I didn’t think we would talk about Activism but this topic I do see it as a major pillar of gender and women’s studies in that some women’s rights activists have fought for full equality from voting rights to fair treatment in the workplace and the pursuit of reproductive and sexual freedom. Going on with the reading of how to think like an activist, it has mentioned a lot about marches one that stood out the most was the march for our lives and the poor teens where in Florida shooting happened. This call of action is enough, that there should be a stop to gun violence in the United States. That even in today’s society there has been more gun violence going on. Another issue that happened was the Black Lives Matter March for our lives where you had a career activist to change the way we view the world. There are so many issues in today’s world that have not been resolved or might have to say history is repeating itself. It’s best to bring the younger generation to have their voice heard and to hope they can change any of the issues in today’s society. Today we have seen a lot of peaceful protests in New York City hoping for a better chance.

This weeks reading broke down activism and made it simple for me to understand. I learned that it existed throughout history in different forms, and how it changed over time. In contrast with bloody revolutions and mass protests that were common in the past, a lot of today’s activism happens online. Because of this, I realized that it is something everyone can do through resources they have. All of us have access to different fields and to different knowledge. I think it is important to use them for good, and to share the knowledge you have, because it can complete someone else’s understanding of an issue. You don’t have to necessarily stand outside on the street for hours, or write a manifesto and try to spread it somehow. All you need to share something is an internet platform.

The documentary I watched this week is called “The Vessel.” It is about activists that work together to combat restrictions of reproductive rights. Rebecca Gomperts, who is a central figure of the documentary, gave me a sense of empowerment as I watched the film. She is a Dutch physician who used her authority in healthcare to address the abortion rules imposed in many countries. It was heartbreaking to see how much resistance and negativity she had to face upon arriving in all of those countries. She and her team received threats, blockades from the governments and protests specifically aimed at them. Yet Rebecca didn’t seem discouraged and sad because of it. In fact, I felt like this resistance fueled her dedication more and more. The team eventually starts to create an underground network of activists around the world who train women how to conduct self-managed abortions. Its amazing to me. Not only the film was very enlightening, it also gave me an idea of what my activism can be about and inspired to be more vocal about it.

I’ve always heard the word “activism” but I never knew the true meaning behind it or what it stands for until now. In the reading How To Think Like An Activist, Wendy Syfret gives a lot of information about activism and different situations in which activism was shown. A person who is an activist fights for what is right and participates in protest and movements to help bring justice to important topics. Syfret explains how to effectively become an activist and also help bring others to join in your activism journey. I believe that a lot more people should become activists because there are so many issues going around that need to be fought for and brought attention to. Telling people how important an issue is to you and giving them proper facts and insight on the situation can help other individuals think about becoming an activist and help make change. You can help educate other people who might not be familiar with a serious ongoing issue and help bring awareness. If you are passionate about helping others gain liberation, freedom, and justice, then becoming an activist should be in your interest. I want to try to start participating in activism and possibly going to protests because I like to speak up for people who may not be able to. I want to do more research to learn how to start off becoming an activist or just sharing information to help get across and bring awareness to important issues that need to be talked about.

Between the reading, “How To Think Like An Activist” by Wendy Syfret and the documentary Knock Down The House I have learned a lot about what activism truly is and steps you can take to become an activist. Wendy Syfret’s reading hit the mark on not only what activism is but the history of how activism became to be and how it can and can not be beneficial for specific groups of people. I really like the fact that Wendy has a whole section throughout the reading about the power of the youth and how young people have unique abilities to be heard and seen with even just their voice. It’s important to acknowledge this idea that young people can become activists and can lead our society into great change; I don’t think this gets spoken about enough due to the simplistic ideology that young adults are not as wise or know as much as older ones. This reading and the film I watched informed so much more on the world of being an activist and inspired me to want to use my voice more for those who are often unheard and not seen. After watching the documentary Knock Down The House which depicted four female candidates each driven by personal experiences and hardships running for 2018 race for Congress also inspired me not only as a person but as a woman. These candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Paula Jean Swearengin really raise the bar for what an activist is and what an activist is about. These women have not only been through hardships but continue to experience hardships throughout their run for 2018 Congress just by being a woman in a male dominated field.

I thought this article did a really good job of showing the importance of past activism, how activism paves the way for our human rights, and is even responsible for the opportunities we have to be active today. I think that it is important to keep this in mind and understand what has actually happened that has given us more rights, liberties, and securities, as the article states. It is great that the article not only identifies how activism helps people obtain rights and remain active in future generations but also identifies how some of this activism doesn’t benefit specific groups as much as it does with others. Feminism was a good example to give, specifically with women of color. Obtaining the right to vote and paving the way to be active towards other issues is incredible, however, it’s really important to highlight issues that still need to be resolved, especially when certain populations aren’t guaranteed the same rights that were fought for. When it comes to this, after second-wave feminism, and now third-wave, I feel like there is a good opportunity to address and solve a lot of these issues.

The emphasis on young activism is also really important. This has also created a unique opportunity for us to be active towards issues that really matter, and to be inclusive of everyone in it. There are new ways to be active as well; online and at home. It is not the say all be all of activism, but definitely has a large impact on activism as stated in the article. It is great that we can not only reach populations worldwide but can also hear populations worldwide. It offers a voice to many people and groups that had no chance to be heard before. Unfortunately, there is still so much to be done and many of the issues we hear about continue to go unnoticed, however, I hope this is a step in the right direction and will create a platform for change. I personally love how the article moves forward and highlights how the importance of combining online activism with real-life activism. It is essential in being active in these issues to engage them on multiple fronts.

