On Moms as Advocates: "From Changing Diapers to Changing the World" // with Cynthia Changyit Levin

[00:00:00] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Welcome to know them. Be them, raise them a show to help moms stay informed and inspired. So they can show up for themselves. Selves and their daughters, the way they want to. I'm your host Carmelita to join me each week, as I cover a variety of topics, all designed to support, mindful and growth oriented moms as they navigate their daughter's tween and teen years. 

[00:00:24] So, especially in the past several years, I think many of us have felt a strong urge to be part of the positive change we want to see in the world. Whether it's helping a neighbor, volunteering at school, donating, signing a petition, HEC voting, we want to be informed and have an impact. 

[00:00:42] But besides signing online petitions and dropping the occasional form email to my representatives. I haven't actively tried to impact broader policy changes. For me, it seemed kind of complex to be honest and researching it never quite made its way up the to-do list. That's why I was intrigued and thrilled when today's guest came across my radar. 

[00:01:03] Cynthia Chang it Levin is the author of, From Changing Diapers to Changing the World. Why Moms Make Great Advocates and how to get started. A rare breed of nonpartisan activist who works across a variety of issues. Levin coaches, volunteers of all ages to build productive relationships with members of Congress. 

[00:01:22] She advocated side-by-side with her two children from their toddler to teen years. And crafted a new approach to advocacy based upon her strengths as a mother. Her published opinion pieces have appeared in the New York times, the financial times, the Washington post, and many other national and regional publications. 

[00:01:40] She's currently a volunteer with results. The one campaign. Bred for the world, moms demand action for gun sense in America. Mom's rising and the UN foundation's shot at life campaign. She received the 2021 Cameron Dunkin media award from results educational fund. 

[00:01:59] For her citizen journalism on poverty issues. 

[00:02:01] Cindy sat down with me to talk about her journey to advocacy, how being a mom, impacted that And what being an advocate entails among other things Here's our conversation. 

[00:02:15] Cindy, thank you so much for agreeing to be here and talking about this topic. So, you are a volunteer advocate. Can you tell us what that means cause I know what a volunteer is and I know what an advocate is.

[00:02:27] How do they come together?

[00:02:29] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Yeah.

[00:02:29] thanks for asking. And I'm thrilled to be here too. Um, I like to use a really simple explanation. And I say that advocacy is just expressing yourself to inspire action from another person that can help. And I'm usually advocating to elected officials like US senators and US representatives.

[00:02:49] But it can be reaching out to city or state officials. It could be the president of the United States or even just others in your community who have the power to help you.

[00:02:59] Um, so that's advocate for anybody who is wondering about that, volunteer, I mean, it's pretty simple that I don't get paid. There have been times that I've been on staff with an advocacy organization. Um, but when I started, I was the mom of a baby and the toddler and, I was just adding my voice to the thousands of voices around the country to talk about global poverty, which

[00:03:28] I advocate on many different issues, but that is always one that's near and dear to my heart because that's what inspired me, um, to start speaking out. 

[00:03:37] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: I love that you touched on what it is that inspired you and really the gravity of what you do. Like I know I'm a volunteer, but I myself have not stepped into a role where I'm I guess, advocating for lack of a better word for larger changes beyond my community or beyond my, the city I live in.

[00:03:56] Why do you think advocacy is important on different levels?

[00:04:00] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Yeah, well, I cared about hunger in my community. I worked in a soup kitchen, um, I would do things like go to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

[00:04:10] Um, and they have packing sessions, I did a fundraisers. I sat on their fundraising team to put together these things. But all of those things cease to be available to me when I had a baby, because all those places that I might go, like you might go to a soup kitchen.

[00:04:26] But um, a packed room, with a lot of adults and bringing in a little baby in there, that's, that's not a good plan for baby health. And I also found that my schedule was all wonky because of naps and things like that.

[00:04:42] So I had to look for another way to volunteer and keep connected with that. And there was an organization that my church was involved in and they introduced me to the idea of advocacy, teaching me that I could write a letter to Congress in about three minutes. And that was an excellent thing to do in the middle of the night when a baby woke me up and, um, I couldn't go back to sleep anyway. 

