Today is the last day of the month. That means it is Give What It Takes Day. Earlier this month I floated the idea of gathering up all of your spare change and donating it to an organization who is working for social change. Today is the day to do just that. I was able to come up with $60.00 to donate to a local preschool who is trying to raise money to put up a sunshade over their playground. What does this have to do with social change you ask??? Well – the school promotes multiculturalism and diversity to it’s students so they can better understand cultural differences and learn to celebrate them rather than discriminate because of them. This is an essential component in eradicating racism. So, if a sunshade protects the students they have and makes the school more attractive to prospective families, then my donation is supporting social change.
So – think outside the box if you need to. Consider giving locally to a smaller organization. They are the ones that are hurting the most right now. Hell – just give. Even if it is only $5. Then tell your friends to give. You may not be able to shell out a bunch of money, but you can sure do your part to encourage more donations and that is just as valuable.
Go right now to the place where you keep your spare change. Maybe its in a jar in your closet or in your bedside table drawer – wherever. Check in your couch cushions and under your car seats. Gather up all that change that is just sitting there collecting dust (not interest) and take it to your local bank or supermarket where they have a change counting machine. Dump it in. Count it up. Then go straight back home, get online, and make a donation to an organization that is working to create social change. It is that simple and believe me, those organizations need your money to be able to do what they do. Many of them are hurting for money and they are all doing great work. If you need some suggestions, take a look at the Recommendations page. There are some great ones there.
I often say the phrase “Change just happened.” I believe that every time we have a conversation about something that needs changing, we change. Sometimes a little…sometimes a lot. Everytime we hear a person’s story we are impacted by it and we change. Sometimes a little…sometimes a lot. A few years ago I got involved with a group called Changing Lives. It is an interactive theater peer education program for youth in Austin. The purpose of the group is to get youth talking about dating violence through theater.
During my time with Changing Lives, I was lucky enough to work with an extremely talented spoken word artist named Zell Miller III. Zell was hired on to lead a writing workshop for the youth in the program. We were planning to incorporate some spoken word into the theater work we were already doing. This was my very first expereince with spoken word. Through that process I heard many stories told through some of the most amazing poetry I had ever heard. Zell has this incredible knack for extracting the fire burning inside of people, especially youth. Over the next 3 years of working with Zell and seeing the growth of the young men and women he worked with, I changed…I changed a lot.
My eyes were opened to worlds that were previously unknown to me. I heard stories of abuse, racism, abandonment and loss. For the first time I was actually able to hear voices. I soon realized that spoken word poetry offers the opportunity to have a voice, a platform to deliver it and an audience to hear it. That is power.
I have been working with Zell ever since. He has introduced me to some of the finest poets and people on the planet. In particular, I have been fortunate enough to have met an worked with a man named Quincy “Black Prophet” Ockletree. Quincy is part of a fantastic Hip Hop group called Public Offenders. In addition, Quincy is a phenominal poet. One night during a show that Zell and I produced called “Flow” Quincy spit this piece that I still can’t believe. It was about what it is like to be black today. Again, change happened.
Now, I see another opportunity for change to happen. There is a program called Brave New Voices produced by Russell Simmons. The show features young poets from all over the country pouring out their deepest emotions for the world to see. They have plenty to say and it needs to be heard. You cannot listen to it without being deeply and profoundly affected. Please take a moment to watch this video clip from one the poets from Brave New Voices:
I have seen time and again the power of spoken word poetry and the impact it has on youth. Not only does spoken word poetry have a profound impact on those that hear it, but those who write and perform it. Proof of this can be see in the eyes and hearts of the people who have found it. Finding your voice is life changing.
Finally, there is group here in Austin called The Cipher that can vouch for that statement. They are the next batch of brave new voices that you need to see, hear and support. Take a look at www.thecipheratx.org. The founders of The Cipher are Shannon Sandrea and Chris “Gator” Ockletree (yes…Quincy’s brother) and they are doing some truly amazing work. The group of young men and women are supremely talented poets and hip hop artists who just need some opportunities to thrive. If you like what they do please consider making a donation to them.
Currently, The Cipher is hoping to raise enough money to be able to attend the Brave New Voices Festival in Chicago this July. Please help make that dream come true.
There are tons of worthy causes out there and I’d like to highlight them on this blog. If you know of an organization that is is working to create social change, please send me the URL. I will be happy to highlight them on my RECOMMENDATIONS page. Also – if you know of any videos that I could post send them my way.
A friend of mine named Brooke posted a quote on Twitter this morning that said “In this world of give and take, there aren’t enough people to give what it takes”. I am not sure if it is an original of hers or just one she liked, but it struck a chord with me. There aren’t enough people out there giving what it takes to create social change. With issues like Sexism, Racism, Poverty, Hate Crimes, Global Warming, Violence, etc. still dominating the social landscape, we have to take matters into our own hands to create change. So, I decided to do something about it. With almost no thought whatsoever I launched the “Give What It Takes Campaign”. It is a very simple idea. On the last day of each month pick a charity or non-profit organization or just a person that is doing some good in the world and give them a little bit of money to do what it takes to accomplish their goals. That’s it. You don’t have to give much. Give what yoiu can afford. But what you do have to do is take a moment to encourage your friends to Give What it Takes as well. If we all chip in, none of us as individuals have to bear the heavy burden of creating social change.
If you are on Twitter, tweet your donation like this:
I gave here today (URL of your charity). #givewhatittakes
I plan to use this blog to feature organizations or people that are creating social change. If you know of some and would like to see them featured, send me a URL and an explanination of why it’s important to you. I will post it on the blog.
