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.

According to Syfret, Wendy Activsm consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct, or intervene in social, political , economical or  environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. She also spoke about how activist bring about change and how activism is apart of the world and made reference to that of the French Revolution. 

The French Revolution was when the great Ghandi fought to allow citizens more agency in governmental decisions . 

     She also made mention the history of feminism and how it lives on today . Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. Whilst strides have been made towards equality throughout these periods, women remain far from equal both in the Western world and globally . Feminism still remains as important an issue today for contemporary woman .

Syfret in addition spoke about the Salt march where Ghandi also led another stand against oppressive rule . They protest against the British salt act of 1882 .

In a time when people often dismiss younger generations as more engaged with their smartphones than with the world around them, young advocates are using every tool available to raise awareness and push back against injustice. And they’re not just posting their opinions on social media. They’re setting real change in motion a clear sign of activism 

The CRIP CAMP video is about a group of young men and women with physical impairments going camping and playing together. When they grow up, they are all happy to remember. Some people are dating girls for the first time when they are camping. There was also a black man who said that he camped with people with physical defects and didn’t have to think about what to say or not to say, but he had to speak carefully when he got home. I think he himself may have heard other people talking about him more or less, that’s why he was so careful when talking in front of others. To be honest, some of the disabled have defects from birth, and some are caused by the day after tomorrow. This is more or less a blow to their families, but it is the biggest blow to them. It is very difficult for them to do what normal people can do.

Activism has been led by the youth of every generation seeking a future that has implemented the necessary changes society needed at given points in time. Nowadays, activism can be said to lean more towards digital awareness and organization relying heavily on the internet for most of its impact on society. As someone who is a part of Gen-Z I haven’t been around long enough to witness the shift between physical and digital organization but I have been able to witness how social media activism brings about change and has been responsible for unheard voices finally getting the attention and value they deserve. 

In Wendy Syfret’s ‘How to Think Like an Activist’, they state how the internet has aided in important information, facts, stories, news, etc. no longer being subjected to “The traditional hierarchies of what and who gets reported.” Less news gets censored by those who feel the need to censor it and as a result, social issues are no longer (for the most part) swept under the rug and deemed nonexistent. Because of this social media activism has in a way revolutionized the way that we are able to raise awareness on a massive scale. As the globe becomes more and more digitized as a result of widespread technology, there is almost no way to sweep a political, social, or economic crisis under the radar without a small percentage of the population knowing and therefore spreading it across useful platforms. However social media activism does have its drawbacks. As quickly as it grows in numbers, the foundation and its momentum are not easily and consistently maintained. A movement can gain mass popularity and fizzle out in a matter of days, weeks, even months. In my lifetime, I’ve seen this happen with the hashtag movements #SaveSudan, #BlackLivesMatter in mid 2020, #FreePalestine, #PrayforParis, #Icebucketchallenge, where the public will all collectively engage in raising awareness but will soon forget about the hashtag as its trendiness fades, forget and move on to the next movement/social issue. Hashtag activism is a strength and a flaw in the case of internet activism, because as useful as it is in increasing the speed at which the information reaches the public, we have also been programmed to only rely on them for limited periods of time for limited purposes. 

However there have been successful movements that maintained momentum through the start of a hashtag which then blossomed into in-person organization and action for change. Like BLM and MeToo, which have had frequent spikes in attention on social media. Despite these spikes they still maintain a solid foundation, and with that they are able to do more than just raise awareness. These movements and their actions being sustained resulted in infamous, vile politicians being exposed and called to the court to explain their involvment in sexual assault and  pedophilia. It led to some but not all indictments of officers who have brutally murdered innocent black women, men, and children. I believe that if the public is livid enough, and if it affects just the right amount of the population, that the use of social media for activism will only be a tool used for the benefit of the movement overall and not it’s primary source.

Vanessa mentioned in her response that “Take the crisis in the Middle East as an example. If it were not for social media, we would not know the severity of the situation out there. The media rarely ever covers the situation, and when they do, they do not cover the full scope of it. However, with social media, we can see the stories of the people out there. “ And I have to agree that when it comes to international news, we often wouldn’t see much of it if it weren’t for social media. I believe this is largely due to the US trying to uphold the image it wants to project to others.

10/23/2021

Gws 100-170W

Professor Waychoff 

                                           Response to Celina Wever 

Activism is a movement that was done in the 1950s. It is something that is done to bring awareness to an issue that people may have a problem with. For example, since activism started in the 1950s many African-Americans would be the ones to protest because we were the main ones getting targeted. During these years many blacks were facing inequalities and violence in the hands of white people. For example our black men were not allowed to have any conversation with a white woman otherwise there would be serious precautions. In addition schools were segregated, we were not allowed to vote, have an education, the right to have a beautiful home and more. There were a lot of popular black activists. For example Dr Martin Luther king, Rosa parks, Malcolm x were all activists and a part of the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement was a campaign  preceded by African Americans to end legalized discrimination, segregation and disenfranchisement in America. Any time I hear the word activist or activism, I think about coming together to end any kind of problems going on in the world. I think that activism helps many people because when activists like Rosa Parks, Dr Martin Luther king, and many more created a campaign to end racism it worked. After some years segregation ended and blacks and whites were finally reunited as one. There were no more laws going against black people voting, inequalities and more. 