[00:05:05] So, you know, that's how I got involved in. This gets to your question of why is advocacy important? What I saw at that time is that it allows us to reach so much farther in our influence than our personal influence. Like when I asked the federal government to change a rule for increasing funding or something, I can have a much greater effect, that affects the lives of millions of people far more than I could with making a charitable donation with my own credit card. Um, like I said, I was a new mom. I had also just quit my job to care for my baby. That didn't work out for us, for me to continue working and have a child at home.

[00:05:46] We didn't have a lot of spare income, that I felt I could make a dent in world hunger or hunger in America. Um, but it was something that I cared a lot about, and I found that by donating my time in this way, I could really move the needle on issues that I cared about. 

[00:06:02] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: So you mentioned that you've written letters to Congress, politicians, et cetera. What's that like? Like how do you build relationships with, officials and congressional members?

[00:06:14] Cynthia Changyit Levin: I love that you phrased it like that building relationships because, um, there's a kind of advocacy that's just sort of like throwing stuff over the wall, which sometimes those writing letters can be like that. but really, the deepest, most impactful advocacy I think happens when you actually build those relationships. it's deeply satisfying when it works 

[00:06:36] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Mm.

[00:06:36] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Um, I think at first, I was a bit starstruck because in a way, these folks are celebrities. 

[00:06:43] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Absolutely. 

[00:06:44] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Yeah.

[00:06:44] I'd only seen my Congressman on the paper on TV. Um, and later I would see her at events around town, like at a farmer's market, or, you know, things like that because, usually U S representatives live in the district, in the community where you're at.

[00:07:00] I started to see her more as the human she is. Um, I would also like to add because here in Missouri, so I started all this in Chicago, right now I live in St. Louis and, uh, here, like many other places, uh, politics. It can be deeply dividing.

[00:07:18] So I get people on both sides of the political spectrum that can't believe I have relationships with my former Congresswoman who's democratic and my current Congresswoman who's Republican. And they'll say things like, I can't believe you convinced her to do something good. And they're speaking about either one of them. 

[00:07:36] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Hm. I hadn't thought about it, but as an advocate, it's different from being like a political lobbyist. 

[00:07:45] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Yeah. I mean, nobody actually pays me to take a side on things and there are, uh, non-partisan advocacy groups. Um, but I am not advocating for big oil or big pharma where I have an agenda and economic agenda I'm there, and I make it very clear when I go into an office that I am a volunteer. I'm taking my own time. Sometimes when I go see them in Washington, DC, pre pandemic. You know, it'd be like, I have paid out of my own pocket to 

[00:08:17] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Hmm. 

[00:08:17] Cynthia Changyit Levin: fly out here to talk to you. And that has a big impact. Um, we can get pretty cynical, when they know that a voter has taken that kind of time and that kind of expense, they also know that you're the kind of person that could turn into somebody who could campaign against them because you care a lot. 

[00:08:39] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Right. That's fantastic. So, I know you're a mom of two and this work sounds so impactful on a larger scale and as an individual, that feeling of reward. Can you tell us a little bit about how this impacted your kids and your family?

[00:09:01] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Yeah, so I have experience raising daughters. So that's why I was so excited to come on your show. I think tween and teen girls, especially have some pressures that society is putting on them. And, I believe that this kind of work has a lot of benefits. At a very basic level, it can teach them communication skills. Um, like we talked about already, you know, writing letters, talking, whether it's in presenting to groups or talking one-on-one to congressional aides, um, those communication skills are always going to be in a benefit wherever they go in life. Um, but for girls, especially, I think that cultivating this competence helps them to claim their power early.

[00:09:49] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Um,

[00:09:50] Cynthia Changyit Levin: My kids literally grew up going in and out of congressional offices and meeting members of Congress from the time they were toddlers.

[00:09:57] So they don't feel the kind of shyness that I did when I met my U S representative for the first time in my mid thirties, I was like clammy hands and all, like, I didn't know what I was saying.

[00:10:10] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: I I can just picture myself. I already have sweaty palms, just thinking about it, you know?

[00:10:14] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Yeah. And I mean, here's the example, my youngest, oh, she must've been in first grade or something like that. We were at a farmer's market and we saw my representative, Jan Schakowsky a couple of stalls down and I said, oh, there's Jan Schakowsky do you want to wait and say hi to her?

