Defend Civil Rights and Democratic Values
Choose an organization or cause and support it.
Over the past few weeks, the Supreme Courts of the United States and of Iowa have issued several decisions with alarming implications. You can read our full piece about those decisions here. The TLDR? As Representative Elijah Cummings said, “When it seems like you can’t do anything, do something. Don’t say it’s too big or too oppressive to overcome. Start. Try. Now.”
Choose a cause and find an organization that fights for that cause. Join up, and give them your time, talents, or treasure. Here are some options to consider.
For reproductive rights:
Emma Goldman Clinic has been providing reproductive services to Iowans for decades and will continue to do so within the bounds of the law.
National Abortion Federation’s mission is “to unite, represent, serve, and support abortion providers in delivering patient-centered, evidence-based care.”
Black Women’s Maternal Health Collective is a local Iowa City-based organization whose purpose is to advocate for Black women’s maternity and reproductive care.
You can also encourage your employer to cover travel for reproductive healthcare as a benefit.
If you want to advocate for regulations that will not be overturned or take actions personally, consider experienced advocacy organizations.
Earthday.org offers specific actions you can take personally to support the environment.
Izaak Walton League offers information, resources, volunteer opportunities, and advocacy opportunities to support the environment and outdoorsmanship.
Sierra Club also offers information, resources, volunteer opportunities, and advocacy opportunities to support the environment and outdoorsmanship.
For workplace advocacy:
National Council for Occupational Safety and Health advocates for workers, concentrating on the most at-risk groups such as workers whose jobs are outdoors and become more dangerous as temperatures rise.
Common Good Iowa is a local nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to creating evidence-based policy ideas to solve Iowa’s most pressing issues, including improvements for workers.
For children’s rights:
UNICEF advocates for children’s health, education, protection, and respect for children worldwide.
Children’s Defense Fund advocates for strong communities for children to grow up in, including healthcare, education, civic life, family and economic stability, caring communities, and leadership opportunities for youth.
Children’s Rights uses legal action to advocate for children, including specific focus areas of children’s health, family togetherness, government accountability, immigration rights, LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and youth justice.
United Way offers many local opportunities to volunteer to directly improve the lives of young people in your own community.
Rule of law:
League of Women Voters does so much more than voter registration. It advocates for voting rights and access to polls, educates voters and makes it easier to find voting information, and after members conduct deep studies on specific topics, it takes positions and advocates for those topics, ranging from healthcare to environmental reforms to government reforms.
American Civil Liberties Union advocates for civil rights in multiple areas, including through litigation and advocacy work. Its areas of focus include capital punishment, criminal law reform, disability rights, freedom of speech, HIV, human rights, immigrants’ rights, juvenile justice, LGBTQ rights, national security, prisoners’ rights, privacy and technology, racial justice, religious liberty, reproductive freedom, smart justice, voting rights, and women’s rights.
And for any cause:
Find out who represents you in our federal government
Find out who represents you in our state government.
Find out who is running for office in your district.
Ask them about their positions on the issues that matter most to you. Vote and encourage others to vote accordingly.
Making progress on these issues will take time and patience. That is what the extremist right has been doing for decades. Don’t lose patience with yourself when it takes time and the going is slow. This is for the long haul.
Note: Shannon is on the board of the League of Women Voters of Iowa, and Kelcey is an active volunteer with the League of Women Voters of Johnson County, Iowa.