I agree with Celine Wever’s photo because fighting today will make a better tomorrow. If africans americans did not fight back then for all of us then in 2021 things would be worse. Although history is repeating itself, african americans are now free to do anything they please. Blacks are now allowed to vote, have a beautiful home, the right to be educated, and the end of segregation. The civil rights movements ended years of torture that all african americans went through. Although all blacks were a target, black men had it the worst. For example if any man is seen conversing with a caucasian woman it would be punished. It was so bad that even if a man was smiling or looked at a white woman they would be accused of groping, touching and more incriminating lies would be told against them. Young black men would be told to cross the street and keep their heads down to avoid any interactions with a white woman. Another example is the story of a young teenager named Emmet Till that was visiting his relatives in Money, Mississippi who allegedly whistled at a woman behind a store counter. During the questioning and the investigation the woman claimed that the teenager grabbed her and made advances towards her and whistled. This was a false statement on the woman’s part because witnesses were saying something different. A few days later Emmett Till was beaten and shot to death by the cashier’s husband and the brother of the husband. He was then thrown in a river. After his muder the civil rights movement started emerging because many african americans were enraged by his death.

In Wendy Syfret’s “How to Think Like An Activist”, she states, “When immersing yourself in research, take time to pause and ask: who else is impacted by this issue? If a system of power is oppressive to you, chances are it’s oppressive to others.” (46), in which I felt that this summarizes motivation to participate in activism for oneself as well as others. After reading this excerpt I chose to watch “The Punk Singer: Kathleen Hannah” because I have been a fan of her music for a very long time but I had not had the chance to dive deeper into what motivated her to be part of a feminist punk band and why her lyrics and tone take a specific approach. I am also writing in response to MeiQi’s snapshot as I felt it properly binded the film and excerpt and although it does not have any context it appears to possibly be a protest against rape and for equality in the workplace during the 70’s, judging by the participants style. I think it was interesting how Kathleen took the experiences of others and not simply her own and incorporated that into her music and was not afraid of making people uncomfortable because that was strictly the reality of situations in which women unintentionally find themselves because of the violence that men act on. Bikini Kill’s infamous “Rebel Girl” is a great representation of what women can do if one, if all, stand up for one another. Kathleen sings, “when she talks, I hear the revolution / In her hips, there’s revolution /  when she walks, the revolution’s coming.” and not only was her music inclusive of others stories but her idea to allow women to create zines under “Riot Grrrl” also shows that she was not singing for just herself or her friends but for anyone that could relate to these experiences.

Syfret mentions the concept of difference and diversity serving as a force of unity and as presented through Kathleen’s efforts as well as the efforts of the women in protest in MeiQi’s snapshot, a visual representation of what this can look like. Syfret also mentions the concept of Inclusivity and research because although women may share the same oppressions, the differences in race and socio-economic status plays a role on a more personal level as someone from a lower class may not have access to the same aid and resources that someone from a higher class may have. Kathleen’s transition from bands like Bikini Kill to Le Tigre did not stop her from sending the same message and speaking out for the truths that many women would rather keep to themselves out of fear because society still operates under a level of male domination. In Le Tigre’s “Deceptacon”, Kathleen asks the public to “depoliticize her rhyme” as her participation was oftentimes not taken seriously because of the simple fact that she is a woman and the punk scene was generally a space for men due to the violence but this resonates with today as woman have had to endlessly protest for their human and political rights but have been dismissed because of their gender.

I believe that the snapshot Rayomah added relates to the video “United In Anger” because it shows gay people marching in protest on the street about healthcare. The biggest issue in the video is people who are infected with AIDS and activism around the situation. In the snapshot, we see people marching holding various signs like “Healthcare is an LGBTQ Issue”. This video discusses about the AIDS pandemic that was growing in the 80s and how it affected gay people. Another thing in the snapshot is that two in the crowd holding sings of the at-the-time president Donald Trump which expresses negative comments about bashing the gay community. According to the source that Rayomah provided via link, healthcare is being denied to AIDS patients due to their status of being poor. Transgendered people and queer who are born in color, being the target of losing health coverage due to tax cut. It also made queers the target being discriminated against which is most likely to lacking insurance and in society. I felt guilty for these people because they are being mistreated due to Trump denying access for the gay community to seeking AIDS/HIV treatment in need. Many people died from the effects of the virus after contracting the sexual diseases from infected people who they come in close contact with.

