By Diane DeFries
In the late 60s and early 70s, the women’s liberation movement clarion call, “the personal is political,” propelled many into activism. It fortified my teenage friends and me as we cut our activist teeth on anti-war demonstrations, civil rights campaigns, the environmental movement, women’s and gay liberation protests, and other causes that excited moral, ethical, and philosophical outrage. We embraced an unflinching belief that our actions would bring about a better world. Taking to the streets in the nation’s capital was our social life; we had absolute self-assuredness of our convictions and our actions, and could talk endlessly about politics, philosophy, and, of course, not trusting anyone over 30. Yes, the personal was political, but the political was also personal.
Over the ensuing decades, I never wavered from my political convictions. But a demanding career, raising a child, and caring for aging parents superseded any real activism. I expressed political outrage to anyone who would listen and showed up for my share of marches and demonstrations (if they were on the weekend). As undeniable evidence of the climate emergency and threats to basic rights and our system of government grew at an alarming pace, I knew it was time for me to take to the streets again. I decided to retire so I’d have time to devote to activism.
I thought I would dive into activism as soon as I stopped working, but I didn’t anticipate the difficulty I would have navigating retirement. Suddenly I had time to do what I had been yearning to do for years. But the loss of comradery and confidence I derived from my professional life has been disorienting. I have not been able to effortlessly take up where I left off. I don’t have the self-assuredness and energy of my youth. I feel like I’m starting from scratch.
Third Act seemed like an obvious place to start my journey back to activism—joining with like-minded, intelligent, thoughtful people working on the world’s most urgent crises. Initially, “like-minded” and good work got me to the door, but it has taken more to get this introvert into the room. To participate in Third Act’s nonviolent direct actions requires learning about the development, skills, strategies, and risks of specific actions. The prospect of putting your body on the line also means developing trust among everyone in our movement. That’s a tall order for a bunch of strangers.
The Mobilization for Climate & Democracy, held on June 6, was a meaningful event. Rebecca Mazur describes the activities of the Mobilization in more depth in her June 16 blog post . The stated intention of the day-long program is in its title: mobilization. The Mobilization was successful on that front, providing information needed to organize upcoming actions. It also fostered the development of community, the human connections so important to sustaining action. The programming provided depth and breadth and a rhythm that gave space to enter and to engage. The well-organized and well-executed structure included full-group information sessions (the why and the what of being there), small breakout sessions (hands on, personal, and practical), inspirational speakers (much needed motivational reinforcements), singalongs (embodied expressions of collective convictions), and food (plain old nonmetaphorical nourishment). It provided not only information but opportunities for growth, enrichment, and fortification for a group of otherwise unconnected folks—the extroverts and the introverts, the experienced and the inexperienced in political activism, the established and the newbies in Third Act, and the confident and the floundering. Making space for individuals builds community. For some, being part of the community may mean dipping in a toe, and for others it may mean taking a plunge. (For me, sharing my personal reflections here feels like both a toe-dip into an activity and a plunge into trust.)
Listening to Third Actors talk, it seems that some in this community made an effortless transition from professions to activism. I trust, however, that I am not the only one who is taking longer with transitions. Having aged out of the youth-fueled notion that anyone over 30 was corrupt and inept, there is great satisfaction in being among those aged at least 30 x 2 who bring experience, skills, wisdom, and tremendous doses of kindness. Thank you to those who organized the Mobilization in a way that acknowledged the multiple ways individuals may find themselves becoming part of a community and to focus that community to mobilize and address the most imminent and critical issues for our future.