Flash Mob (Also Courage Campaign)

As part of my volunteering (more like desire to be involved) with the Courage Campaign, our leader, Kara Crutcher, decided to orchestrate a flash mob. We met at the Starbucks on Clark and Belmont, unsure of who was going to show up and how many people we would get. We ended up having a small crew of 7 people, but it all still worked out. What we did first was come up with lyrics to a song that we would burst out singing on the CTA. We changed the lyrics of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" song to:
"What you want
Baby I got it
What you need?
You know I got it.
All I'm askin, is for a little Courage, Baby
Just a little bit
C-O-U-R-A-G-E find out what it means to me
C-O-U-R-A-G-E all for our safety
We have the courage to stop harassment on the CTA. Do you?"

With little practice, we jumped right onto the CTA, and our goal was to get on as many different crowded carts as possible, going every which direction in the city. We went about this flashmob by us 7 pretending like none of us knew each other, then suddenly the singer of the group, named Eva sang the first line. After that we would all join in, so technically it was a singing flashmob and not a typical dancing one. Some people stared at us like "what the heck are they doing" and others clapped profusely and commended us for our work. I would say what we did was courageous because most people riding the CTA were on their way home from work focus on getting home, or listening to their headphones, or entranced in their phones. We were essentially demanding their attention to raise awareness about a problem that happens right in the midst of where they are sitting! It's not everyday that you are on public transportation and see a random group of people burst out in song. I am not the most outgoing person or someone who loves public performance, but I was able to find a certain genuine enthusiasm and public speaking (singing) presence in order to make this excursion as awesome as possible. After every mini-performance we would pass out flyers, get off the cart, and on to the next one. Although it was a cold Chicago night, the 7 of us, strangers essentially before, became a powerful flashmob bringing attention to an important issue, in a fun and unique way. We had a blast.