This week I chose to watch The Punk Singer, Following Kathleen Hanna from the band Bikini Kill. I knew of the band and what they stood for but seeing the in depth look of what activism was to them and how they used music as a platform to make an impact in the feminist fight was very moving. I was almost 2 years old when they were formed, which shows that many have been fighting for so long and it still continues to be a fight now. I feel we haven’t made much progress after watching because we still fight for men not to treat women as objects. At one point they were having a concert, and there was men doing inappropriate things to women and they would top the show and have the crowd boo and make them leave. Today I feel this goes on more than ever and tolerated more so than not. I found it interesting that Miley Cyrus has even covered Bikini Kill, meaning their activism and lyrics have made an impact and more recent and popular celebrities are trying to spread the fight of feminism. We can all do something and Think Like An Activist as Wendy Syfret, explains in her book. We all are not musicians, writers, performers or ones that have access to spreading to crowds, she explains where we can start and one starting point is at home. I feel I have been doing my part at home since I was a child, before I even knew what I was standing for. I knew what was right and what was wrong. Such as my future, if I had black friends, gay friends and even if I wanted to be with a man or women. It does have a powerful impact and still today I use my social media as a platform to send knowledge on matters that we need to fight for. We can all use that as a means of activism, we can all attend a march, a parade and stand up for what is right. I really like Yamilett’s snapshot “if youre not angry, youre not paying attention” that goes without saying. The things going on systemically, government and locally. These issues should make us mad and if youre turning a blind eye its ignorance. All should be fighting for freedoms and unjusts they effect all, Not just the oppressed.

It was refreshing to see activism being done by young girls. I think we often think or are made to believe that we have no power or control, that we must live with the way things are. But the reality is that it only takes one person to create change. I choose to watch the Girls Connected film. It centers around five young girls across the world standing up for not just themselves but for everyone in their community, creating awareness, and regaining control over their lives.  They are tackling big problems that relate to women in general and tackling stereotypes that we may all face.

Out of the five girls in the film and their campaigns Josie and Michelle are the two girls who stood out the most and whose story and campaigns are related to the most. The film follows Josie who is combating and raising awareness of young women, girls getting pregnant so early on in their lives. She is raising awareness that if youre going to have sex, make sure it is fully youre consent and that you are being safe.While all of this may sound repeating for all us. It is not the same in small minority communities. They are not given this information, they do not often have these sex ed conversations or health classes. 

Growing up in a Mexican household with extremely strict parents who wanted to protect me from all the “ bad” of the world. One of the biggest things they wanted to protect me from was getting pregnant at a young age. They didn’t want me to “ruin my life” or to become a stereotype. Even without their controlling actions I knew that was not something I wanted. Hell, I’m 23 and I feel like I’m 18. Aside from that I still feel like a child, wandering around having no idea what I’m doing.But here’s the thing I grew up aware of all of this, I grew up educated and not everyone gets that same opportunity. So that is why I stand with Josie raising awareness and stand with her cause. 

These young girls face so much negativity and judgment against them. They are disturbing everyone’s “normal ”. They are the ones shaking things up in their communities. While younger generations may go , educate themselves and listen to what they are fighting for. That is not the case for all. As for older generations who grew up this way, who follow tradition , well it’s basically blasphemy.  The younger generation are creating this noise for a reason. Nothing must always stay the same, it must change with time, it must grow. That is the same with ideologies. But this all shows that it only takes one person to create a chain reaction. These girls are fighting back without having a lot of resources. All you need is an idea and people willing to listen. This should inspire anyone to speak up.

With over 1.15 billion users, Facebook is the most popular social networking platform. Facebook is followed by Twitter with over 550 million registered users. Pinterest and Instagram are two more major social media platforms that are growing in popularity. LinkedIn, YouTube, Tumblr, Vine, Slideshare, and a slew of other social networking platforms are among them.

Social media can be an effective tool for increasing public awareness of social movements. Furthermore, non-radical social movements are supported by online institutionalization and decentralized organization of the online community, as well as consistent social media sharing.

