This is fantastic; thank you. I completely agree that those are important additions to these 20 lessons. And as an addendum to the first point, it’s also interesting that administrators are highly aware of the idea of pushing off change until progressive organizations run out of time, money, and resources to keep fighting. I’ve seen this with school administrations when they make a lot of promises and superficial changes until the students pushing for reform graduate. That can make it rather disheartening for student activists, knowing that anything they’re pushing for isn’t going to benefit their educational experiences while they’re there. The idea that what you’re doing is inherently just has to sustain you, and that’s hard. I appreciate your comments! Thank you!

You May Never See The Fruits of Your Labor: Change, especially the kind of radical change that is being advocated by progressive organizations, won’t happen over night. Remember, The Stonewall Riots happened a full 44 years before Marriage Equality became the law of the land, and even now LGBTQ+ Americans still find themselves the target of legal discrimination in several states. You’ll find that after years of marching, volunteering, and organizing, that nothing seems to have significantly improved. But always try to view things in the long term, and you’ll understand that the work you’re doing now isn’t for the current generation, but for the generations to come. Often times, the battle isn’t for policy, at least at first, it’s a battle for the hearts of the people. Getting people to evolve on an issue, is the hardest part and can take longer than anything else.

Doing What’s Right isn’t Heroic, It’s Just Right: You shouldn’t become an activist with the goal of becoming famous or being internationally recognized for your hard work. Chances are, you’re not Malala, and you won’t be receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. You might end up garnering likes, retweets, or maybe you’ll become a meme along the way, but gathering recognition shouldn’t come into the equation. It might sound tacky, but doing the right thing is it’s own reward. The work you do is making our society more egalitarian, forcing people to resolve their prejudices, and perhaps literally saving lives. That’s enough

Great Read