This week’s materials addressed the intersectionality of oppression, especially the synthesis of different kinds of it upon an individual. Racial oppression is a very unexplored and unexperienced thing for me, so I am glad I have a chance to learn the depths of it. I have always felt stigmatized about speaking of it because “I cannot relate” and “I should not stick my nose in someone else’s problems.” Then I saw the reverse side of the coin when reading The Combahee River Collective Statement, which embodies the struggle of black women. It states “the only people who care enough about us to work consistently for our liberation are us . . . the most profound and potentially most radical politics come directly out of our own identity, as opposed to working to end somebody else’s oppression.” I very much agree with these statements, since those who went through the cause of their activism — would it be oppression, disease, or homelessness — are the most eager to fight it, because of how much they can relate to the victims of those things.

The film Paris is Burning has made quite a large impression on me since I barely ever watch documentaries other than scientific. This documentary captures the ball and vogue culture of the 90s in New York and shows its significance from a personal perspective of people who are part of this community. These balls served as a safe place for all people, and especially queer to express themselves and to feel good at least for a moment, before returning to the “realness,” where they constantly face oppression. It felt amazing to see such a space existing in the real world, where people just have fun and can try on different personas. I could even relate to some of the feelings of the interviewed people, as they opened up about their big dreams which seemed impossible to reach (because society has made them ineligible for these roles). Seeing so many people doing things I’ve always wanted to do made me somewhat jealous, but at the same time, I could see a large problem poking through all the fun. Even though there was controversy around the documentary, I’m very grateful that it exists for people like me, who are clueless about the experience of oppressed people.