Ceranlly Serrano Rodriguez 

10/05/2021

Respond #5

In the article “How To Think Like An Activist” by Wendy Syfret he talks about how to think like an activist and the great achievements that have happened in history. It explains how activists make the modern world of how not so long ago activists created the world in which we live, how every freedom, security and right that we have obtained is thanks to a person who decided to protest and fight for the rights we have today. Also a result of an activist would come being the right and freedom that we women have today. Something that caught my attention a lot about the article that can compare to my snapshot #5 was the paragraph “when young people speak, the world listen” here explains how we young people give activists the ability to be heard since we are a fresh voice and to have the ability to break discourses differently since we see things in a different way. Despite not having the experience as an activist a young person can make up for it with ingenious ways of working, thinking, inspiring action and getting attention from others. And I relate this part of the article with my snapshot #5 since in my country there were many cases of corruption and the people but more the young people were tired of the abuse that the rulers and the president were doing therefore a mass of young people began to create movement and protest against corruption in my country and not only protested in the Dominican Republic what I am most proud of was that it expanded throughout the world thousands of young people went to face their country including me for a better future for their family despite not living there, but we did it for a change and a better future.  Thanks to this protest we managed to get rid of the corrupt government that has been governing for more than 10 years and as in the article it says in the paragraph “A Generation Online ” as many millennials and gen Z generation joined through the networks to organize these protests via social networks and using hashtags. And not only the type of protest in my country also and seen how other countries like Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia have done the same for the change of their country, on the other hand we can also see a great example of ahce little as the death of George Floyd created the movement “Black Live Matter” that thanks to technology and social networks came to light the videos in which changed the world since we can see how this man was abused by the police. 

About the movie “knock down the house” I was very moved to see young women fight for the rights of us women and other needs in today’s society such as raising the minimum wage, creating more medical insurance, gender equality, etc. This moved me a lot since she is a young Latina with whom I identify a lot and I am proud to see how young she achieves what she has today. and does for us. For me it was an inspiring film since I saw how young women fight to obtain the security, freedom, and rights of us the minority and how we can see all the work and sacrifice of each one.

Activism is using one’s voice to campaign about bringing political or social change. Over the years issues have only risen with very little positive outcomes. Which is why precisely why activism has been used as a form of protest to voice out our concerns to be heard and show how much the issues are impacting us. In readings such as How to Think like an Activist I by Wendy Syfret, there are various examples as to how activism was used to create the change in our world today. Syfret states “people from all over the world are confronting issues such as climate change, racial injustice, xenophobia, and violence against women, people of color and non-binary individuals” (12). These issue that Syfret mentions are current issues that we are seeing at a global scale, and not much has changed. A lot of protests and movements are being formed to stand up against these injustices through social platforms and protests out on the streets of our cities.

 I believe that Syfret mentions how young people have brough activism to a new level. They mention “one of the unique qualities young people can bring into activism is an ability to be heard” (18). I must say that I have seen how much our current generation has brough a lot of awareness than the older generation have towards current social issues. I don’t believe that it’s because older generations are incapable, but like how Syfret mentions “Today you don’t need an army to act just a wi-fi connection” (24), our generation has been able to put issues out there through our social platforms. Movements and voicing out people’s stories have been done through social media. Even throughout our global pandemic that is COVID-19, the issues that have risen won’t die down, on the contrast awareness for all these social injustices has only grown bigger.

Not only is there a need for a social change but there was a need for political change. When watching the Netflix documentary Knock down The House, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a representation of those in the Queens borough and many more for change for the better. The other women who were running up for candidates for congress, Amy Velia, Cori Bush, and Paula Jean Swearengin, all did so much to have their voices heard and bring awareness to those in their communities for change, a change that past congress men have failed to accomplish their promises. AOC is such a great representation; she isn’t shy of bringing up the issues the community and is bold for holding those accountable for their lack of help. When running up against Joseph Crowley, we are told how the strategy for Crowley is to just win to continue having a job instead of facing the global issues straight on and responding to the issues the community has. Just as the snapshot by Allena McKenzie illustrates actions do speak louder than words. Our community does so much more for a change such as preparing protests and movements than our own government will do. In fact, our own government will do the most, to shut down protests and voices.

