Just one week into 2020, and it already feels like the doom and gloom that dominated the late 2010s is taking root in the new year. Our increasingly unhinged president continues to march toward a new Forever War in the Middle East; wildfires have engulfed Australia, giving us a visceral glimpse of a disastrous future shaped by climate change; and, closer to home, Gov. Greg Abbott continues to incite fear and animosity against some of society’s most marginalized – those without homes.
But our giving into despair is how doom and gloom wins. Let’s leave our anxiety that nothing we do matters in 2019 and begin the new decade with the energy that motivated progressives in the wake of Donald Trump’s election, knowing that small, manageable acts of civic participation – especially by those who historically have been denied that opportunity – will create a better society. Here are some suggestions for ways you can act in 2020 to make a better Austin, Texas, and beyond.