You Need To Watch This Adele Parody About Calling Congress

Many moons ago, I worked for a non-profit organization that engaged in extensive grassroots advocacy. We had multiple staff people whose entire job was to teach volunteers about the best ways to reach out to lawmakers. We did extensive training on not only the substance of policy issues, but the mechanics of being a citizen lobbyist. Who to call, when to call, what to say. This was the subject of endless webinars, conference calls, in-person training sessions, and printed materials.

But that was before Facebook. And before smartphones that double as handheld film production studios.

Last week, I saw a video from Global Citizen and it has been giving my grassroots-advocacy heart life. If I were planning a volunteer training today, I would start by showing them this because it’s just so stinking perfect.

Do you love that? I LOVE that! Start with the recognizable song and video, right down to the Adele impersonator’s stiletto nails and the flip phone. Then the acknowledgement that calling Congress is a new thing for so many people, but it's a matter of both passion and compassion that’s driving us to be advocates. And not just advocating for ourselves — for others too.

The video even has the quiet spoken track that demonstrates how to phrase a call to Congress; she cites a bill number and what the bill is about in one of the phone calls.

The whole thing is just so empowering and relatable and even joyful?! I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!

This is a sign of of our times. 6 months ago, a Facebook video about calling Congress wouldn’t have been viral, but here we are. This is what we have to do. And if we have to be a resistance, let’s be the kind of resistance that can sing our damn hearts out.