After reading “How to Think Like An Activist” by Wendy Syfret and watching Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution directed by James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham, I’d define the word activism as taking action to achieve a political or social goal. To as a community fight to support or resist a cause. In the reading, some parts focus on the power of the youth when it comes to activism. These young people are bringing topics such as authoritarianism, climate justice, gun control, and transgender rights into their classrooms, exposing them to the importance of those topics and educating them on what actions can be taken. “…it is creating a cohort of citizens who will be active participants in democracy” (15). The film I watched focuses on the disability rights movement and how the bond that the young people at Camp Jened shared helped launch said movement across the nation. The film does an incredible job of educating the audience on a topic that is not talked about enough. It also does a great job of focusing on Judy Heumann, an American disability rights activist. As a group, they were able to share their thoughts on how they’ve been wronged and how their rights were stripped from them because of their disabilities. In the reading, Syfret states, “activism is best enjoyed with friends. A support network will help you refine your values, educate yourself and others, celebrate victories and offer encouragement when things get tough” (41). That is precisely how the campers at Camp Jened were able to lift the movement from the ground by building a solid community that shared not just the fact they were disabled in common but their views on seeking justice and defending their human rights. They weren’t going to take no as an answer because they weren’t asking to be treated fairly. They were demanding it.

I’ve personally engaged in activism by attending Black Lives Matter protests and educating myself on anti-racism. I helped my community out by donating supplies that would be handed out to those marching. I try my best to attend the women’s march every year to honor ALL women. I can realistically engage in activism around gender justice by doing my best to learn all that I can throughout this course. Since the start of the semester, I’ve already been involved in more conversations on the topic with the people I surround myself with. This is an essential course for me because I want to know more and do more. One last quote that stood out to me from the reading was, “Talk to them about why this cause matters to you; make it personal. It’s easier for people to connect with an issue when they see how it impacts those they care about. It also might encourage them to think about how it touches their own lives” (42). Communication has so much power, and these conversations need to be had; they are vital to all movements.