The next step in the Women’s March “First 100 Days” campaign, a call to women and men around the country to mobilize their own communities, is to huddle and plan. Specifically, a Huddle involves gathering friends, family members, coworkers, and others to talk — and then to turn that talk into political action.
Legal Aid at Work’s Elizabeth Kristen and Lily Schultze are organizing our own Huddle on this Tuesday, March 7, at 12:30 p.m. in our office at 180 Montgomery Street, San Francisco. We are issuing an open invitation to join us!
Lily explains that the Women’s March’s 100 Days Campaign suggests one action of resistance that individuals and groups can take every 10 days. With International Women’s Day falling on Wednesday, the effort feels all the more timely.
Huddles, typically groups of 10 to 15 people, are the second suggested action put forward. (The first was postcard-writing campaigns. In ours, we wrote to legislators and others to encourage them to stand up for civil and employment rights developed over the past 50 years by organizations like Legal Aid at Work.)
We asked Lily for some details.
LAAW Blog: What will our Huddle be like?
Lily Schultze: It will be informal and open to all who are interested. We plan to focus on actions that build a “protest presence” in the Financial District. We’ll offer an opportunity for everyone to get to know one another, brainstorm actions, and plan next steps of action. It’s a space to maintain momentum and energy, and it provides a way to keep ourselves and others accountable.
LB: Why are you doing this?
LS: We feel like it’s important to continue to resist the current administration both personally and professionally. In making our voices heard, we are stronger together.
LB: Is this part of a larger effort?
LS: If there is interest, we hope to hold monthly huddles and continue our conversation. Attendees also are encouraged to share resources and events between meetings.
LB: What kinds of progress do you hope to see?
LS: We hope to generate more political awareness and, in turn, greater engagement.
LB: How do you stay hopeful?
LS: By taking actions of resistance as a group, by sharing in a progressive voice, and with action.