[00:10:32] And she's like, oh, I waved to her, but she didn't see me. It's okay. We can go on, you know, nature of this kindergartner, just talking about Congresswoman 

[00:10:45] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: that's wonderful.

[00:10:47] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Um, okay, so let's build on that too. I think them knowing Congresswoman Schakowsky and, meeting with my current Congresswoman Wagner, they've had. Uh, run-ins where one of them was at a play a few years ago and ran into Congresswoman Bush when she first got into office. We've met our former Senator Claire McCaskill in person, and I think it gives them the innate sense that they can be leaders when they connect face to face with these female leaders. 

[00:11:18] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Seeing women in those positions is so important. I, and I think what a wonderful way for them to witness and interact with them as opposed to just like the TV or the newspaper, which these days, especially if you don't subscribe to the newspaper or you're not turning on the TV for the 10 o'clock news at night, that information might never hit their eyeballs.

[00:11:41] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Yeah. 

[00:11:41] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: So, wow. That whole idea of you can't be what you can't see. Well, they're seeing them in a very real way. 

[00:11:47] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Members on either side of the political spectrum, uh, who are women actually understand this very well. 

[00:11:53] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Hm. 

[00:11:54] Cynthia Changyit Levin: here's an example, a story that

[00:11:56] when we went to the coffee, if you go to DC once a week, most members have some sort of, well, I don't know what it is with cOVID but, in normal times you could go there would be like coffee and donuts, and a bunch of people would be in there to see the Senator.

[00:12:12] And, uh, one of my kids asked a question about climate change, and then she said, well, how old are you? And they started talking. And she was like, after this, go to my office and talk to so-and-so and I want you to sit in my desk and just get a feel for it. And I just thought that was so wise of her. Well, from a PR standpoint.

[00:12:29] Yes. But. You know, see a girl who's going out on a limb and be like, you know what? I'd like to see yourself in my position. 

[00:12:39] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Gosh, I just got chills thinking about that. Oh, this might kind of skip back a couple of questions or it relates to something we touched on these in-person meetings. I can wrap my head around writing a letter, you know, finding the address of my Congresspeople. How do you take that next step?

[00:12:57] And what did you do to prepare for that.

[00:13:00] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Yeah. My advice on that is don't go alone your first time. Cause I would not have known what to do or what to say. Um, so for me, I had joined, RESULTS, which is an antipoverty organization. They work on both US and global poverty. And, I had two very experienced advocates with me. And so I went to see their members of Congress during the day and the last meeting of the day was with my Congresswoman.

[00:13:31] And so I had had the practice and RESULTS encourages us to do a lot of role-playing, um, which seems hokey, but it was really, really helpful. Um, they have you practice your talking points and you know exactly what you're going to say. They got up to the door and said, this is your meeting. And there was my Congresswoman and I was, I was really suave and I said, There you are. clever like that, 

[00:13:59] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: I love it. 

[00:14:01] Cynthia Changyit Levin: sat down, we had this meeting and I, I did the pitch of whatever we were asking for and she went, um, that third point I kind of have a problem with, and I let, oh my gosh, this was the nightmare, you know? And I thought maybe I hadn't explained it well, so I tried again. And she's like, I understand what you're saying. I just don't agree with that part. And by the way, I'm going to sign this, but I want you to go back and tell RESULTS that I'm not fond of this part.

[00:14:33] And I think it could be better. And I walked out of there thinking, oh, I survived that. 

[00:14:38] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Nice.

[00:14:39] Cynthia Changyit Levin: But having that support was really important. So I would encourage people to get involved with organizations. Um, Yeah. What you're touching on is like the anxiety that we can feel when we do these things.

[00:14:54] And I've seen people just freeze up when they think about making a phone call to Congress. So just, I want to mention something about the anxiety. Number one, if you have support, it helps. Number two, it eases up as you do it more. But I want people to think about, especially for kids, that this is actually a way that we can relieve our anxiety about the world.

[00:15:19] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: um,

[00:15:20] Cynthia Changyit Levin: And especially for the teens. I think that life is heaping anxiety upon them with the tremendous problems.

