By Dr. Laura McGuire
Activism: noun, /ˈaktəˌvizəm/ efforts to promote, impede, direct, or intervene in social, political, economic, or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society.
I have been an activist since I was seven years old. I believe that some of us are born with a special gene that propels us to be active in changing the world we live in. It’s not something we have to work at; it’s something we can’t live without. We have an innate ability to see problems and want to change them, to rectify wrongs and make the playing field of life a little more even. It’s not an effort to care; rather, we constantly have to challenge ourselves to dial down everything we care about so that we don’t burn out and drown in our own empathy.
For others, activism is a bug that bit them. They weren’t born with a fire in their bellies that ached to change the world. Their fire was instead lit later in life. Something happened—to them or someone dear to them—and suddenly they wanted to be part of changing injustice instead of choosing the illusion of neutrality.
What we often misunderstand about activism is what it truly entails and all of the ways that it can manifest in our lives. Activism is often painted in the monotone light of marches, microphones, and civil disobedience. Those who can’t or do not feel called to those avenues tend to not think of themselves as activists or part of the change. We have derogatory terms for people who don’t rise in the streets to promote their beliefs—armchair or keyboard activists. And yet, are these actions really less worthy of praise? Is it not inherently ableist and elitist to only focus on those with the physical and social means to march, when so many are doing so much good from their small corners of the world? It is vital that we find multiple ways to be activists, so that everyone can take part and none are left behind.
One of the many ways my passion for action-oriented change manifests is in the work I do with my business. My firm, the National Center for Equity and Agency, not only consults, teaches, and creates policy to be the change we want to see in the world, we also give back to every community we visit and fight to make sure even the most undervalued voices are amplified. Being a powerful business person does not mean employing greed, lies, and selfish motives to achieve success. Working to put power and financial strength in the hands of those who center social change is one of the best goals we can achieve for sustainable transformation.
Every day I hear about how disadvantaged women, people of color, people with disabilities, and queer folxs are when it comes to education, wealth, and employment. This cycle was not an accident. Generations of hegemonic systems intentionally constructed barriers to block these marginalized people from accessing information and resources to secure generational wealth and prosperity. There are very real reasons why all of the entrepreneurs I know who made six-figure salaries their first year in business are all white, cisgender, able-bodied men.
I refuse to accept that this is just the way it has to be. There are very real and concrete tools to creating success for ourselves and our communities. Whenever a marginalized person starts a business, they do three incredible things—
First, they break out of the cycle of respectability politics and the price we pay in toning down our truths to earn a living. No longer at the mercy of any employer, we can dress, speak, and present ourselves authentically. We can construct schedules, partnerships, and spaces that serve our needs as well as the needs of our communities, all while making a livelihood.
Second, we can create businesses that hire our people. Hire the people that you want to see succeed alongside you. Your success becomes their success, creating a lasting ripple effect in the communities you move within.
Third, we can create businesses that embody our values. Want more family-friendly workplaces for parents? Create it. Want ways for folxs with different abilities to flourish? Make that. Need to see companies that truly live and breathe inclusion? Start one.
One of my missions in life has been and continues to be creating pathways to help others succeed. I recognize the numerous barriers that have come between me, my education, and my career success. I fought tirelessly to find the tools and resources that would ultimately help me to overcome these obstacles. Now, I apply this same mentality, this same motivation, to my career as an entrepreneur. Even on the days that it all seems too much and the burden too heavy, I reach out to others who are doing similar work. If we quit, we fail not only ourselves but our communities as well. And as an activist, that is a failure I refuse to accept.