For the article named “How To Think Like An Activist” by Wendy Syfret, it mentions part of the story about people who are protesting against the government. In the snapshot, we see images of government officials such as Trump. According to page 46 of the article, millions of people around the globe participated in the march against Trump. The crowd included women, immigrants, LGBTQ community and people of color marching together to make a better change in American politics. I actually agree with the crowd’s decision for protesting against the government forces because they have been deprived so many times for their rights, because of their statuses as immigrants and others in same sex relationships. In my experience, I have never really been in a protest in public but I have seen them on TV and other media. For example, last year, I saw the protesters holding signs that say “Black Lives Matter” and pictures of loved ones who were murdered senselessly due to racial injustice. The movement changed the country’s police force because people protested racism and officers were being held accountable for their wrongdoings. It also led to defunding the police departments in certain states like Minnesota. These protests show that activism changes people from unjust causes. In general, the Black Lives Matter movement actually left an impact in the country because people of all races are still recovering from the aftermath of racial injustice. Both the video and article share the connections from the snapshot that they’re going against the government. Another subject I learned for my experience, is that the group Black Lives Matter is made for people who fight in order to gain equality for African Americans.

Activism has molded almost every aspect of our lives today. Just think, if it were not for activism there would still be racism, sexism, slavery, work abuse, and so on. Activism is society’s way of constantly improving upon itself. It brings focus to an issue in society. It is the first, and arguably most important, step in the process of reform. Wendy Syfret, an author who wrote about activism, illustrates this process of reform by citing the suffrage movement. In “How to Think Like an Activist” she states,” U.S suffragettes organized one of their most famous parades in Washington DC on 3 March 1913 – the day before the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson. Seven years later, the work of those protesters ( and thousands of others across the country) led to the ratification of the 19th amendment, awarding women the right to vote.” ( Syfret 10). As shown in this example, activism is almost always the first step to action. A movement like the suffrage movement would not have achieved its cause if no activism was done. Activism educated the public of the issue at hand and simultaneously let the public, and the government, know that they were not happy and would not remain silent. And while activism still serves the same purpose, there are some new modern methods to it now. Online activism for example. With online activism, many times more people can be reached than with a single march. Social media has flipped the world upside down in so many ways, this being just one example. With social media, you can even target like-minded strangers to join your cause simply by using the algorithm correctly. You can bring awareness to any cause regardless of your location. Take the crisis in the Middle East as an example. If it were not for social media, we would not know the severity of the situation out there. The media rarely ever covers the situation, and when they do, they do not cover the full scope of it. However, with social media, we can see the stories of the people out there. We see pictures of the scene and faces of the people that lived through it. No other form of media can compare in this regard. In “How to Think Like an Activist” Syfret states,” Clearly, activism has always relied on the voices, vision, and energy of individuals to inspire and drive social change.” (Syfret 3). She summarizes why social media is the best platform for activism right here. It is able to reach the most voices compared to any other method of activism. After reading Syfret’s article, I watched the video “United in Anger”. It was a video on the AIDS movement. After watching it, a gained a new understanding of the significance of an activism platform. In the early stages of the AIDS epidemic, there was little to no coverage of it. President Reagan even refused to mention it. This critical time could have been used to gain an understanding of the issue at hand. But instead, ignorance seeded bigotry. If social media existed during this time period, lives easily could have been saved and many LGBTQ stereotypes may have never developed.

The article “How To Think Like An Activist” by Wendy Syfret talks about activism as the ability to change communities and lives it requires time and energy. Activism  in this new century were millennials and gen Z  have a huge impact with help of social media. Now days everyone has access to a phone with camera news spread way faster we are able to share content with just a click of a button. 

Syfret mentions that change starts at home and even thought it might not apply to everyone it is important to be able to bring issues in the place you call home with family. Even if you don’t agree with one another like it happens in some families, having your voice heard is important and being able to respect each other’s concerns and thoughts is key.  

The snapshot that Karinys Carillo share where the little girl has a poster that says “ Little girls with dreams become women with vision” really is true. As my personal experience working with children I have seen some very unique kids that I’m amaze how at such young age they have a such a strong opinions on how they think. 

The film girls connected is an example on how some kids in this case 5 girls have such passion for what they believe and stand for. They have made it their mission to help the community they grew up so other girls can have the same opportunities and the chance of a better life. 

They want to create a positive change to younger girls and help them on their journey. All the five girls are a good example of with a mentor should be, at the end of the film one said “its important to stay focus and committed to their dreams”  and I personally find that vey inspiring. 

I wish I had their same commitment and passion I think if everyone can put just a small amount of the same dedication they have we could make big changes.