Naptime Activism: Finding Your Cause

In my previous Naptime Activism articles, I’ve written about giving back to the larger community by getting involved in a worthy cause and I’ve suggested that you do so only to the extent that your time and resources allow. But, how do you go about finding your cause?

For some people, their cause is obvious; it gets right in their face and they get involved without realizing that they’re even doing so.

If you’re not one of these and feel overwhelmed by the numerous worthy causes and your own limited time, remember that women and mothers are behind many of our most beloved organizations.

When it comes to finding your cause, look for ways to get involved in community work that help to improve the lives of your own family members and neighbors. For example, historically, women have been involved with improving access to education, protecting the environment, ensuring affordable healthcare, advocating for housing, and working to prevent drug abuse, alcoholism, and violence.

Negative experiences with racism, classicism, and sexism have sparked mothers of color to advocate for accessible childcare, voter registration, and elder care. Some mothers, like Candace Lightner, who founded Moms Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) in 1980, are propelled to activism by personal tragedies. 

You can use your voice as a woman and a mother to denounce injustice and promote positive political change. First, explore groups in your local community that need help. If you don’t find something local, here are some mother-centric national groups to consider:

Another Mother for Peace is a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 1967 “to educate women to take an active role in eliminating war as a means of solving disputes between nations, people and ideologies.”

Black Mamas Matter Alliance “envisions “a world in which black mamas have the rights, respect, and resources to thrive before, during and after pregnancy.”

Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association wants to reduce racial disparities in breastfeeding success for black families through direct service, education and advocacy.

Blue Star Mothers of America is a private non-profit organization that provides support for mothers who have sons or daughters in active service in the US Armed Forces. It was originally formed during World War II and has local chapters.

Every Mother Counts works to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother, everywhere by raising awareness, investing in solutions and mobilizing action.

Free Black Mamas puts together funds to bail people out of jail. Women are the fastest growing group of people incarcerated in jails and prisons. Sixty percent of people in local women’s jails have not even been convicted of a crime and are awaiting trail. Eighty percent of them are parents and many are without support, a safety net or someone to come for them.

Incarcerated Mothers Law Project. For over 25 years, a team of committed attorneys has provided legal advice, information and advocacy to women in jail and prison. Through this unique project in upstate New York, mothers who are separated from their children due to incarceration receive critical family law counsel to help them preserve and protect parental rights, arrange care for their children, maintain family ties and plan for re-unification.

March for Moms has organized a rally on the National Mall every year since 2017. Its purpose is to share the experiences of extraordinary people working to produce a safer and more equitable American maternal health care system. The organization highlights solutions that will end maternal mortality, improve access to high quality and equitable care and broaden support for the challenges of early parenting.

Moms Clean Air Force is a community of more than 1,000,000 moms and dads united against air pollution and committed to fighting for climate safety to protect our children’s health.

Moms Demand Action is a grassroots movement fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. They work for the passage of stronger gun laws and also work in the community to encourage a culture of responsible gun ownership.

Mothers Against Police Brutality unites mothers who have lost their children to police violence. This is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic coalition uniting mothers nationwide to fight for civil rights, police accountability, and policy reform.”

Mothers of Transgender Children provides support, education, resources and articles for mothers whose children are transitioning from one gender to another.

Mothers Out Front is “an organization of mothers, grandmothers, and other caregivers coming together to make climate change an issue that our leaders can no longer ignore.”

Single Mothers Outreach “scaffolds families facing sudden housing instability, income loss, emotional trauma and social deterioration as the result of divorce, abandonment, or widowhood.”

Social Good Moms is a global coalition of over 3000 mom bloggers from over 20 countries. “When our partners need to reach the masses about new initiatives, advocacy campaigns, or fundraising efforts, Social Good Moms work voluntarily and collectively to spread the word through social media and blogging.”

Naptime Activism is a regular feature that provides an overview of issues that matter to parents and families. We offer suggestions for steps you can take do, no matter what age your child. 

For example, if you’re busy with a baby, maybe all you can do is inform yourself about an issue. If you have a toddler, maybe you can inform others, write a letter to the editor, or post and comment on social media. Once your children are in school, you may be able to devote more time to activism. And, if you are homeschooling, you can include activism in your home curriculum.

If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a way we can help you in finding your cause, please leave a comment or contact us.