Flannery Wasson is a student at the University of Arkansas who reached out to us on our weekly Livestream webcast to let us know how some students from her school have been fundraising to get to MOVE:DC. It was too incredible to not share, and she’s too excited to not interview about her MOVE:DC motivation. First the tip, then the questions.
The tip:
Talk to your dining hall plan supervisors (they exist – you might have to search to find them, but they’re there) about trading meal points for donations to Invisible Children. Flannery did it, as should you.
The questions:
01. WHAT MAKES YOU MOST EXCITED FOR MOVE:DC?
I’m just so excited for the moment when I realize I’m marching around The White House with thousands of other people for a cause that I passionately believe in. I’m waiting for that ridiculous moment to be real so I can laugh and soak in all I can. What’s crazier than, in the span of three years, finding an organization that inspires and speaks to me and meeting new friends who believe it as well? This has all been leading up to actually taking it to the front door step of The White House and pressuring world leaders to change the world.
02. WHY IS LOBBYING OUR WORLD LEADERS TO END LRA VIOLENCE A PRIORITY FOR YOU?
It is a priority to me because the LRA violence has been going on for 26 years. That is longer than I’ve been alive- and the fact that it’s gone on that long is scary and shameful. I’m hoping that this is a wake up call to the world to show that these atrocities cannot continue to happen, and as human beings, we have the responsibility to help one another out of nightmare situations. If we keep thinking with the ‘us’ and ‘them’ mentality, we’ll lose every beautiful thing about this planet just because we’re too selfish to get off our points of privilege and help others out of messes they never even made. I’ve been angry and scared long enough – I’m 100% ready to do something as drastic and intense as MOVE:DC. And it’s because that’s what it takes. “Threat to injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – MLK
03. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE STILL ON THE FENCE ABOUT MAKING THE JOURNEY TO DC?
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” That’s the first quote that sparked something in me. This is going to be huge and if you’re reading this – obviously you care and want to go to MOVE:DC. Go. Just go. Even if it means eating PB & J and Ramen for two weeks until your next paycheck, having to talk to your mean professor about why you’re missing their class, or asking IC interns to make your mom a video about why the heck you have to drive cross-country for the rally. Take the risk, take the chance, grab your friends, and start planning. You won’t regret it when you’re marching with thousands of other people right outside of the President’s window. I mean, come on.
04. WHAT IS YOUR ROADTRIP (OR PLANE TRIP) ANTHEM?
Girl Talk. Night Ripper. All day. Not only because it’s amazing pump-you-up music, but also because the last night of IC’s campaign to raise a million dollars, my friends and I (in a moment of insanity and inspiration) drove to the busiest street in town with buckets and a banana suit and collected cash and coins for IC the same night as a Girl Talk concert on that street. After a long day of chasing the AXE van and failing to get free tickets, the coordinators of the event just walk up and donate to IC and told us we deserve free tickets for doing what we were doing. If we had stayed at home and wished and hoped and done nothing – we would have never gotten the chance to see Girl Talk! HOLLA! See you in DC!
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See you in D.C. is correct.
Register for MOVE:DC on our website [HERE].
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