Let's Do More Together
How do you convince people to vote? A marketing writer shares her attention-getting secrets
10.12.20
Photo by Jennifer Griffin on Unsplash
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Anne Hebert, a marketing writer living in Austin, TX, jokes that her closest friends think that her hobby is "low-key harassment for social good". She authors a website devoted entirely to People Doing Good Things. She's hosted a yearly canned food drive with up to 150 people stopping by to donate, resulting in hundreds of pounds of donations to take to the food bank for the past decade.
"I try to share info in a positive way that gives people hope and makes them aware of solutions or things they can do to try to make the world a little better," she said.
For now, she's encouraging people through a barrage of persistent, informative, and entertaining emails with one goal in mind: getting people to VOTE. The thing about emailing people and talking about politics, according to Hebert, is to catch their attention—which is how lice got involved.
"When my kids were in elementary school, I was class parent for a year, which meant I had to send the emails to the other parents. As I've learned over the years, a good intro will trick your audience into reading the rest of the email. In fact, another parent told me that my emails always stood out, especially the one that started: 'We need volunteers for the Valentine's Party...oh, and LICE.'"
Hebert isn't working with a specific organization. She is simply trying to motivate others to find ways to plug in to help get out the vote.
<p>The emails, which are entertaining and informative, break down basic ideas for exactly <em>how</em> to help educate and motivate other people to exercise their right to vote. She offers a multitude of suggestions and ideas based on level of difficulty, making it easy even for the most apathetic members of society. Her quirky and smart communication strategy caught the attention of <a href="https://www.wearenotley.com/notley-tide" target="_blank">Notley Tide</a>, a non-partisan initiative launched in June of this year to encourage others to tap into their networks to advance racial justice and voting rights.<br></p><p>The members of Notley Tide receive monthly call-to-action emails, and Hebert's helpful resources have been shared in them, according to Minh Vu, who is leading the effort. </p><p>"A rising tide lifts all boats...in this case, our 'tide' is made up of our community of monthly givers and doers committed to building a more racially just future," said Vu. "The roots of the systemic and institutional racism that has been pervasive throughout our country's history continued to expose itself at the expense of Black lives with the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others." </p><p>Hebert wasn't always this passionate about the democratic process; she began a couple of years ago by writing emails to a handful of people, encouraging them to educate themselves and take action to spread awareness of the importance of voting in every single election.</p><p>"Many people have never phone banked or knocked on doors," Hebert said. "My goal is to give people an entry point at which they are comfortable. Does anyone like to bake? Can anyone stuff envelopes?"</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUwNzUwNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDA4NTA1MH0.cDzPvygjGWoLDy-QEBNVUVkOX4HAujVR2tnSRG5RE9g/img.jpg?width=980" id="f53fa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1cedd5850736ba9b7fa919e37e4a07bd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo courtesy of Anne Hebert</small></p><p><a href="https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/poll-young-people-believe-they-can-lead-change-unprecedented-election-cycle" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Research shows</a> that more than a third of eligible voters are Gen Z or millennials, and 83% of people ages 18 to 29 believe they have the power to change the country and the world. However, voter registration numbers are down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with so many issues on the line, getting the young voters to make their voices heard is imperative. This is why <a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/good-news/global-citizen-headcount-helps-voters/" target="_blank">Procter & Gamble has partnered with Global Citizen and HeadCount for #JustVote</a>, a new initiative to register as many new voters as possible.<br></p><p>Hebert is concerned about missed opportunities for high schoolers and college students to register to vote, due to the impact of Covid-19. Normally those efforts are heavily promoted on campuses, and pushed forward by school administrators. With many schools operating abnormally due to the pandemic, there's a huge need to get kids who recently turned 18 or who are of age, but have never voted before, registered to vote and informed on where their voting locations are.</p><p>"I've organized with my neighbors to work to increase voter registration and turnout in our precinct and now we are helping with the surrounding precincts...the last two weekends, we got volunteers to put voter registration forms on thousands and thousands of student apartment complexes."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
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<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo courtesy of Anne Hebert</small></p><p>Voting is one way you can make a difference. Another is getting more people to the polls in November. So let's go do some social good.<br></p><p><strong>Turn your everyday actions into acts of good by <a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/" target="_blank">P&G Good Everyday</a>, a rewards program for people who want to make a positive impact in the world.</strong></p>
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A Starbucks barista's reaction to a customer's anti-mask, anti-BLM rant was perfection
10.20.20
Eight months into the pandemic, you'd think people would have the basics figured out. Sure, there was some confusion in the beginning as to whether or not masks were going to help, but that was months ago (which might as well be years in pandemic time). Plenty of studies have shown that face masks are an effective way to limit the spread of the virus and public health officials say universal masking is one of the keys to being able to safely resume some normal activities.
