A central part of organizing includes educating other people about the issue you want to address and convincing them to take action alongside you to address the issue. Sometimes even the people being affected by the issue need to be educated and convinced. Perhaps they believe that they are the only ones being affected by this issue, or maybe they believe that “it’s just the way things are” and that change isn’t possible or likely to happen. This is where the power of stories—and data—can make an impact.
Often, we are not alone in the struggles that we face, but we feel scared or we feel defeated, and we don’t take action. As you talk to others about the problem that you want to see change, think about your personal connection to this issue. How has it affected you? Why do you think it’s important to change? How would you and others benefit from lasting change?
Take it a step further!
- What does the data show about the problem you are trying to address?
- Is there an interesting and clear way to share the data so that people understand the problem?
- How does your story fit into the picture that the data illustrate?
- Are there other people who are willing to tell their stories and explain how they have been impacted by the problem?
- How many people are affected by this issue in your school? In your city? In your state? In this country?
- Is there research that shows the long-term consequences of the problem you are trying to address and why it’s important to fix it?
- Who else should you talk to for help solving the problem?
For help answering these questions, check out www.texasdisciplinelab.org!