[00:15:30] My kids are worried about gun violence. When they hear about mass shootings at schools. And they think about that when they go to school, they are worried about the COVID policies and their own health all the time. And over all that climate change is like looming with 

[00:15:47] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Absolutely. 

[00:15:48] Cynthia Changyit Levin: adults telling them, Hey, we screwed up and it's, it's up to you to fix it. 

[00:15:52] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: right?

[00:15:53] right? 

[00:15:53] Cynthia Changyit Levin: my kids actually feel a lot. brings their anxiety down when they take action. 

[00:16:00] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Mm, 

[00:16:00] Cynthia Changyit Levin: because they feel like 

[00:16:01] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: yes. 

[00:16:01] Cynthia Changyit Levin: they have some agency and 

[00:16:02] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Yes. 

[00:16:03] Cynthia Changyit Levin: shaping their 

[00:16:04] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Yeah. That's actually something that came up for me as we were talking about how tweens and teens can benefit. And you mentioned the communication skills and the confidence, but that sense of empowerment and being part of the solution and helping to potentially solve the problem and not just be pushed around like a pawn, you know, in someone else's game.

[00:16:25] I imagine that's really huge and how great to give them that sense early.

[00:16:30] So, do you have any tips or steps for moms that, love this idea, but have never done anything beyond, maybe, helping out with their school bake sale or helping out friends in a really immediate way. Is there a way for them to start with being an advocate? And it sounds like you started with a cause that you were already interested in, which is poverty. Is that something you suggest that people kind of sit with and figure out, like, what is it that interests me most?

[00:16:59] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Yeah, I think, if there's something keeping you up at night, that's probably it. 

[00:17:04] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Hmm, 

[00:17:04] Cynthia Changyit Levin: but for, some people, like if they are gun violence survivors or, if somebody, dear to them has been lost, it can be very clear in that way that in the honor of that person, they want to take that on. But for others, I know that it can be just sort of like, I just want to help in some way. If you just really don't know, I would suggest organizations that I think are really great at skill building and this deep relationship of advocacy. 

[00:17:33] My favorite groups are nonpartisan that's something that's innate to, to my core of how I like to do things. It's not necessarily how everybody wants to do it.

[00:17:42] But finding a reputable group that has emphasis on skill building. And here's a few examples. One is RESULTS, the other one is FCNL and, citizens' climate lobby was spun off of RESULTS, they use the same, methods, but they work on climate change. Um, UNICEF 

[00:18:02] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: yeah. 

[00:18:02] Cynthia Changyit Levin: has a youth arm to their advocacy. The Sunrise Movement is something that both of my kids are involved in. 

[00:18:10] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Okay. Thank you for those recommendations. Cause it's always great to have directions to go to 

[00:18:16] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Yeah. 

[00:18:17] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: So I appreciate that.

[00:18:18] So you've referenced this already, but I would love to hear you tell us a little more about your book, from changing diapers, to changing the world, what a great title, by the way, because, know, I think as moms, we can all identify with the beginning of that spectrum and, you know, then your book comes in to get us to the latter half.

[00:18:37] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Well, 

[00:18:37] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Tell us a little about bit about.

[00:18:39] Cynthia Changyit Levin: So I kind of wrote the book that I always wished that I had back then, and I hope that can sort of ease some people's entry into the advocacy world. Um, when I write about this, I. I tell my own story. And I also try to wrap in diverse voices of other moms for inspiration, but I take inspiration from these women, but also I am aware that a lot of moms would look at me and say, I don't see myself in her either because of my race or my age, or, economic status.

[00:19:12] The fact that I was a stay at home mom when I did this, I mean, that says a lot right there. So I have quotes and stories from working moms and moms who are in poverty and that are advocating brilliantly for programs that will benefit their families. Um, so it's broken up into three parts. The first one is Well, it's right there on the title.

[00:19:35] The first part is why moms make great advocates. And it has to do with like our persistence and how much we care. The second part is how to get started. We've talked about a lot of those things right here. And the third part is called advocacy made easy, and it's really, it takes a whole bunch of advocacy actions and it leads you step by step and how to do it.

