Let’s Build Our Power: Volunteering with Mass 50501
As we prepare for No Kings on March 28th, we remember that our movement is not only about protesting what’s wrong—but about daring to build something better. The theme of March 28th’s No Kings day is We the People are We the Powerful. Each action on its own is small. Each individual person can only do so much. Together, we can drive real change.
While a one-day protest is helpful for increasing a movement’s visibility and numbers, sustained collective action is even more important. A main goal of No Kings Boston is to increase each person’s awareness of their individual and collective power, and to provide multiple avenues to support their sustained engagement toward building a better democracy for all. At Boston Common on March 28th, dozens of local organizations will be providing information on how to get involved in various causes, such as supporting immigrants, enacting change through lobbying efforts, building mutual aid, protecting civil liberties, and resisting mass surveillance from ALPR cameras. After the event, you can check the nokings.boston website for a list of participating organizations and calls to action.
One way to combine your efforts with others and enhance your impact is to join a volunteer group. For some of you, this is old hat. Maybe you’ve participated with other volunteer groups in the past. Maybe you’re actively engaged now. For others, maybe you’re interested in and aligned with the movement, but unsure what volunteering with Mass 50501 actually entails.
We checked in with six of our current volunteers to hear about their reasons for volunteering, their previous experience (or lack thereof), their time commitment, and their overall thoughts about organizing with Mass 50501. We heard from Kat on the Safety Team; Rebecca, mother, educator, and the Executive Director for Mass 50501; Dot on the Outreach Team; Old Black Bird from the Community Building team; Kate F. on the Outreach and Art/Design teams; Ryan on the Newsletter Team; and Bryan Winter, a software engineer and veteran on the Outreach and Newsletter Teams. While these volunteers have been organizing for about a year, new volunteers are joining continually, and each brings incredible value to the organization, expanding our capacity and increasing our “big tent.”
Rebecca, Old Black Bird, Dot, and Ryan had varying levels of previous volunteer experience, while Kat, Kate F., and Bryan did not have prior experience volunteering with a political organization. Someone in the Mass 50501 Discord once half-jokingly referred to the organization as “organizing for dummies,” given how many people are doing this kind of work for the first time.
When asked what inspired them to join Mass 50501 specifically, Kat and Rebecca mentioned a strong need to act:
Kat: Everyone around me kept complaining about all the bad news, that someone should do something... It dawned on me that we are the ones who must do something rather than wait for someone else.
Rebecca: I could not sit at home and doomscroll. I had to get involved… I had to go and see with my own eyes what it was about. It was the first time in months that I felt hope and solidarity…
Dot, Old Black Bird, and Rebecca mentioned Mass 50501’s big tent:
Dot: Democracy is worth fighting for. Mass 50501 was the first truly nonpartisan group I saw standing up to stop the democratic backsliding.
Old Black Bird: I saw tolerance, diversity, and action…
Rebecca: It also helps that we have such a large LGBTQIA+ contingent and many folks with different backgrounds and mindsets.
Kate F. and Ryan mentioned other people as part of their driving inspiration:
Kate F.: I was deeply concerned about rising authoritarianism. I wanted to work with other people concerned about this threat.
Ryan: A belief that my privileged life was only possible because people sacrificed for the greater good, and a recognition that if I didn't sacrifice my time now, a worse future could befall the people I care about.
Bryan stated simply, “Patriotism.”
Each volunteer had concerns before joining, such as if they would fit in, if their skills would be useful, the possibility of trouble, and the reality of taking on too much and burning out.
Kat: I was initially concerned about getting in trouble similar to the stereotypical resistance groups you see on TV with the fights and arrests. However, Mass 50501’s unwavering commitment to nonviolence made me feel confident that this was a good crowd to fall in with.
Rebecca: I was … concerned that I might not be a great demographic fit and that I might not have the stamina or time for the work required. Since we're a "big tent" organization that runs professionally, I've felt safe and comfortable here.
Kate F.: I worried about burnout. Every time I've over-committed and had to back out of something, people have been kind and compassionate.
Ryan: I was worried that I would not fit in. However, that fear was assuaged once people started listening to my diatribes on niche topics and complimenting the work I do.
Bryan: Fitting in, though I didn't ask anyone to address that concern. I just winged it until I was able to make it work. I'm a blunt, no nonsense and occasionally abrasive person—so I try to be mindful of that when I'm in a different space than my usual comfort zone.
