A brighter future has to be fought for. And we all have the power to act.
“We are the ones we have been waiting for” is a quote from the poet June Jordan (1936 – 2002). To me, it means that we, all of us, collectively, need to act. We can’t wait around for a saviour to swoop in and solve the myriad problems we face today. And we have the power to act.
I have been an activist for most of my 72 years of existence. To me, that means engaging with my community to bring about positive change. Whether it be organizing workers or supporting women in their struggle for equality or campaigning to get voters out, all of it is part of a struggle that’s larger than one person. That is important to me.
Growing up on military bases and embracing activism
As an army brat growing up on bases on the Prairies, I was drawn to the civil rights movement, maybe because the military seemed so arbitrary and hierarchical. After coming to Vancouver in 1969, I joined marches against the Vietnam War and for nuclear disarmament. It was a heady time, and it felt as though real change was coming.
After getting a job with the Post Office in 1972, I joined the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and became a union activist. At the time, the Post Office was hiring a lot of young folks who, it turned out, were also politically engaged. Confronted with a militaristic managerial style, sparks flew. It was easy for me to see which side I was on, especially after a six-week strike in 1975.
The broader scope of activism
Being involved with the labour movement meant becoming a “jack-of-all trades” kind of activist. Whether it was working for the rights of workers, women, and gays, or whether it involved fighting racism and right-wing ideologies, it felt good to be part of a collective vision.
I chose to retire in 2002 to the Comox Valley because of its “Valley of Activists” reputation. With a highly respected Labour Council, events like Mayworks and the World Community Film Fest, and individual activists I knew already, the Valley felt like a good fit. I plunged in feet first with the Miners Memorial and the Comox Valley Citizen Voice Project, among others.
The ongoing fight for progress
I have learned that progress to a brighter future is not inevitable. It has to be fought for—continuously. We seem to go in cycles with battles we thought we had won, like women’s reproductive rights. The MAGA conservatives and their allies throughout the world have set their sights on all the progress we have achieved over the past 70 years. As slow and difficult as it was to achieve that progress, we know a fickle electorate, or a majority of conservative judges, can wipe it out overnight.
Of course, I am only one of millions of activists doing our small but necessary parts. That is where hope comes in. As dark as things may seem with the election of Trump and popular support for fascist ideas, there are always people fighting for freedom, for some control in their lives. Resistance breeds hope and hope spurs on action. Activists are born in that cauldron of resistance.
We are always learning about new issues, like trans rights, Indigenous struggles, and the climate crisis. That is why we have to be humble about what we think we know or don’t know, and be open to voices we may have been deaf to in the past.
The importance of perspective and intergenerational solidarity
One thing about getting older is you gain perspective on social and political change. We have to remind young activists of the resistance of previous generations, of our shared history and the progress that we have made. Young people are important because they are the ones who will live in that future world. Their courage and passion will ensure the struggle continues.
My time will come to an end in the not-too-distant future and, as Utah Phillips sings, “Working on a ship / May never sail on it.” I am hopeful, though, that that ship, whatever it may look like, will be seaworthy.
