To say we’re in an era of rapid social change is an understatement. Not only has the pandemic fundamentally challenged the way to think about work, time, purpose and responsibility to others, but the increased visibility and upswell in participation in the racial justice movement has prompted brands, companies and individuals to take a hard look at themselves and see if they are complicit in the very structures that perpetuate and inflict harm on one another. Add in a moment of major political struggle and here we are.
There is not, and will not be, any shortage of political and social memes and protest signs on social media and in street protests around the world right now. They range from the simple to the witty, the complex to the purely visual, but the memes and signs that have been most widely photographed and shared on social media accounts around the country and world call to mind one of the many “important concepts in Chimamanda Adichie’s “Danger of a Single Story” TED Talk: the importance of a simple and clear message.
Thus, protest signs and memes can offer us a writing lesson:
Wording like “abolish ICE,” “Black Lives Matter,” “Love Is Love” or even “Vote So and So” are easy to understand and rally behind. So, imagine the simple and clear message or argument as a step onto which a reader arrives thinking, “Oh! Okay, yeah! I agree! So, wait…. what do I do now?” And, thus, you have an opportunity to share data, evidence, studies, statistics and action steps. Think of your argument like a protest sign; your reader as a person who approaches you at the protest and says “yes, you have my ear,” eager to learn more from you.
Which it’s so key in writing opinion pieces and persuasive pieces and op-eds to back up your simple, clear message with information and actionable steps.
In a sea of metaphorical and actual protest signs, remember, too, that in order to make your point be heard, yours must stand out; it must say what is not yet said, it must go deeper or take a bird’s eye view of the issue, lest we risk being part of a chorus rather than a soloist with a new song.
Choruses are important when it’s about turnout and numbers, but when it comes to making incremental or sweeping change, each published work must push the narrative forward, building on the next, and allowing the next piece to build on yours.
Which is all to say: dig deeply into the things you know and keep going.