Activism is a policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change. I think activism is such a strong thing for a person to be. There are many types of activism. But most importantly to me is women’s activism. In 1848 the women’s suffrage movement began which is the start of it all. Women are always overlooked and our abilities are always doubted but we always persevere in every way possible. For example, the film “Girl Connected” shows the limitations that are put on these young colored women which are basically taking their rights and freedom away from them and then using their voice to fight these limitations and stand up for what’s right for them. But as women struggled I feel like that black women have struggled even more.

Black women always fought for equality but we’re overlooked in the women’s movement and civil rights movement. Although black women’s courage, strength, and power were overlooked, they can not be overstated. An article in the New York Times I found interesting called “Black Women Have Consistently Been Trailblazers for Social Change. Why Are They So Often Relegated to the Margins?” Says “In 2014, Black women created #SayHerName to push people to acknowledge that Black men are not the only ones killed by police at a disproportionate rate. While there were massive protests after the killings of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, we did not see similar public outrage over Rekia Boyd, Tanisha Anderson or other Black women, girls and femmes who died at the hands of police. “Although Black women are routinely killed, raped and beaten by the police, their experiences are rarely foregrounded in popular understandings of police brutality,” said Kimberlé Crenshaw, who authored and published the #SayHerName reported with Andrea Ritchie, and the African American Policy Forum in 2015. “Yet, inclusion of black women’s experiences in social movements, media narratives, and policy demands around policing and police brutality is critical to effectively combating racialized state violence for black communities and other communities of color.” This part of the article stood out to me because it shows how black women are deeply overlooked even in our own community but we stand fighting for others and our community every time. The second thing that stood out to me is how young people’s voices can make a big impact.

In the article “how to think like an activist” it mentions how when young people speak, the world listens. The article also says “what younger activists might lack in direct experience they make up for with ingenious ways of thinking, working, getting attention and inspiring action”. To me this brings me to think about social media and how young people use social media platforms to make change, bring awareness, and have their voice Hurd. Tick tock has become a huge platform and is used to bring awareness to many things especially around the pandemic while the news was scary and giving out so much information tick tock creators spread those messages in a funny creative way where we all could relate and understand. 

Lastly the snapshot by servrine hedouville brings me to my final point. Her snapshot shows a woman of color holding up a sign with the same message as a white woman but the only one that’s getting attention is the white woman. This is very common how people get overlooked and the message being less as important until a non color person speaks about it. This needs to change for all of us to come together and fight as one.

How to Think Like an Activist by Wendy Syfret sparked a sense of gratitude and pride within me because it reminded me of how much I owe to those who came before me and how much I am doing to affect change. As a black woman in America, I am very aware that I am afforded so many liberties that weren’t available to black women who came before me. I owe so much gratitude to enslaved people who revolted, activists who fought for gender equity, activists who fought for black history to be taught in school curriculums, the list goes on. I am grateful for Activists and revolutionaries who braved so many hardships in their determination for change. It is because they did so much that I’m determined to continue the work. Syfret states that “change starts at home” and “the most powerful conversations happen in private” and I agree wholeheartedly. In my mind, seeking out information and challenging my own ideas wasn’t a form of activism; neither was informing or challenging family and friends about social matters. To me these are bare minimum, but these are actually very hard things to do, and many people aren’t doing it. Activism starts within, at home and in your immediate surrounding and I’m proud of myself for being the change I want to see and for guiding others on the same path, all that’s left is to continue and eventually expand into greater acts of activism.

 “Girl Connected” left me felling very positive and hopeful for future generations. The documentary follows five teenage girls who are doing their own forms of activism for female liberation and empowerment in their respected countries. They tackle issues such as teenage pregnancy, child marriages, and gendered studies and interests.  It is truly wonderful how these five girls involve their communities in their activism. Josi from Peru organizes assemblies in her neighborhood and at school to educate youth about sex safe practices; Michelle from Kenya leads a group for female empowerment; Ayesha from India teaches a karate class so girls can defend themselves from male attackers; Ghazal from Jordan leads activities that encourage girls to explore their creativity in areas that are considered only for boys; and Latifa from Bangladesh goes to different villages advocating against the practice of child marriages. They are each doing such amazing work, this new generation of girls are so determined and empowered and it’s a beautiful sight. 

