5 Lessons From my Activism

*Disclaimer*

I don’t want to preach to anyone. I don’t want to come across as high and mighty or judgemental. I don’t want to even say something like “fighting for what’s right” because I don’t want to imply that anyone who isn’t ready to get into activism is somehow bad or weak. I also don’t want someone who doesn’t agree with my views to latch on to a poorly worded point and use it as an excuse for their bigotry. So, I’ll try to avoid any sort of woker than thou sentiments. Where I am now is the result of a series of lucky coincidences including being able to attend university and finding some really entertaining left-wing YouTubers. I could just as easily have ended up scrolling through Reddit forums and looking for illuminati symbols had a couple things turned out differently for me. Having now checked my privilege, I hope that the advice contained within this article can be part of your series of coincidences that lead you to being the blue-haired feminist that redditers fear. 

Take Risks

This might come as a surprise but activism is all about taking risks. For some more than others. Uncomfortable as it may be to say, the truth is that Black activists trying to dismantle systemic racism are at a far greater risk for violence than a white activist fighting for the same cause. Still, that doesn’t mean there are no risks for activists coming from a more privileged background. You’re required to put your comfort aside when confronting friends and family members about their discriminatory language or jokes and it is a risk. You could kill the mood or alienate yourself from a group of people who you rely on. Is it as big a risk as Black activists take? Most likely not, but it is still a difficult thing to do. You shouldn’t pretend it isn’t. It’s a risk and you have to take it.

Take Advice

If you are reading an article like this, then you are probably already willing to listen to advice from others. So, good start. There is a lot to learn from activists, experts and of course whichever people you are trying to help. However, you shouldn’t just focus on your own cause. It is important to get a well-rounded view. Issues are intersectional, so don’t just read about anti-racism. Read about queer theory and feminist theroy, listen to disability activsts and think about environmental concerns. You don’t have to do it all at once and you don’t have to exclusively read through dissertations. There are a lot of resources out there and plenty of people willing to both educate and entertain you. All you have to do is take their advice. 

Be Vulnerable

Activism puts you in a surprisingly vulnerable place. Activists are not often portrayed in the best light in TV shows and movies, unless they are dead. For example, L3 in the Star Wars movie Solo for example was a character that received many an eye roll from her peers and from the audience when she talked about liberating droids (fun little tidbit about that is that when I looked up the character name the second result was ‘L3 Star Wars annoying’). It is easy for people to say that you are overreacting or looking for something to be mad about but it is harder to be vulnerable. It is harder to admit that you care about a cause or a group of people so much that you can’t just let it go. When you step into activism you’ll probably deal with quite a bit of people telling you that is not a big deal and that you need to chill out but it is a big deal. It is a big deal and you should say it. There is nothing wrong with being passionate about something. Some people are passionate about the fact that female characters are ruining Star Wars and you’re passionate about people’s human rights. I think you’re winning in this situation.

Be Wrong 

This one is a bit more difficult and probably unexpected. We spend a lot of time emphasizing the idea of “fighting for what is right” and forget to appreciate the value of occasionally being wrong. 

It is possible to be an educated activist and to be wrong at the same time. If you are just starting out, you’ll likely discover that you’re wrong more often than you’re not. And that is okay. It’s expected even. 

I think the main thing that prevents people from speaking up is the fear of being wrong. They don’t want to use the wrong terminology, or attribute a quote to the wrong person or damage the cause in any way. Speaking up is pretty much always better than staying silent. Even if you can’t provide a perfectly nuanced point, everyone will know your position and if they respect your point of view they might change theirs. No one who truly cares about making progress is going to look down on you for not knowing something. If you are willing to admit to what you don’t know, then you’ll learn. Pretending that you already know everything is far more likely to upset your fellow activists than if you just admitted that you didn’t understand. So, be okay with being wrong. It builds character.

Don’t Give Up 

The world is full of problems and sadly we can not fix every single one of them immediately. There is always so much work to do, and more things to learn. Just, always more. It can be exhausting. Especially if you are taking risks, putting yourself out there and being wrong sometimes. It takes a toll. But along with all of that you can see slow progress and you meet amazing people who genuinely want the world to be more accepting and equal. You meet people who want education to be more available, who want housing to be more accessible, who want the cities to be more sustainable. Just, so much more. Everyone working together means that you can take a break every now and then to regroup and take care of yourself. So, don’t give up. None of it is going anywhere without you. 

Maybe this entire article was a mistake and I have misrepresented activism and social justice while making a fool of myself. Maybe it is inspiring and has helped someone discover their passion for progressiveness. Maybe both are true. Whatever the case, I put genuine work into it on the chance that it could make activism seem less intimidating and complicated. Hopefully, that effort pays off for someone. 

If not, I’m still doing better than the people who think female characters are ruining Star Wars.

• activism
• social
• student