“This didn’t just happen. The marriage equality movement is an amazing testament that America can change, and we can change it.” – Laura Olin

On Saturday, fireworks will light up the night sky and people will chant “USA! USA!” Some will do so even harder this year because, you guys, we had such a big week last week. For the first time in a long time, the week felt like a win. A big win. It’s weeks like this that give us hope, that inspire us and that tell us that, no matter how dark things seem, we [the people] can flip the switch and light things up.

President Obama beamed and millions of Americans sighed in relief as the Affordable Care Act came through the Supreme Court intact. Rainbows streamed across the internet when marriage equality was declared the law of the land. And across the country, tears streamed down the faces of countless people who had waited for this day for a long, long time. And now the country that we love and the people we love can love who they want to love. #LoveWins

Isn’t that something worth noting? In addition to proving that people could find a billion different rainbow-themed gifs and Someecards declaring their excitement in hilarious ways, the ruling brought one important fact to life: That people CAN change the world if they’re engaged with their government.

And THIS is why we do the work we do at Black Sheep. We believe when people are civically engaged, that is, when people are involved in the policies that govern our society and participate with the people making those laws, great changes can happen.

BUT (yes, that’s a big but) when this kind of epic and substantial change happens, some folks are going to be spoilsports. The victory isn’t “Hey! This happened—we’re done! Let’s sit back and enjoy the summer,” it’s an ongoing battle to make sure that America is a place for everyone, regardless of their race, religion, gender identity or sexual preference. And that means that, to paraphrase RuPaul, “We betta work.”

While you plan your Fourth of July cookouts and pool parties this week, ask yourself how you can embody the “home of the brave” while keeping the “land of the free” part of America’s promise true, too. That starts with getting involved in what’s happening in the world around you. Here are three ways you can fight the good fight and make an impact.

Before you get involved, you have to know what’s going on. Pick up the paper, click around on your local news sites and check out advocacy groups that represent important issues—having well-rounded knowledge about the issues will shed some light on what’s happening in the world around you.

Well behaved women/men/people rarely make history. And there’s no bigger way to misbehave than shouting (LOUDLY!) about something you believe in. You can go solo (Hello, Bree Newsome) or you can put that “right to peaceably assemble” to good use. Large groups of impassioned citizens, peacefully speaking their minds and holding policymakers accountable have created a sea of change that goes back to the very beginning of our country. Find a cause you identify with, join an advocacy group and rally with the group by speaking at city council, showing up for events and educating others.

Your voice is CRITICAL in raising issues that matter and making sure they get in front of the people making decisions. This is especially true of issues of civil and human rights. Everyone deserves dignity, respect and equality in the eyes of the law—and we can’t let a bunch of jerks trying to keep them from receiving it.

Trolls are never going away. People will never stop vilifying those who are different or who have different views than they do. We will always feel like there’s more work to do. But don’t let that overwhelm you. America—heck, the WORLD—needs people who are tenacious, who don’t let things get in their way and who don’t back down when there’s an important issue to support.

The fight for marriage equality was not a sprint, it was a marathon. Those involved wrote letters, showed up at rallies and hoped, believed and fought for years and years to make it a reality. So keep your chin up, keep fighting and keep our country moving forward. America needs you.

Taking a stand on your beliefs and values

‘Murica, the Beautiful (And Inspiring)

Regular

This series of posts about our work in the nation’s capital is from none other than the leader of the flock herself, Aimee Woodall.

As some of you may have noticed, I’ve been ping-ponging back and forth to DC since early February for a number of projects which shall remain somewhat anonymous, much to my dismay and overwhelming excitement. But this latest project is a little different—and it involves my whole team. The Black Sheep Agency, with the support of some of our closest creative friends, has been working on a project with Civic Nation, in conjunction with the White House and the office of the First Lady.

You see, America used to be number one in the world for college graduates. Now we’re not. We have lots of smart, enthusiastic young people, but many of them aren’t attending or graduating from college. Seventy-five percent of high school seniors are accepted into their first-choice college, but less than 57 percent actually attend. Why? Many don’t feel they can afford it and don’t know about the resources that exist to help them pay for school.

Even worse, some don’t see the value of higher education in the first place, worried that their time invested in college won’t be worthwhile. This scared us—and inspired us, too. Marketing is more than just pretty pictures and powerful words: It’s the ability to make a difference in people’s lives by helping them find things worth looking for.

But there’s an opportunity to get America back on top. Gen-Z, the largest, smartest and most connected generation in America’s history is among us—and the change they’re bringing with them is HUGE. We knew we had to get involved, so we embarked on a journey with friends and close collaborators. Eight weeks later, we found ourselves in the FLOTUS office, presenting our work.

While we can’t yet reveal the full details of the project or the creative outcomes, we did have one heck of a time in DC last week. We’re excited about what will come of our efforts and this partnership in the coming year will do for the future of higher education in America. Last week—and the past 10 weeks—have been a whirlwind, but when America calls, we answer. Some of the behind-the-scenes of this grand adventure is chronicled below!

*Shout out to the close creative friends we worked with on this project:  Chris Valdez, Primer Grey; David Saxe, Ell Creative; Tim DeSilva, CulturePilot; Roby Fitzhenry, Always Creative; Tyler Swanner, The Office of Tyler Swanner; Henry Ngo, Primer Grey; Thomas Watts, Ell Creative; Jack Wang, Ell Creative; Jeff Reichman, January Advisors

The DC Diaries: Dispatches From Aimee

This series of posts about our work in the nation’s capital is from none other than the leader of the flock herself, Aimee Woodall.