“What scares me is that one day my son will ask me, ‘What did you do, daddy, when the **** was going down'”
– Richard Pryor (1971)
If you’re friends with me on Facebook, or if you follow me on Twitter, you might’ve noticed the 30 Day Challenge I completed in the 30 days leading up to the November 2018 Midterm Elections. My goal was to do one political action each day during the 30 days. I made small donations, made phone calls, and wrote post cards. I even did a little research, which led me to finally understand what the Levee Board is responsible for.
The origin of the 30 Day Challenge can be traced back to the 2016 Elections. As the results came in that night, my focus was on all the things I didn’t do to support my favored candidates. I didn’t donate, volunteer, or participate in GOTV efforts during that last month. I thought the outcome was certain.
The big lesson from 2016 is that while being an informed and engaged voter doesn’t guarantee that your preferred candidate will always win, disengaging from the entire process increases the likelihood that trash candidates can be elected.
The need to keep engaged stretches far beyond DC. In reality, the majority of the political decisions that directly affect you happen at the county and state level. And in the Delta, the blue necktie on our otherwise red state, most of our local elections are effectively over after the August 6th primary.
So on Monday, July 8th, I’ll begin my next 30 Day Challenge. I’ll create a blog post about it, which I will update daily. I’ll also share my progress on social media. If you interested in joining me, here are some things you should know:
- The main goal is to take action. Large amounts of money and time are not required to participate. A $10 donation to a candidate counts. So does writing a few post cards, or even looking up the duties of your County Tax Assessor/Collector. Do anything that would make you more involved and informed.
- Share your progress. Find a site with useful information? Share it with with friends. Made a donation to a candidate? Share the link! Letting folks know that you’re engaged may encourage others to do the same.
- Be creative! One way to create more action ideas is to come up with special themes each week. One of my favorites from last year was “Melanin Mondays”, where I’d make small donations Black Women who were running for Congress. I still have my thank you card from Rep. Lauren Underwood!
See ya Monday!
#30Days
Notes From The Cookout 
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