[00:19:58] And. All of this, hopefully done with warmth and humor. Sometimes you need that funny warm friend to be with you and I can't be with everybody. So hopefully the book can be my stand-in. 

[00:20:11] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: I love that, you know, and I think the timing is wonderful because speaking from personal experience, between the events of 2020, The election, um, the pandemic and everything else that just continues to pile on to our lives, I think a lot of people are feeling this desire to make a change.

[00:20:33] Like how can we make things better for ourselves and for our kids. And so I'm, I'm really excited to read it.

[00:20:39] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Yeah. Oh, it launches on March 8th, which is international women's day. 

[00:20:44] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Whew. Great timing. 

[00:20:46] Cynthia Changyit Levin: what a fun gift for yourself? Just say I am a woman and internationally I'd recognize myself and my power. 

[00:20:54] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: I always like to end with kind of a personal affirmation or quote or question that you might want to pose to the listeners to help them leave with a, you know, a sense of self and empowerment.

[00:21:07] Cynthia Changyit Levin: Uh, I had a lot of favorite quotes, but for this particular audience, there's something I like to keep in mind when I'm advocating with my kids. It's a pretty, well-known Maya Angelou quote, "Do the best you can until you know better. And when you know better, do better." I think that frees people from a lot of things, um, like feeling guilty that they weren't involved before.

[00:21:33] It's okay. You're here now. And it's also a great quote because whenever you try something new, you are going to make mistakes. It's not an, if it's a, when. 

[00:21:45] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Yeah.

[00:21:46] Cynthia Changyit Levin: I think this is especially important to remember that, you know you can screw up and you can do better, and I would encourage people to share this mindset with their children, that mistakes aren't bad. They're part of growth and they're fuel for becoming better. And my book is full of my mistakes that I made along the way that I hope other people won't make those mistakes, but I hope people enjoy reading about them. And it also means you can make your own mistakes too. 

[00:22:19] 

[00:22:19] Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: This conversation left me inspired and motivated. Here are my top takeaways. Number one, advocacy is just expressing yourself to inspire actions from another person that can help. So don't be intimidated by the word. Like I sometimes am. You're probably doing this every time you talk to a teacher or a coach about something involving your daughter. 

[00:22:44] So sit with the idea that by being a mindful mom, advocacy is kind of built into your DNA. 

[00:22:51] Number two. If you don't know where to start, find an organization that emphasizes skill building and leadership in the advocacy space. Cindy recommends results and F C N L among others. These will be linked in the show notes. If you're interested in learning more. 

[00:23:07] Number three, getting your daughters. Involved in advocacy has benefits beyond the potential policy impact. For one they'll build communication skills like persuasive writing and public speaking. Also, they can see leaders, hopefully many of them women that will help them envision that future for themselves. 

[00:23:27] Additionally, they gain an understanding of how to create societal change. This builds a sense of agency and empowerment and can help counteract the anxiety that tweens and teens often feel when thinking about all the things happening in our world today. 

[00:23:43] And number four. Remember, whenever you try something new, you are going to make mistakes. It's not an, if it's a, when. 

[00:23:51] So know that you can screw up and you can do better. And remember to share this mindset with your daughters, that mistakes aren't bad. They're part of growth and they're fuel for becoming better. 

[00:24:02] A big, thanks to Cindy for giving us so much to think about. I can't wait to get my hands on her book. From Changing Diapers to Changing The World. Why Moms Make Great Advocates and How to get started comes out on March eight and is available on Amazon at your favorite bookstores and Cindy's website. 

[00:24:20] Chang yet.com, which is C H a N G Y I T. Dot com. 

[00:24:25] You can pre-order now or it'll be available on March 8th, international women's day. 

[00:24:31] You can also find her on Instagram and Twitter at C C Y Levin that's C C Y L E V I N. These links are in the show notes as well. 

[00:24:44] A heartfelt. Thanks for listening. I know your time is precious and I'm honored to share some of that with you. If you found something helpful, remember to subscribe, share with a friend and leave a review on apple podcasts or Spotify. And if you're on Instagram or Facebook follow at Noby raised them. 

[00:25:01] Again, I'm grateful for you and here's to strong women. May we know them, may we be them, and may we raise them?