Our country faces many issues: housing justice, reproductive justice and equal voting rights to name a few. Most organizers cannot be fully versed on every issue of the day and should not be expected to be. If we want to maximize our impact, we must work toward recruiting a coalition of experts on these issues. A big tent coalition of activists from all corners of the progressive community can maximize the impact of our larger movement.

Local elected officials are now more accessible than ever because many are on social media. Compared to their federal counterparts, local officials have smaller constituencies, which means it is easier to build relationships with them. Local officials have the biggest impact on the day-to-day realities of our communities. Getting in and building these relationships will allow you to advocate for the issues you care about the most.

Building a relationship with state representatives may be a bit harder, but it is not impossible. Their offices often have a dedicated staffer in charge of fielding inquiries from constituents. Try reaching out to let them know why your issue matters. Organizations like The Andrew Goodman Foundation — where I’m a fellow — make this easy through their Respect My Vote campaign. State governments, the governor and the state legislative body decide what state taxes and laws are implemented. State government is also responsible for how federal funds are used. State legislators write policies around infrastructure planning, state services and the regulation of business.

Every federal, state and local office holds committee meetings and hearings.

Local governments have city council meetings, school board meetings and zoning meetings where crucial decision making happens. School boards decide when new schools are built; zoning boards decide where affordable housing is located and where business and residential neighborhoods can be built. These meetings will inform you on all the projects and changes occurring in your local community.

State legislatures host public comment sessions where people are given the opportunity to provide testimony on proposed legislation. In fact, each year most states hold budget hearings where the public is invited to advocate for or against budget proposals. This is an excellent opportunity to present your issue to the governing body. Additionally, reporters often attend these meetings, which potentially lends a layer of media awareness to your message. Contact your representative to see if they can give you the opportunity to testify.

The right to protest is arguably one of the most fundamental rights we as Americans enjoy. When the above steps don't work in getting lawmakers’ attention, a protest may be the right choice to bring your cause to the forefront. They also give political incentive to supportive politicians to act. Protests are not just marching in the streets; they are strikes, sit-ins and boycotts. There are times throughout American history where working within the system can affect change, but there are times where the system needs to be pushed to recognize and prioritize the issues that matter.

Fighting inequality is hard. It can affect your mental and physical health. Working to fix systemic issues like homelessness, maternal mortality, voter suppression and environmental justice often come with losses that can wear anyone down. These issues cannot be fixed overnight, in a year, in five years or by one person alone. If we as a collective work to prioritize those who have been ignored, there will be one day where Black, trans, native, immigrant and queer children can be born into a society where their basic human rights are respected, and they don’t live in fear.

If our generation collectively follows these basic guidelines, we can shift the tide of our country. The coalitions we build today will decide the change we bring tomorrow. The future is in our hands. Let’s hand a better society to future generations than the one we were given.