A Girl's Guide to Joining the Resistance (A Feminist Handbook on Fighting for Good)

"If not you, then who?  If not now, then when? We need more women to speak up and make their voices heard. Young women have valuable experiences and perspectives.  We need you in this fight.” Senator Elizabeth Warren, from a Girl’s Guide to Joining the Resistance

So—the presidential election of 2016 happened. You cried, you ranted, you marched. But how do you stay engaged for the long term? How do you keep fighting while also continuing your real life? How do you get involved when you feel far from the action? How do you stay vigilant without being furious all. the. time?

Needing to take action after the election, Emma Gray, Executive Women’s Editor at HuffPost, put on her journalist hat and set out to get answers to these questions from some of the most prominent thought leaders and activists of our time. She spoke with march organizers, and senators, long-time activists, and newcomers across political movements to find out the best ways to listen to those who have been doing this for a while, join in, and create sustainable action. In all of her conversations, one theme came up again and again: young women are essential to the resistance.

Interweaving the interviews with her own experiences covering resistance events and being a member of the media in a time when the media has been under assault, Emma has created a down and dirty guide for women of all ages to roll up their sleeves and resist the forces that are a threat to our rights.

Inside you’ll find:

• A guide for how to choose good news sources and make sure you’re getting quality information.

• Practical instructions on how to get involved and stay involved, with examples from the author’s own experience organizing the successful “Watch Us Run” conference.

• An exploration of female centric work spaces and instructions for how to create your own.  

• Advice for self-care and how to stay involved without exhausting yourself.

• Extensive information including numbers to call, organizations to email and donate to, and scripts for reaching out to representatives and organizations.

• Interviews with experienced activists including Senator Elizabeth Warren, actress and activist Ashley Judd, actress and activist Marlo Thomas, Women’s March Co-Chair Carmen Perez, Mother of the Movement Lucy McBath, Black Lives Matter Network co-creator Alicia Garza, People for Bernie Founder Winnie Wong, and former assistant to President Obama Tina Tchen.

Whether you’re new to the front or an activism vet, there has never been a better time to jump into the fray.