change crisis, worked with other twenty-somethings at the conference to create a Twitter account, @ConflictsatCOP, with the goal of cutting through the bs, as she put it, and revealing the truths behind the involvement of gas and oil companies in official discussions.

But calling out big oil in the way she did was powerful.

The account gained a larger following than expected—currently around five hundred followers—providing followers with real-time updates about the goings-on and the influence of these oil magnates. Eventually, the project became so controversial that the oil companies discussed among themselves how to quell the account and its subsequent responses from the public.

All of this because a few twenty-somethings decided it was time to voice their opinions in the best way young people these days can—through social media.

Eilidh’s story is just one of many that got me wondering:

How can I have a similar impact?

***

There are so many causes and issues today that it sometimes seems either impossible to choose one or impossible to even begin to conquer it. While common rhetoric claims our generation, especially young women, are too inexperienced or lack the knowledge to make a real impact, Eilidh shows us this isn’t true.

Kids these days are not desensitized to current issues, nor do they lack resourcefulness and ingenuity. So why is there still a stigma against young people taking these sorts of real stands or risks? The truth is, we’ve made progress, but still not nearly as much as we’d hoped, particularly for young women under thirty.

I firmly believe that females can not only be activists, but also make just as much of an impact as their male counterparts. If you are passionate about an issue, it’s fairly easy to research it and learn more in order to find and create ways to make a difference. Neither gender nor age should be considered a handicap when it comes to activism and advocacy. This generation has actually found the ability to connect with more people worldwide than ever before in order to raise awareness of various causes and issues in all sectors of life.

Neither gender nor age should be considered a handicap.

But this progress will remain stagnant unless more young women are able to figure out how to get involved on their own. We need to help create millions more female advocates, so that the stories in this book are not exceptions to the rule. They must become the rule.

I wanted to write this book because I feel the stories and successes of young female activists are often pushed under the rug, left aside in favor of other issues. The sheer amount of information thrown at us every second of every day is hard to sift through to find these individual stories. I had this intense desire to highlight these achievements in hopes that these incredible women won’t have to fight so hard every day just to get their feet in the door. By putting multiple narratives into a single piece of work, I hope to make it more difficult to ignore them.

Before writing this book, I didn’t feel as if I had my own personal cause to fight for. Over the course of my journey, I’ve realized that having these women’s voices—and all voices—be heard is my passion.

I am no stranger to strong women. I have watched so many in my life fight every day for what they feel passionate about, and it’s truly inspiring. My respect and appreciation for their efforts have only grown with every interview I’ve conducted, every article I’ve read. I’d like to think I’m helping open doors for future generations by highlighting the individual people who work toward change within larger frameworks.

Movements only work because they are made up of various individual voices that band together, and each story deserves to be told.

***

The skills this book leaves you with are beneficial way beyond the spheres of activism and advocacy. They’re employable, even if minutely, in all aspects of life. Female empowerment does not stop with activism; it carries through into every detail of our lives.

This book explores the stories of women like:

• Eilidh Robb, a twenty-four-year-old lobbying at the highest level for climate change initiatives.

• Grace Que, a twenty-year-old college student who co-founded and runs a club for women in computer science that is over one hundred members strong.

• Gracie Uriarte, a twenty-seven-year-old who works for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) with college students to promote Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the rights of first-generation students.

• Amanda Olsen, a twenty-four-year-old seeking to improve the presence of mental health advocates in grade schools.

And I’ve only named a few.

As you can already see with these snippets, everyone’s journey is different—what motivates us, how we express ourselves, and what we’re passionate about is unique. My aim with The Next Advocates is not to provide you with a be-all, end-all guide for how to be a successful activist or advocate. There’s no such thing, for the reasons I just listed.

Because we are all unique and every single journey will differ from that of others, there’s no way to tell you exactly what to do to ensure your success. This book just highlights some tools and tactics used by others on their way to success, as well as possible ways to best thrive.

In the next section, I delve further into this idea of our unique journeys. I’ll give recommendations as to how to read this book, tailored to what your desired outcome is.

Whatever you wish to get out of reading The Next Advocates, I hope you are able to gain a further appreciation for the triumphs of young women and women in general. Our voices deserve to be heard.

Buckle up, and let’s do this!

—Amanda

How To Read This Book

Everyone who is reading this book is at a different point in their journey. My aim with The Next Advocates is to provide a unique experience for each person who reads it—meaning each person will get something different out of it. That said, feel free to jump around at will. Have fun with it—make it yours to best help you.

I’ve come up with some optional plans of attack for the three main groups of people who will read this—Current Advocates/Activists, Those Considering, and Those Looking to Support Advocates/Activists—but once again, take them with a grain of salt. Feel free to create your own journey through this book.

For the Current Advocate/Activist:

First off, congratulations. You’re already ahead of the game here. For you, this book can not only offer an insight into what others are doing but also give you potential new ideas for how to keep going if you’re in a rut or need some inspiration.

Here’s a quick overview of what might interest you most:

• Part 1 offers some background into the fields of activism and advocacy, ending with a brief summary of the topics championed in Part 2. While you might find this interesting, as someone who is already involved in advocacy and/or activism, you’ve already proven you have a cause you’re passionate about. This is awesome and means you can probably skip the first two chapters.

– Tip: I’d skip Chapters 1 and 2, but at least skim Chapter 3. It offers insight into the causes in this book and might offer more information to help you as you go along.

• Part 2 is where we get into telling the stories of our activists and advocates.