Keona Malcolm

GWS

10/2/2021

Activism

I believe activism is the core of our society. Every right and freedom we have today was because of activism. It takes bravery, strength, and courage to be stand up for what is right despite obstructions. I feel with the direction we are heading in today more people are moving towards taking on the responsibilities of an activist to fight for change. Activism has gone back centuries, it may not have been viewed as we see it today, however without all those movements and all those brave leaders and activists that left their mark on this world and generations to come, we would have not been where we are today. People have fought and died for their freedom and for all people no matter what race, gender, sexuality, or creed they are to live as they please without denying them their basic human rights. I agree with Karina Cruz’s snapshot about not knowing the importance of our voices until we are silenced which is a quote credited to Malala Yusufzai. If you are in an environment where you were given the space to voice how you feel then the chances of you being fearful of voicing your opinion is low. From experience growing up in a household where I and my mom were not very close because of mistakes that took place, voicing my opinion was very difficult. Often I was met with “Shut up” when I wanted to say something I was happy about or something that hurt me.

As I got older and was aware that voicing my opinion was not something I could do, it eventually developed into bad anxiety for me, and panic attacks I experienced became very frequent as time goes by. The thought of being an activist or having an interest in activism has never crossed my mind because public speaking is just the one thing the causes major anxiety for me. Activism is not as simple as just speaking about an issue even though it can be expressed in many forms. Being an activist takes courage and a lot of mental and physical strength to stand on what you believe despite setbacks and oppositions or even threats to your safety because you have chosen to put yourself out there which makes you subsequent to public critique, positive and negative. This quote from (Introduction to Activism | Permanent Culture Now) is about thinking about what impact you might have when pursuing activism. “When viewing or considering becoming involved in activism, it pays to be realistic about what you hope to achieve and what impact you may have” Being a leader means to empower and inspire people, when being an activist you have to reflect on the impact you will make on the audience that you will eventually gain and what that means for the message that you are trying to spread.

Keona Malcolm

GWS

10/4/2021

The patriarchy

The patriarchy is a system structured to make one group at an advantage and an other at a disadvantage. It’s not something we can get rid of, it’s been around for centuries and decades and centuries. Everything we do in our everyday lives perpetuates the patriarchy. I believe if we all come together and understand how our actions contributes to this oppressive system that puts people at a disadvantage and to make sure we are all treated equally. 

Although it’s no surprise not everyone believes the patriarchy exists and not everyone sees it the same. People have different experiences and see the world through different lenses. No matter how hard you explain an issue, it just won’t resonate with everyone the same way it does with you. I think that maybe one of the many challenges in trying to change the patriarchy. Another factor is religion and culture. Some cultures and religions thrive on the patriarchy, so presenting the idea of illuminating  the patriarchy would mean giving up the power and control and the status they gain from the  patriarchy.

I think it is important to discuss the effects of the patriarchy from the perspective of the people who are at an advantage and for the people who are at a disadvantage. I also wanted to state that no one person is to be blamed for the patriarchy because everyone regardless of class, race, gender, religion and sexuality can uphold the patriarchy. The patriarchy from the perspective of women has always been oppressive. It has presented so many challenges from not being treated equally and fairly to getting a job, unequal pay in the workplace  and etc…It is crucial to also understand that your race can also play a role in your experience under the patriarchy. For example when speaking up regarding an issue or how they feel uncomfortable in any situation, a white woman is more likely to be believed over a  black woman or a woman of color. Another example is white women are  seen as feminine, quiet, always needing protection, positive traits while black women are seen as loud, angry, aggressive, and masculine, always having their femininity questioned. White women have the opportunity to enjoy their children while women of color are constantly sexualized for their body  and accused of being provocative. 

Whenever you present the conversation about the patriarchy to men, they always find it hard to accept the idea that they have privilege. People like being seen as the victim because that eliminates them from being held accountable for how their actions affect others. For some, admitting that the patriarchy exists and that it is detrimental to our society means giving up their privilege and their comfort  and also admitting that they benefit from other people’s suffering. Even though no one person is responsible for the patriarchy, we all play a part in upholding the patriarchy. I believe men play a major role in keeping it alive. 

I also wanted to bring up the fact  that just like women, men can also be affected by the patriarchy. Men are seen as tough, aggressive, strong, head of the household and caretakers of women and their family and if you are a man and you are a part of the lgbt community, then people see that as a threat to their masculinity. For some reason if a man is gay then he cannot embrace any of the societal male qualities that are listed above. People see you as weak, fragile and incompetent of being a man simply because of who they chose to love.

I don’t believe that the goal should be about pointing finger at each other, but finding a middle ground and working together in finding a solution on  how the lessening the effects of the patriarchy because we can never get rid of it. It is something that is deeply embedded in our society that it would take centuries to unlearn. We can teach people to be more open minded and accepting of others because we are  all deserving of respect regardless of what background, culture, race, religion, and skin color we are.