my neighbor Barb, age 80+/a million years old, has not read theory, or online discourse bc she doesn't own anything more advanced than a landline, same w her husband, and they still do more than half this website by volunteering and donating when they can. Put your phone down and go try to outdo my 82 year old neighbor.
I'm not saying this as "lol Barb is old." Barb is probably in better physical shape than I am tbh. We love Barb.
The point I'm making is that Barb is old enough to remember when things were way worse. Barb marched for abortion rights in the 70s. Barb was involved in AIDS activism. Barb is also from a very rural, very conservative area with little resources - she lives up the road from me and we still don't have drinkable tap water, we still rely on heating oil and wood for heat in the winter, etc. we're not very lucky people here lol
But Barb does not need to know anything beyond what needs doing. If the local shelter is short on clothes, Barb will call and ask if we have anything to spare. When the field by my house caught fire and my fiance helped put it out, Barb encouraged the neighbors to thank us and reminded everyone of the fundraiser for the local volunteer fire department. A few years back, a local woman was homeless due to domestic violence and Barb asked everyone around for books and toys for her kids while they were staying at the gas station waiting for housing placement. Barb heard I was having mental health problems and gifted us their old canoe, had her husband drop it off, so I could get outside more.
My neighbor Barb doesn't need to debate or know a ton or use the right language to help people. I think she's amazing because she just does and I hope to be like that. Barb doesn't need to understand or pontificate about things. She just sees someone in need and feels for them. And I know plenty of women like Barb, I'm just using her as an example here, who are fantastic. I think people need to put down the identity politics and discourse and just become Barb.
I think, before you call yourself an activist or anything, you should ask yourself if you're doing as much as Barb, a retired elder who is smarter and more empathetic than most people. She is doing activism via casseroles and garage sales beyond your local DSA's imagination.