Normal activities include things like getting a coffee at Starbucks, but a viral video of a barista's encounter with an anti-masker shows why the U.S. will likely be living in the worst of both worlds—massive spread and economic woe—for the foreseeable future.
Alex Beckom works at a Starbucks in Santee, California and shared a video taken after a woman pulled down her "Trump 2020" mask to ask the 19-year-old barista a question, pulled it back up when the barista asked her to, then pulled it down again.
<div id="57510" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e1b7bbdc51e4298b365d8995d7062197"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1317973883270569985" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Welcome to my day at work🥰 #starbucks #karen @Starbucks https://t.co/six8s4qCAx</div> — A l e x🧚♀️ (@A l e x🧚♀️)<a href="https://twitter.com/Alex_beckom/statuses/1317973883270569985">1603064435.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>All Beckom did was inform the woman that she needed to keep her mask on, and the scene turned into the woman throwing a fit. She claimed that she didn't have to listen to the barista because "this is America." She said the virus (or the pandemic, or the mask order—it's not clear) is "a hoax." And she berated Black Lives Matter, which had nothing whatsoever to do with the exchange, other than Beckom existing in front of her in her Black skin.</p><p>Beckom remained completely professional and friendly throughout the bizarre interchange, even after the woman accused her of discriminating against her for being a Trump supporter, and even after the woman said "F*ck Black Lives Matter," and then yelled the same thing again as she left the store. </p><p>"If she thinks she's being discriminated against, that's on her," Beckom told 10 News, San Diego's <a href="https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/video-shows-starbucks-karen-become-upset-when-asked-to-put-on-mask" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ABC affiliate.</a> "I never brought up anything about her politics ... I wasn't even angry. I was just like, 'Why is this happening?'" </p><p>Beckom had every right to ask the woman to keep her mask on, both due to company policy and the state of California mandate. And no one would blame Beckom if she'd had a more emotional or forceful response considering this woman's rude and inappropriate behavior, but the contrast of her calm reaction beautifully highlighted how off-the-rails the woman's own response was.</p><p>The video has had more than 4 million views since Beckom shared it on Sunday, and people have praised the dignity and grace with which the barista handled the situation. </p><p>"I think it's important to show this type of behavior shouldn't be normalized and shouldn't be acceptable ..." Beckom told 10 News. "As this behavior continues, the cycle continues, and we need to get this cycle to stop."</p><p>Indeed, we do need to get this cycle to stop. People like this woman are partially why the U.S. is in the dismal state that we're in with the coronavirus pandemic. Calling it a hoax, refusing to keep her mask on, berating a lovely young woman who is just doing her job—these kinds of videos are so old, but so indicative of where we are. </p><p>But Beckom's response is also an indicator that there is hope to be had in all of this madness. To have such presence of mind and maturity at 19 years old is impressive, and the more we see people doing the right thing, the better. Beckom represents the millions of Americans who work with the public and have to put up with people's nonsense. It's heartening to see someone so young handling it so well. </p><p>Keep up the great work, Alex. (And hey Starbucks, maybe give that woman a raise. In the meantime, <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/2664k28s40?sharetype=teams&member=6181524&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&rcid=c81807e2aa8e4f888358384d5dbb75af" target="_blank">here's a GoFundMe</a> if you want to give her a tip for her excellent customer service.) </p>
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Glenda moved to Houston from Ohio just before the pandemic hit. She didn't know that COVID-19-related delays would make it difficult to get her Texas driver's license and apply for unemployment benefits. She quickly found herself in an impossible situation — stranded in a strange place without money for food, gas, or a job to provide what she needed.