Activism has played a powerful role in social movements for many generations today and will become more powerful for the next generations to come. Fighting for women’s equality, fighting against racism, sexism transphobia and many more. When fighting for social change you must spread the word and inform the public. If you are an activist, you must educate the public regarding what is going on and what they can do to help build a strong community. They must be able to discuss the information and focus on the people’s attention to grasp what you are dishing out. We want the people to listen to want to make a difference and make changes that will benefit the world and the next generations. 

Regarding the Me to Movement in recent years, it is crazy how this was mentioned about 11 years ago or so by Tarana Burke, she organized the way to support women and single girls as they shared the sexual violence they experienced. Look how long it took for any recognition. At least is has been acknowledged and there are some changes in the process. Marshsa P. Johnson is someone who fights for the LGBT and transgender rights. She has fought for better health care for the people who are just like any other human being, why treat them any different. It sucks that the health care gets to decide who get health care especially if they have different bodies that do not represent who they Truely are. I am sure it may seem like it is taking a lifetime to make these changes and it may make you want to give up on the battles but be strong move forward full force. There have been changes and it a process so it I worth the fight even if it is a lengthy process. 

As a black woman, I believe it is expected of me to be an activist. However, I am not. Not in the same way that other people are. I’ll say a few words and maybe even sign a petition, but I don’t think it’ll work. The petition is thrown out 9 times out of 10 or it doesn’t matter if you get a million signatures because there will be no change. I guess I’m a pessimist. There are a few instances when they do work, but most of the time they do not. And I don’t like getting worked up over something that I know will never change. As an example, consider the George Floyd riots in June 2020. Everyone was banding together to fight the world’s injustices against black people. I had one friend in particular who was very involved in activism. She took it upon herself to identify every black person in her life who did not speak up or sign the petitions. I think it’s terrible to label people who refuse to sign a petition as “bad black people.” What even makes a good black person? That month was a disaster. I also don’t agree with shaming other black people. That was supposed to be a time of change. And instead of calling out people who didn’t sign petitions. And instead of dismissing those who did not sign petitions, Why weren’t they pointing out the black people who pretended to protest to rob stores? small black-owned businesses. In high school, I attempted to raise mental health awareness in the black community. But no one was interested in listening. No one took me seriously. My family members as well. especially since my diagnosis. They assumed I was faking and acting for attention. However, these are real issues that no one wants to discuss. That’s why I’m not as involved in activism as I used to be. People simply do not care, so how can anything be changed? I don’t believe I’m as strong as the activists out there. I can’t stand failing at something I’m passionate about and not being able to make a difference, so I sometimes choose to do nothing at all. That doesn’t mean I’m uninterested in the issues.

This week I loved the topic at hand, activism is something I am extremely passionate about. I love people who have gone out onto the streets and protested for what was right and the justice that everyone deserves. It took me back to 2020 when the BLM protest was such a historic movement, it also has me thinking why it took one man to die so horrifically for everyone to care. I wish sometimes it did not have to be that way. The government makes it extremely had for you to even keep on fighting to see the change sometimes, I am convinced all they care about is Money, Guns, and Control. Though I am extremely happy to see ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things in the senate. This will be a major thing in the future for future generations. 

This week’s activity easily made me emotional and had me wanting to join a movement to be able to be vocal on certain subjects and to be able to contribute to some change. I watched United in Anger: A History of ACT UP, a movement that was based on the AIDS epidemic and the impact the movement had on society during the 1990s. This video educated me on things I honestly had no clue about and at some point, while watching the documentary I teared up because I could not imagine living in that time where people with aids did not get decent human treatment, not only that but having family and friends pass away due to the neglect the CDC, FDA and all these organizations had for the Aids epidemic. In the end I realize that people now owe all this improvement because of the work and effort people must go through back then. The people who joined then and made a change, where people now can get treated and know that they will survive. The 90s was a tough time because there was something in politics and health that needed to be change and the video really show case every trial and tribulation the movement went through to get fair treatment for those who had aids, women, and humans in general. Overall, the activist for the ACT UP movement voiced out their troubles, their concerns and their wants and worked hard to get there without their voices they would not be heard. This made me want to be more involved and educated in things like the way ACT UP activists involved themselves more in the aid’s movement.  

Moving on to “How to Think Like an Activist” by Wendy Syfre, she spoke about how one can educate themselves as activist and how has society change in ways like the internet for example. With this reading there were a couple of things that catch by attention and made me just say to myself “she is speaking facts,” for example “the way we have been living is not sustainable anymore and the solutions that have been offer don’t go far enough.” This to me could not be any more truth as a society we get offer the bare minimum from the same people that need us and are in power but will not make any effort to help. Wendy Syfre explains the power youth has and ways we can start being more part of the community while providing some movements that are show case now due to the power the internet has. “How to Think Like an Activist” is an informative read for someone who wants to be more involve and voice out their opinion but do not know how and where, it provides background but also what is going on currently and what change if we start not to make a change.  

I really like how this week’s reading, How to Think Like an Activist, gave such a broad view of activism form the history of the French Revolution through to youth activism today. It really is amazing to see how connected things are and how every movement has made where for human rights to get better and more inclusive. It also opens up our eyes to more issues, so it can seem never ending, the amount of work that needs to be done to be fair and just, but maybe it the work of our lives.

I also like how there are so many practical tips on getting involved in activism, a lot of them are also just human relations skills. First you do have to learn how to be with others, work with others, create a safe open space. Pretty much, if you’re fighting for freedom and care of others, you better first learn how to live in a caring and receptive way. Additionally, all the tips are creating long lasting activists that can work together in a sustainable way to actually stick together to make change. Because, if the band breaks up too soon because of disagreements and bad relationships, than you’re gonna be much use to any cause.

Great reading, really enjoyed the vast amount of education offered as well as all the tools and tips.