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Excitement is growing around the upcoming March for Science (4/22) and People’s Climate March (4/29), with organizers working hard to boost turnout for DC and sister marches across the country. After the marchers have gone home, organizations will have the added challenge of sustaining the momentum of both movements and continuing to encourage people to take action. This week, we conclude our series of alerts focused on “Mobilizing the Masses” with a few suggestions for how to keep activists engaged after the marches. (And for a refresher on the first four segments, check out: Hope or fear? Turnout for what? Let’s get…digital, digital! and Your supporters want action!)

Think carefully about your supporters’ social position if considering messages and strategies that may be seen as more radical. Individuals may be more likely to justify the current social order because they have an inherent need for order and predictability, desire safety and security, and do not want to alienate themselves from friends and family who support mainstream society. In turn, justifying the status-quo can undermine willingness to engage in protest that challenges the current system, even among political activists, and among those advantaged by the system.  Those disadvantaged are more likley to engage in such protest.