3 ways to educate yourself on social justice: The Rabbit Hole

With the violent events that took place in Charlottesville over the weekend, it’s more important than ever to stand for social justice. But where should you start? We have three suggestions.

With everything going on in the world right now, it’s hard not to feel helpless. Already growing tensions boiled over with the violent events in Charlottesville this past weekend and the fallout will continue online, in communities throughout the country, and at your family dinner table. Maybe you’ve never gotten involved in social justice issues before, but if you’re inspired to get involved now, here are a few places to start:

Read up

There are so many books available out there to inform yourself about various issues and approaches to social activism. One that might be a good place to start, particularly if you’re feeling hopeless as well as helpless (which would be understandable considering everything that’s going on) is Rebecca Solnit’s Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities. With a new edition published in 2016, Solnit discusses social justice victories throughout history that were hard to appreciate at the times when they were actually happening, and how hope can fuel social progress even in the darkest of times.

Know your history

To put some of the recent events in a historical context specifically, there are, again, a lot of options out there. The award-winning 1987 PBS documentary series Eyes on the Prize is an exhaustive look at the history of the Civil Rights Movement in this country in the 1950s and ’60s. The episodes cover everything from the Montgomery bus boycott to the Voting Rights Act and feature interviews with major figures in the movement, so you’ll get a better understanding of where we’re coming from as a society and how far we still have to go. Of special note, it focuses on how every day men and women were able to make a difference. You can stream the series on Amazon.

Get out there

Of course if you want to do more than just learn about the issues, there are plenty of places and people that would love to have your support. In addition to calling out instances of injustice you see in your own life and really listening to the needs and feelings of those who are being oppressed, check out Meetup.com’s activism pages.

Next: Riz Ahmed addresses the Charlottesville attacks in ‘Sour Times’

There you can find upcoming meetings, workshops, and rallies where you can make your voice heard.