My Time in Madison: A Reflection on Social Justice and Self-Care
On April 10th, I joined hundreds of other activists from all over Wisconsin for the 25th anniversary of WISDOM Wisconsin's Madison Action Day. Issues included protecting and expanding Medicaid, driver's cards for immigrants, funding for public schools, and closing the prison in Green Bay without building any new prisons.
WISDOM Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley affiliate, JONAH (Joining Our Neighbors Advancing Hope)
The Raging Grannies, who show up at protests and sing sassy songs, got us fired up for the day ahead. WISDOM leaders led us in prayer and delivered passionate speeches. We marched to the capitol, chanting together for justice, freedom, and democracy. By the way, if you’ve never done this, I highly recommend taking the next chance you can get. Shouting in unison, taking up space, actively using your voice - it’s one of my favorite things in life.
Once there, I shared my story and my concerns with legislators and their staff, and had the absolute honor and privilege of listening to the stories of other activists. I spoke about the importance of Medicaid to the health of our communities, sharing my personal and professional experience as one of many who are impacted.
On April 22, I was back on a bus to Madison, this time with the Chamber of Commerce for the Chippewa Valley Rally. Although the vibe was a bit different (no protest signs or songs this time,) the message was the same - there are people that care. I was placed in a diverse group of community members who all care very deeply about issues like healthcare, homelessness, higher education, and public schools. I learned a lot from folks who had been doing this for years or even decades, and I learned that hope can come from the most unexpected places.
These experiences got me thinking about the people that couldn’t be there. People I know that wanted to, but couldn’t, for many different reasons. Work, disability, burn-out. It got me thinking about how privileged I am to be able to use my voice, and the responsibility that comes with representing the ones who can’t.
Then it made me think of self-care in social justice. Real self-care, practiced by the Black Panther party in the civil rights movement, strongly emphasized community care. Yoga and meditation was part of it, but it also included healthy food programs and community clinics.
Audre Lorde said, “ Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.”
To fully show up for social justice, we must commit to ongoing self-care, and that includes allowing ourselves to be cared for by others. This work is a collective effort, not a solo mission. If you can’t make it to the protest, I will stand in your place. If I need to step back from the news to protect my mental health, I trust you to keep challenging misinformation. We move forward not just through action, but through mutual care.
I often hear people say, “I don’t feel like I’m doing enough,” especially those new to this work. If that’s you, I want you to know you are doing enough. The problems are impossibly big, and the progress is slow. But that doesn’t mean your contribution is small. Dear baby activist, that feeling of not doing enough? It may never go away. But don’t let it silence your efforts. You are part of something bigger, and you are needed.
The most powerful part of being in Madison was being surrounded by so much hope. Witnessing a collective voice call for the protection of human rights for everyone was the evidence of hope that I needed in that moment. It was an antidote to the systems fatigue and uncertainty we've been experiencing and a reminder that I am so very far from alone.
If you’ve been feeling some type of way lately, my wish is that sharing this reignites hope and compels you to keep going.
And if you need to take a break, I got you.
