This week’s reading helped me to realize many things. To start off, the importance of activism. Activism is something that is so strong, empowering, and can bring great change that many want. This week also made me realize just how complex oppression truly is. I only thought that oppression was referring to how a group of people is being treated but after this week’s reading, I realized that there are different levels and kinds of oppression. On a personal level of oppression, we are taught from a young age certain things we can and can not do. With interpersonal oppression, we are taught what we can or can’t say. Within institutional oppression, we saw it occur in Texas with the ban on abortions. Which led me to wonder and question why MEN were allowed to make that choice and decision. A choice and decision that they can not say would impact them because they are not a female. Some may argue and say abortions are bad. This is where Pro-Life and Pro-Choice would come in. However, I think we should look beyond that and realize that although it is involving abortion, it goes back to women being oppressed. Something that is meant to be for women is being taken away by men. Not to mention, although right now it is abortion being taken from women, this can open a road where more rights could potentially start to be taken away which will add to the constant battle women have to face in today’s society

I really liked this topic. It made me realize what the word activist is. Before, I had no clue. im glad you gave us the reading and the video playlist to choose a video. The video that I decided, “knock the house down,” was very good. I liked how it showed their step toward their goal and what they wanted to achieve. They had their own stories, and they had someone who was in their life and tried to make them happy. I could see their dedication to making their dreams a reality. All of them we together, and im glad at least one of them got to do what they wanted. one out of four is their voice and everybody’s voice. This video showed that no matter the gender, you can do anything. When Alexandra was going head to head with Crowley, people thought we would go against someone who had more experience than her, and she would lose. There is no way a woman will be able to defeat a man who has more power than her. But Alexandra proves all those people wrong, which I liked about this video. To the younger generation, it shows that having confidence isn’t everything and that you don’t truly know what goes to happen until the results come out or until you reach the finish line. Activist groups do anything in their power for their voices. They don’t stop until they reach their own finish line to be heard.

In the reading ” How To Think Like An Activist” by Wendy Syfret, I learned that activism is an act in which people express their true opinions, their anger about certain situations and are seeking change. Activism doesn’t have to be always associated with pretesting or the fact that activists people are aggressive. In reality, activists are just people who have visions, different energy and are willing to come up with new solutions to help the world. Wendy Syfret mentioned how activism become a huge thing because of social media. Social media and the internet, in general, played such an important role to speed up the information and spreading the truth. Most of our generation now will only believe what they see and not what they heard. The spirit of activism is a powerful thing someone can have. It requires strength, power, and commitment. It allows you to understand others’ differences and to work on your listening skills. The reading is about different strategies to help you become an activist such as finding a mentor, having questions, using social media, accepting critique, and developing speaking and listening skills. Having a complaint or a goal you want to achieve is not enough to be a good activist. This is exactly why I loved reading this because it opened up about different detailed things in activism.

In reading “How to think like an activist” by Wendy Syfert I was able to understand more clearly what activism is because before I only thought that being an activist was to make protests but no, thanks to the reading I understood that it is to make social, environmental and cultural changes for the system , to fight to defend something , to be part of and improve the system of a country .  I am not much of an activist but I like to defend and say things as they are when I understand that there is an injustice. I am in favor of activism because it helps to create a better country, for people to learn, get to know each other and volunteer to help with the changes .  Syfert mentions some examples like the march of the salt were marches of people who fought against a problem.  A video that shows us some ways of being an activist is “Girl Connected” I liked it a lot personally because it is about 5 teenagers who try to do their best to have a better system, fight not to be limited and to have fewer problems both with discrimination as violence.  In addition, it teaches a very nice message that although we can all have problems, we can all work as a group and improve them.

How to Think Like an Activist was a very interesting piece of text, the multiple subheadings and overall setup made it feel almost like I was reading a magazine. Syfret gives a lot of credit to the younger generation for being good activists, and states that the voice of the youth is powerful. “Many of the movements that shaped the world we live in today were begun by people…hardly old enough to vote…Powered by the internet…they’re succeeding in capturing the public attention changing minds and attitudes at a scale never witnessed before” (11-12 Syfret).

I had honestly never put into perspective that decades ago the same people who are around my age now were the also ones desperate for change back then. They also touched up on the fact that the internet has essentially ‘sped up’ activism, which is also true but again another thing I hadn’t realized or put into perspective growing up with the internet always being there. Now, instead of change taking years people can informed on a subject in minutes through a trending hashtag or a tweet. But of course real change, whether that be in laws passed or changed still takes time and it will take more than a singular tweet for a moment to form.

Another point that was brought up that I thought was interesting because I’m dualy taking a journalism class was the fact that in the past the media controlled was more in control of what got broadcasted. “Social media and the internet have democratised news and information…’Many people who lacked public platforms 10 years ago…are speaking up” (27-29 Syfret). Going as far as to call the press ‘gatekeepers’ was a really interesting and valid point that I’d never even considered aside through the lense of yellow journalism. But they really were essentially the ones who got to decide whether the noise people would make got to be heard or not in the end.

After reading “How to Think Like An Activist” by Wendy Syfret, I was able to better understand the work that goes into activism. The French Revolution and the Salt March were world-altering movements. Although the first was violent, the second did demonstrate that “nonviolent action could create real change” (8). I learned that it’s not uncommon to feel discouraged because I’m only one person, and I can’t possibly make a difference by myself, but that is so far from the truth. By committing to getting involved and working within my community I can encourage others to join in taking action, which is precisely how this all works. 