Alone, hungry, and scared, Glenda dialed 2-1-1 for help. The person on the other end of the line directed her to the Houston-based nonprofit Bread of Life, founded by St. John's United Methodist pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus.
For nearly 30 years, Bread of Life has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS prevention, eliminating food insecurity, providing permanent housing to formerly homeless individuals and disaster relief.
Glenda sat in her car for 20 minutes outside of the building, trying to muster up the courage to get out and ask for help. She'd never been in this situation before, and she was terrified.
When she finally got out, she encountered Eva Thibaudeau, who happened to be walking down the street at the exact same time. Thibaudeau is the CEO of Temenos CDC, a nonprofit multi-unit housing development also founded by the Rasmuses, with a mission to serve Midtown Houston's homeless population.
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUyNDg1Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTQ5MDE1Mn0.0jnGZfz6cTr9rIuYo644sDJftBhj7Dqzg-6olbynoig/img.jpg?width=980" id="db65e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1d9dbe31f21c6ae80223dd1cc11825a5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@healing_photographer?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aarón Blanco Tejedor</a> </small></p><p>"I saw a woman walking toward me in a hesitant fashion. I called out to her and admired her Juneteenth t-shirt," Thibaudeau said. Glenda asked her for directions, and they struck up a conversation. After finding out that she was in need, Thibaudeau sprang into action and began making phone calls. A few minutes later, two of her co-workers rounded the corner of St. John's church with a box of household goods, courtesy of Bread of Life.<br></p><p>As they loaded up Glenda's car with essentials, Thibaudeau asked questions and listened intently before inviting her to take a walk together.</p><p>"As [we] walked, she sobbed and shared that she isn't any more deserving than anyone else and she was so grateful for our kindness. I told her that this is what we do and reminded her that she is not alone. Once you find all of us, you have found the Houston Love!" said Thibaudeau. "I put my arm around her and asked, 'What's your name?' We laughed at realizing that we hadn't exchanged names yet. 'Glenda,' she answered. 'I'm Eva and we got you.'"</p><p>This kind of empathy and boundless love is what fuels the work of Pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus. By practicing what they preach—literally—they've created a Houston-based network of nonprofit organizations to cover almost every need imaginable.</p><div id="b5433" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e6d0b0f14bcb6f7bb71df55f93e86d71"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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</div></blockquote></div><p>The couple, who have been married for 36 years, light up recalling an event that transformed and refined their mission to serve. Shortly after they first took over the congregation at <a href="https://stjohnsdowntown.org/" target="_blank">St. John's</a>, they arrived at the church to find a homeless man sleeping on the front stoop. Rather than shooing him away, they invited him inside. That, in sum, is what they've been doing ever since: using what they have to help those in need.<br></p><p>"We have an amazing team of compassionate people who really work together to make good happen, and that's what we've been doing for almost 30 years," said Pastor Rudy. "Eva's story is a perfect example of that."</p><p>Bread of Life received an outpouring of support from across the U.S. after <a href="https://www.upworthy.com/texas-pastor-is-redefining-what-it-means-to-love-your-neighbor" target="_self">Upworthy</a> published their story in June 2020, enabling them to begin offering free weekly COVID-19 testing to the residents of downtown Houston. During a time when access to testing was problematic for many Americans, this service undeniably saved a number of lives. Bread of Life serves a primarily homeless population, people with disabilities and no insurance, with a primary goal of reducing homelessness and food insecurity.</p><p>Recently, they've shifted their volunteer efforts to the herculean task of contact tracing and case management, offering yet another invaluable service. They now have an official Mobile COVID Testing Unit, offering completely contact free, mobile testing (note the arm holes in the side)!</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUyNDg4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNTI2NzA3OH0.Kgt9hQ52HYvUiM7DVJ9o4JCbHaf5wbpUDp0BGjqi4_U/img.jpg?width=980" id="c7449" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ab8061956f3882567e51a7ed2dec4588" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo courtesy of Rudy Rasmus</small></p><p>Additionally, Bread of Life's partnership with <a href="https://m25m.org/" target="_blank">Matthew:25 Ministries</a> and the <a href="https://www.houstonfoodbank.org/home/" target="_blank">Houston Food Bank</a> means that people who are sick and quarantined at home can now have food delivered. They've also added fresh, frozen meat to their weekly contactless distribution line downtown.