Many and countless privileges we enjoy today are as a result of the actions taken by activists who never gave up, nor put themselves before others. The selfless measures, resilient movements and risking their safety so as to gain and maintain a fair world. Activism is popularly known to be using vigorous campaigning to bring about political and/ or social change. Wendy Syfret defines activism as “a powerful thing. It has the ability to change communities and lives and reorder the way we think about our place in the world” (Syfret 38). This week’s reading, like our past readings is very insightful and captivating. Wendy Syfret’s “How to think like an activist” broadens our concepts regarding activism.
We learn that in order to not give up along the way and be a true activist, we are to have deep and clear understanding of what we intend to gain. One should sincerely and wholeheartedly know what it is they may be fighting for, and above everything, why they are fighting. We sometimes fail to acknowledge that protesting once or twice does not guarantee that the government or society may accept or give into our demands. Wendy, the author shares stories of movements that happened centuries ago. The French Revolution. The French Revolution was one movement that served as an eye opener to the rest of the world. This act took place over two hundred years ago, and it was led by Parisian craftsmen and store owners. They set this act to protest the monarchy’s brutal authoritarian rule. The movement was a very harsh and unpleasant one. Many people lost their lives including the reining King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette. So many unpredicted things occurred, but the movement was a success. The monarchy ended and France ended up becoming a Republic country. This would not have been so if the protestors had given up. Meaning they had started their movement without a good reason or cause.
A very practical example I would give is the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Throughout the very intense protest, which was to get justice for black people that were unreasonably killed by the cops, mainly George Floyd. A man who was sadly murdered in Minnesota by a police officer. This movement was very uncanny, dangerous and went on for a very long time (if not ongoing). The President of the United States at the time tried his possible best to end/ stop the movement. He called on the army (fully armed soldiers), barricades were put, almost every state had a very strict curfew and many others, but the protests went on. Without a valid reason, or if people did not strongly believe in what they were in for, countless would have dispersed at the sight of soldiers with their guns. The author states, “As groups like Black Lives Matter, March for Our Lives and Fridays for Future have shown you don’t need to be a power holder or career activist to change the way we view the world” (Syfret 11). If one puts their mind to it, we can all fight for change. You do not have to have some kind of influence to fight for what you believe is right.