The reading discusses the importance of younger generations and their involvement in seeking justice. “Greta knew that her age and inexperience weren’t a disadvantage, but a secret weapon” (18). Combining the power of the youth and the power of social media has made it easier to reach new audiences and spread information while creating new conversations. With that being said, real change still takes time, and the most impactful actions pair digital and traditional methods of activism.

Having a clear and deep understanding of what you’re fighting for is essential. It’s not just about showing up to protest, but more so about why you’re showing up. Understanding is also a part of the environment you are a part of, making sure it is a safe space to communicate and ask questions. Activism is about learning and being willing to learn more. It’s about teaching what you know and the reasoning behind your fight to the people surrounding you.

The reading covered historical activism, and how activism has evolved over time. They start with talking about historical events like the French Revolution and the Salt March. In the Salt March the idea of a non-violent protest was introduced/popularized by Ghandi. This is the type of protest I favor, versus war and violence. But of course this applies situationally. Since media, television, cell phones and the internet have become a norm, activism is now able to take an online platform. Anybody is able to use their voice to speak up. The article says, “There’s no doubt that the biggest effect the internet and social media has had on activism is to speed it up” We are able to reach more people, quicker.
The article also highlights the fact that often, the world is more likely to notice and listen to young voices because it is seen as different and controversial to social norms. An example of this used is Greta Thunberg, whose speeches on climate change and environmental activism went viral worldwide. It was controversial to many as she is “just a child” and “has no knowledge/education”. It’s wrong to discredit someone just because of their age or gender.

I watched the film “Girl Connected” which focuses on the stories of child/young teen female activists in third world countries, Kenya, Bangladesh, India, Peru and Ghazal.They talk about varying women’s rights issues they face, some similar to us in America, and some different. Some similar issues are a lack of sex education leading to high rates of teen pregnancy and the responsibility of pregnancy falling unequally on women. Issues we don’t hand here are child marriage, strict enforced rules on denying women’s access to jobs or education. One of the children,Jordan from Ghazal, does a photography project called “Humans of Amman” where she takes pictures and stories of everyday people in her city. This is a similar project to “Humans of New York”

Knock Down The House was a documentary I always wanted to watch and I am glad that this class put it in the list. During the time that I was watching it, there were many moments that I felt related to and it was very touching so that I was crying because of it.

It is really touching that seeing women like AOC, Paula Jean Swearengin, Cori Bush and Amy Vilela work so hard and being brave to run against establishment politicians. They all come from different states but they work on the same thing. They decided to send their voice out because people’s voice need to be heard and Americans deserve a better representative-that people from their own community, people from their class, people live the same life as them, people work as hard as them but suffer as them. Because if no one stand up, then they would be represented by establishment politicians and they don’t live the same life as them so how can them represent their benefit and fight for them? Nothing would be changed if they don’t change it by themselves. Every little action matter and every little action would impact other people and it causes the wave. All these actions from different people and different cities gather together that could lead to the movement.

From this documentary I see how American spirits is and how Americans make change. I wish people in other countries can inspire by it and learn from it. There is no perfect activism but once you are keeping trying and fighting, things would get in a better way.

After reading the article that was provided I have a better understanding of why social media is a very great tool to use for activism. Social media is a great way to get recognition in subjects that many people wouldn’t know about outside the internet. I think when many casualties happen we all know of it pretty fast because of social media and many spread awareness quickly. 

There are so many forms of activism and some things that we do are considered activism. I didn’t realize that sharing posts was a form of activism. I think it’s amazing how we get the courage to fight for what we believe in based on the people from the past. People from the past stood up for what they wanted and made a huge impact on future generations. 

I enjoyed watching the film because it gave me a behind-the-scenes of what it takes to be a candidate and how much hard work these people put into this election. I’ve noticed that a lot of people belittle women and make backhanded comments to them. I believe that its film is very inspiring to watch. Even though they have doubts within themselves about what they are doing they still continue to do so because it is something they believe in. I find this very admirable since not many have the courage to do what they are doing, especially running against someone who has a lot of power. Many people were intimidated by these people in power but these women were not and they took the risk to fight for something. 

Activism indeed enacts so much relevance in everything all around. How did women ever have the chance to vote, to leave the house and earn their own money and to own property? Through Activism. We have achieved so much from it, and so much will also be earned from it. Wendy Syfret’s “How to think like an Activist” teaches so much, it gives a lot of details and insight. I have learnt through this reading that, one way or the other we belittle the duties of an activist. Thinking it is actually easy to go through the process, that all it takes is to have cardboard with written signs on them, go onto the streets and shout for few minutes or hours then your desires will be fulfilled. We think it is easy, but it is not. It may sound easy, but it is not. Are you willing to starve, risk your life, and still not forfeit? In situations like this giving up will seem much easier than drinking a glass of water. Without dedication and deep understanding of what you are doing, there will be no meaning to it, especially when you do not see any progress. Before change can be made, you have to start from somewhere, it could be from a chat, a group meeting, engaging in community services or even writing a letter or email. It can start from anywhere, but you have to start from somewhere. Change does not happen from just watching and wishing, it starts through actions. An activist does not just think, they put their thoughts into necessary measures.