<br></p><p>"Meat days are <em>crazy</em>," said Pastor Rudy. "Because people who are experiencing food insufficiency don't have many opportunities to get meat." He calls it "small scale pandemonium."</p><div id="499c1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ea8243c74976243fdaacbc5d4de7e064"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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</div></blockquote></div><p>According to <a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/impact/feeding-america/" target="_blank">Feeding America</a>, an additional 17.1 million Americans will experience food insecurity this year due to impacts from COVID-19, and they need our support now more than ever. In response to this growing problem, Feeding America® and Procter & Gamble have joined forces to bring food and household items to communities hit hardest by the pandemic. Across the U.S., P&G is donating products and personal care kits for distribution through the Feeding America network of food banks.<br></p>What Pastors Rudy and Juanita have accomplished in Houston is a direct result of ordinary people who are willing to do extraordinary things. And you can make a difference too by simply joining <a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/" target="_blank">P&G Good Everyday</a>. By taking action through the website, you can earn rewards by buying products you already know and love. And the best part? P&G will donate to a cause you care about so you can turn your everyday actions into acts of good.
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Pete Buttigieg is having a moment. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana keeps trending on social media for his incredibly eloquent explanations of issues—so much so that L.A. Times columnist Mary McNamara has dubbed him "Slayer Pete," who excels in "the five-minute, remote-feed evisceration." From his old-but-newly-viral explanation of late-term abortion to his calm calling out of Mike Pence's hypocrisy, Buttigieg is making a name for himself as Biden's "secret weapon" and "rhetorical assassin."
And now he's done it again, this time taking on the 'originalist' view of the Constitution.
Constitutional originalists contend that the original meaning of the words the drafters of the Constitution used and their intention at the time they wrote it are what should guide interpretation of the law. On the flip side are people who see the Constitution as a living document, meant to adapt to the times. These are certainly not the only two interpretive options and there is much debate to be had as to the merits of various approaches, but since SCOTUS nominee Amy Coney Barrett is an originalist, that view is currently part of the public discourse.
Buttigieg explained the problem with originalism in a segment on MSNBC, speaking from what McNamara jokingly called his "irritatingly immaculate kitchen." And in his usual fashion, he totally nails it. After explaining that he sees "a pathway to judicial activism cloaked in judicial humility" in Coney Barrett's descriptions of herself, he followed up with:
<p><em>"At the end of the day, rights in this country have been expanded because courts have understood what the true meaning of the letter of the law and the spirit of the Constitution is. And that is not about time traveling yourself back to the 18th century and subjecting yourself to the same prejudices and limitations as the people who write these words. </em></p><p><em>The Constitution is a living document because the English language is a living language, and you need to have some readiness to understand that in order to serve on the court in a way that's going to make life better. It was actually Thomas Jefferson himself who said 'we might as well ask a man to wear the coat that fitted him when he was a boy' as expect future generations to live under what he called 'the regime of their barbarous ancestors.' </em></p><p><em>So even the founders that these kind of dead-hand originalists claim fidelity to understood better than their ideological descendants—today's judicial so-called conservatives—the importance of keeping with the times. And we deserve judges and justices who understand that."</em></p>