While these volunteers expressed time commitments ranging from showing up to support events on an as-needed basis, to a few asynchronous hours a week, all the way up to full-time hours, they also echoed the need for balance and the fact that we are all volunteers who are fitting this work into our varied personal and professional lives. Rebecca explained:
“I've … learned there is a place for every ability. There is space for those who can only give one hour a week as well as those who can practically work full time. There is also an enormous variety of ways to help ranging from in-person events to fully remote work.”
After an onboarding call, volunteers end up on a team that suits their skills, interests, and availability, and this can change over time. One volunteer reported that they started out on the Street Team, which includes activities such as promoting events via flyering, distributing materials, and greeting participants at events. This volunteer found they didn’t like the in-person aspect as much, so they moved to more asynchronous home-based tasks such as writing for our newsletter and planning community-building events. As long as you adhere to the principle of nonviolence and our stated values, any contribution or amount of time is a wonderful gift. Dot stated, “I wasn't sure where I would fit in or if my skills would be useful. People quickly hauled me into jobs that needed doing, so I found my place!”
Many volunteers engage in projects or actions that are rewarding to them personally. Kate F. joined art and design because she “started by drawing button designs and designing stickers.” Kat mentioned that she’s seen her impact as a safety marshal, when she’s “been told several times by demonstrators that they feel comfortable coming out to events because we’re there to look out for them.” Volunteering with Mass 50501 can be more than just showing up to events (you are welcome to attend as many or as few events as you’d like). It’s more than phone banking or letter writing (but you’re also welcome to do that, if it’s your thing). In fact, the scope is so broad that many individuals have engaged in projects that they’ve never done before and/or that didn’t even exist until they themselves pitched them to their team. One volunteer directed a play for the first time in their life (an anti-ICE play called Snow). Other volunteers had never written or created art for public consumption before, and now have done so on a semi-regular basis. Others have honed skills that they already had. Ryan mentioned “sharpening [his] writing skills” and Kate F. likes “getting to use and develop [her] people skills” as part of her Outreach work. Within our Discord server, one may stumble upon spontaneous mentoring, skill-sharing (don’t forget to check out our community building workshops!), and regular-old community support.
Clearly, in addition to fighting authoritarianism, joining a volunteer group also provides a much-needed social benefit. When asked “What have you enjoyed during your time as a volunteer?” Bryan responded, “Camaraderie” and others’ replies echoed the sentiment:
Kat: I have enjoyed yelling at the sky in solidarity with like-minded community members, painting protest signs, and eating pizza with friends.... The friendships that I’ve made through volunteering with Mass 50501 are ones that I hope will stand the test of time and changing political winds. I am far less scared to face what’s coming knowing that I’m not alone.
Dot: Making connections with a huge variety of people who I would never otherwise have met.
Old Black Bird: Being involved is helping me find my community.
If you’re curious about volunteering, Dot says, “Give it a shot! Try going through onboarding just to see what's available, and be sure to raise your hand if you see something you think you can help with. Try making connections with other volunteers, because that makes it a lot easier to find the jobs that fit you!” Ryan stated, “Your skills, and your voice, matter much more than you might believe. I truly believe we are on course to shape the course of this nation, and by extension, world history. Wouldn't you want to look back in a couple of decades and say, ‘I did this for the world and I am proud’?”
The first step to volunteering with Mass 50501 is to join our Discord, click the #readme channel, and fill out the form linked there to schedule an onboarding call. You are also welcome to join the Discord and explore before joining a team. If you do join us, please speak up! You can usually get quick responses in #questions-and-help. (If you’re not on Discord, you can email info@mass50501.org).
As Heather Cox Richardson recently shared, “Find your lane… And find the other people that are working in that lane. And trust the rest of us to take the lanes that you’re not in.” The regime is purposefully flooding the zone and keeping the news cycle churning to frighten us, isolate us, and knock us off balance. That’s why we say We the People are We the Powerful. You don’t have to do this alone. And you don’t have to tackle every issue. One of the easiest and most important things that we can all do is stay informed, spread the truth, and stand together. Joining a volunteer group increases your access to information, widens your circle and influence, and can help you finetune and amplify your effort, whether you are lobbying for a specific bill, boycotting companies that support the regime, creating uplifting art, or just need a space where you can add your voice to the cause.
Old Black Bird commented:
“I'm reminded of a pin I have where a whole school of small fish are chasing a large fish to eat it. That's what we are. Alone I am one small fish. Together we can eat the plutocracy.”
We are expecting over 150,000 participants to join us for Boston’s No Kings on March 28th. To facilitate an event for a crowd of that size requires a tremendous amount of volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering at the event, please join our Discord and schedule an onboarding call, specifically mentioning your interest.
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