Resist

Let’s get real, shall we?

I couldn’t bring myself to write a typical fashion/beauty/travel post over the weekend. It seems a bit trivial right now with everything going on in the world. Trust me, I would love to be your little outlet for escape today, but I need to just get this out of my system. As an influencer, if I can use this platform for good, by all means I want to do so. I’ll be back to the regularly scheduled posts tomorrow.
 
I’m pretty livid with some of the things happening in our country right now. The immigration ban is what threw me over the edge. The United States is a beautiful melting pot of people who come from all backgrounds. I was lucky enough to grow in one of the most diverse cities in the state of Virginia, and growing up and meeting people from all walks of life made me a better person in the long run. 

Immigrants and refugees make this country a great place to live. They contribute so much to our society, and strengthen us as a whole. That’s why my heart sank when I read about the Muslim ban, and when I saw how families were being torn apart and how legal immigrants were being detained all across the country.

If you’re as angry as I am about this ban, here are a few actions you can take. If you have any suggestions of your own, please feel free to drop them in the comments below.

• Donate to the ACLU. The ACLU team is responsible for presenting the case to the federal judge who put a stay on the executive order — they need your support now more than ever. They have the power to take these extreme cases to court; something I wish I could do, but sadly, I lack a law degree. You can make either a one-time donation, or set up a monthly gift.
   
• Do your part to help out refugees in the U.S. There a lot of things you can do to show your support to the refugees that are currently in the U.S. — this article breaks down the ways you can volunteer, donate and send aid to local resettlement agencies.
   
• Make some calls. Even though both of my Senators and the Congressman from my district have spoken out against this injustice, I still make it a point to give them a few calls during the week. I hate making calls, but this website 5calls.org makes the process super easy. You can pick an issue that you feel passionate about and the website will give you the correct numbers to call based on your address, and provide a short script you can read off during the call. Easy, huh?
   
• Find bills that matter to you. It’s hard to keep up with everything that’s going on, but I downloaded this app called Countable that made it a lot easier to keep up with the bills that are being proposed in Congress. I put in the issues that I care about the most, and the app creates a little daily summary for me to break down what’s going on. The app also lists out your Congressman and Senators, and multiple ways to contact them. 
   
• Take care of yourself. This might be the most important step. Social media can be incredibly draining right now. Even though it’s important to stay informed, try to give yourself a break at some point during the day. Watch a movie, go on a hike, meet up with friends, head to the gym — I try to spend at least one hour a day disconnected from the internet for my sanity.