<div id="e5077" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c44de33618de5841c2857989c907c0b3"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1315707618980233217" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Not even the founding fathers would recognize the lengths that today's dead-hand "originalism" would go to in order… https://t.co/NqhZG8ktkt</div> — Pete Buttigieg (@Pete Buttigieg)<a href="https://twitter.com/PeteButtigieg/statuses/1315707618980233217">1602524115.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>It's not just what Mayor Pete says, but the way he says it. While we have plenty of politicians who rant and rave, sometimes totally incoherently, Buttigieg calmly and coherently destroys arguments with intelligence, eloquence, and compassion. He almost sounds as if he's telling a bedtime story while he blowtorches political talking points into oblivion. It's really something to witness.</p><p>It's also apparently something many people totally missed during the primaries. Multiple social media posts asking, "Where was <em>this </em>Mayor Pete on the campaign trail?" have been met with Buttiegieg fans saying, "Umm, this is who he always was. You just missed it." In our ugly political landscape, the guy who doesn't yell or say outrageous things, who methodically lays out arguments, and who forces people to think critically doesn't stand out in a crowded field as much as he probably should. </p><p>But the 39-year-old veteran still has many years ahead of him in politics, and there is little doubt that Buttigieg will find a place in a Biden administration. Please just keep on talking, Pete. After nearly four years of word salad coming from the White House, intelligent thoughts expressed in full sentences is a welcome change. </p><p>And yeah. Love that kitchen.</p>
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When you picture a ballerina, you may not picture someone who looks like Lizzy Howell. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't.
Howell is busting stereotypes and challenging people's ideas of what a dancer should look like just by being herself and doing her thing in her own body. The now-19-year-old from Delaware has been dancing since she was five and has performed in venues around the world, including Eurovision 2019. She has won scholarships and trains up to four hours a day to perfect her skills in various styles of dance.
Jordan Matter Photography shared a documentary video about Howell on Facebook—part of his "Unstoppable" series—that has inspired thousands. In it, we get to see Howell's impressive moves and clear love of the art form. Howell shares parts of her life story, including the loss of her mother in a car accident when she was little and how she was raised by a supportive aunt who helped her pursue her dance ambitions. She also explained how she's had to deal with hate comments and bullying from people who judge her based on her appearance.
"I don't think it's right for people to judge off of one thing," Howell says in the video. And she's right—her size is just one thing.
<p>Howell shares that she's been bullied in dance since she was six, and how it still happens when she goes to dance conventions. She sees people staring at her and whispering about her, but she says the successes she's had in dance and reassurances from other people keep her going.</p><p>"Most dancers are skinny, and I'm not," Howell says. "I think a lot of people can relate to me in that sort of way. They see me as an inspiration because I've been told I've been told to quit dance multiple times and I haven't." </p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e4e02f6a4e370811ea80c020349a0474"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/311293567076/videos/355594212169058/" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div>
<p>"Dance is what I love and it's everything to me," she says. "So I think that just keeps me going."</p><p>Howell also has a message for people who might be tempted to say unkind things: "Whatever you say on social media is going to be seen by somebody and it could hurt their feelings. You know, you can't just say something that you think is funny but it might affect somebody else's feelings. I'm a very sensitive person, so I take everything to heart. There's a bunch of people that are like me that take it the same way." </p><p>Howell says dance is like therapy for her, which makes it all the worse for people to use her body size as a dancer as an excuse to be jerks. It might be surprising to see someone with Howell's body type doing the kind of dance she does, but anyone who comments negatively on a person's body—especially a young person has worked hard to train their body to create art—is a first-rate a-hole. <br></p><p>A few years have passed since Howell was interviewed for the "Unstoppable" video, and she's still showing that she truly is unstoppable. She now has more than 200,000 followers <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lizzy.dances/" target="_blank">on Instagram</a> and regularly posts videos of her dancing in the studio. </p><p>Thank you for showing us what bucking the status quo looks like, Lizzy. Keep being bold, dancing beautifully, and showing the haters you won't let them stop you.</p><p><br></p>
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