#wheaton

My main immediate takeaways from the protests in Wheaton and Geneva yesterday are that it's nice to see people feeling solidarity with each other with diverse reasons for attending and that it's wonderful to feel like you can be part of something bigger than yourself. People desire connection and belonging, and for some folks, these gatherings are a manifestation of that.

Beyond the immediate, I do think it's important to think about what's next. How do we leverage this energy to pressure politicians to bend to our will? How do we turn this short-term participation into lasting engagement and change? Who will run for elected office? Who will join a local organization or start a new one to serve our communities? What can we do, even if it's just for 3-5 minutes a day, to affect change?

CNW Commodity

Ethan Harsted, Wheaton