Forms of Activism in Today's World

*Long Post Alert* Ever since Nov 8, 2016; there remains no way for a person of color to live in the US and not be politically and socially conscious. I've honestly seen it as a blessing in disguise. This post is not about who you voted for, or whether you voted or not. I'm still learning & I can't tell you right from wrong if you don't know it yourself. I write this to discuss something that I've watched result from the elections. I've watched my peers, professors & members of the community get together & talk about educating themselves. My years in college, I've constantly attended panel discussions, club meetings about community engagement & race, and when things took a more unfortunate turn, candlelight vigils and multiple of them. And any time I'd tell my parents I did attend such a "controversial" event in their eyes, the conversation would always involve "Was media present? Were you in any of the pictures? Please don't go next time, I worry for your safety." Discouraged time & time again that just because I was visibly muslim, my parents feared my attendance in such social events. What if things took an ugly turn? "Don't hang out with your muslim friends too much." Such unfortunate words. How's the youth supposed to initiate change when discouraged from even speaking about issues? For anyone who's discouraged right now, please don't be. I learned something new each time, the most when I kept quiet to hear the other side's view. I was always the most interested when I attended events hosted by people whose views didn't align with mine. It makes you feel. These years cultivated my ultimate senior year project, seeking creative expression of the mind for the stressed community that had become my home. I thought "art was therapeutic, community building is therapeutic." I paired with friends, peers & faculty and we gave fruition to a day long event dedicated to artistic expression of the mind following the sociopolitical situation in the country. This was followed by three panel discussions hosted by a friend Hamsa, discussing "Being Muslim in a Trump's America". One specific panel stood out to me, "Constructive Activism". And this is really what influenced this post, 3 months later. Prior to this, I pictured an activist as a person holding up a sign, rallying against the perpetrators of hate etc in the essence. This is no longer the case.

- Dance. The panel featured Amirah Sackett, a dancer, choreographer & teacher who uses dance to dispel misconceptions about muslim women . This was my first bump on the road, viewing dance as a form of activism in today's world. This opened the gates to more room for conversation about the different kinds of activism. I'll leave my favorite for last. - Protests/Peace Walks: Once I expressed hesitation about participating in a protest, my professor told me "Just because you don't agree with something doesn't make it any less effective. Protests get results." And I've learned to appreciate that looking at America's history. Generating awareness, spreading information. What have we achieved thus far with protesting? I'll direct you here .There is a way to protest & then, there's a way to protest smart. Don't be provoked. If you're standing for something you believe in, do not be provoked by simple slander. - EDUCATION. If you're a teacher, you're an activist. You're educating tomorrow's youth, in whose hands lie our future. Educate, fight ignorance. - Occupy space in all fields. The product of your career/work should reflect diverse input. Post-conversation, I started to view activists as dancers, teachers, artists, poets & philosophers. I also started to view activism in its most subtle sense within successful POC in the workplace. As scientists, business leaders, writers, artists. People with the ability to create any little change in the world. - My personal favorite: Voicing your opinion in the form of artistic expression. Make art, communicate your views through a painting, song, poem, speech ~ "I prefer drawing to talking. Drawing is faster, and leaves less room for lies." What is my resistance? First of all, let's throw aside the negative connotation that comes with the word "resistance"- I resist oppression, in its purest form. After the event that featured sociopolitical art from the community & my piece titled "Hijab is My Resistance", people have asked me what I'm resisting: Exclusion, racism, discrimination. I speak from a place of privilege when I say this in terms of social class, & education but still, as a person of color~ everyday you leave the house with a worried phone call from your mom "Be careful today." Events that unfolded in charlottesville recently stand as evidence that racism is still very much an issue. Even until last summer, someone told me "I think America's past racism & discrimination." I long for the day this statement comes true. So this is my resistance: Hijab: A man telling me how not to dress is the same thing as a man telling me how to dress. I wear it because I choose to. Education: Every day I'm trying to educate myself to stand in the face of "This land is not your land." Quite simply, to make my land a better land. Career: I aim to be a leader in my industry as a woman, as a muslim, & then as a visibly muslim woman in the garb. It took me a lifetime to learn that being politically or socially aware should not be a privilege, especially if you have access to the right kind of education. My 2¢: Get a subscription to a newspaper online or offline. If you're not a heavy reader, try http://bitofnews.com. Exercise your mind, be aware of what's happening around you on a national + international level. Do it for yourself, be alert. Not only will you sound like you know your stuff, you will actually know your stuff. "The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis." - Dante.