Naftara’s snapshot 5 which shows Meg thee Stallion’s performance highlighting the need to protect black women really caught my attention. For context, in 2020 Meg was shot in the foot by Tory Lanez after they got into an argument. Initially she tried to protect Tory by not naming him as her shooter, even going as far as lying to police that she cut her foot on glass. When social media got wind of the story, there came an influx of disgusting jokes justifying the shooting with transphobia, saying Tory saw a penis between her legs and shot her. Tory himself even liked a tweet that justifying the shooting. People on social media and media publications were running with their own story and offering her no sympathy to Meg and this prompted her to speak her truth. She named Tory as her shooter and said that she lied to the cops because she didn’t trust them to not escalate the situation and put her and everyone else involved in more trouble. Keep in mind that Meg is not someone that has beef with anyone, she amicable and friendly. However, she’s a female rapper, she’s in a musical space where men don’t want her to be; they hated her “hot girl summer” movement because it empowered women; they trash on her when she wins awards for her music; they attack her body saying she’s too tall, and muscular therefore she must be trans; they even call her ugly because her nose is broad. This amalgam of mistreatment she’s endured simply because she is a black woman is why she used her performance as means of activism. She wanted to empower black girls to stand up for themselves and for others to stand in solidarity with black women. 

Activism isn’t just protests and marches, though that’s what people usually think of when they think about activism. As Girl Connected illustrated, activism can be leading an empowerment group in your community. As Wendy Syfret states it can be done online, at home, and in various ways. We all have some power in affecting change no matter how small you think it is, it can have a domino effect, so be the change you want to see and encourage others to do the same.

Activism is taking a stand to bring about change whether political or social. A Lot of the things we are able to do today is a result of the work others have done. Some of these changes are the civil rights act, voting rights act, drunk driving being made illegal, and much more. These people were brave enough to fight to bring about the changes needed to benefit all of us. Making the change you want to see in the world is very important. For this reason I couldn’t agree more with Allena snapshot that “Actions speak louder than words”. We live in a world where talking alone will not get the job done, taking action is more effective because it shows people how serious you are and how far you are willing to go. You cannot want change and are not willing to do anything for it or make any sacrifices. A Lot of people died fighting for something they believed in, just to have their voice heard. Bringing about change requires you to put yourself out there. Wendy Syfret made a very good point about the power of youth in activism in the text How To Think Like An Activist. She mentioned how “One of the unique qualities young people can bring to activism is an ability to be heard. Fresh voices have a distinct ability to break through discourse, spin and entrenched agendas. They can reach the heart of the issues and make people really engage with old conversations in new ways.” (Syfret, 18). I agree with her on this because young people are able to reach a different audience than someone older. They bring something different to the table and get people interested. If I was to see a teenager protesting on the street I’m more likely to stop compared to seeing someone older because it’s so out of the norm. There’s more older activists which everyone is used to but hearing what someone younger has to say especially someone around my age group makes me more curious. She also touched on the role social media plays and I must say it plays a big role. It’s a really effective way of reaching a bigger platform and voicing your opinion for “With a phone in hand, anyone has the ability to educate, inform, expose and serve as a reporter.” (Syfret, 24). As effective as more young people becoming activists would be there are many that don’t have the freedom to. 

After watching the film Girls Connected I realized how much girls did not have as much  power over their lives. Their parents were the ones who made the decisions that they are supposed to make for themselves. This one girl talked about how they tried to marry her off at 12 years old, how girls are not allowed to go anywhere or do anything but stay inside. Another talked about how many girls feel like they’re place is in a home and they can’t study certain things like engineering. I believe their religion has a lot to do with this and their parents as well. A Lot of people’s religion doesn’t give them freedom to do whatever they like, there’s usually a set of rules they must follow. Their parents raising them the same way they were raised doesn’t help either because they feel as if that’s the right way to raise their children and they usually aren’t open to any other ways. This has a big impact on their kids because it affects the person they grow up to be. They won’t know how to make decisions for themselves because they never had to. Neither will they know how to get by in the real world.