2017 as we know is a New Year for us all.

For us all, 2017 has meant a new year with different goals in mind: a new job or internship, a new diet, higher standards for ourselves (to be more caring and outgoing, to go out with friends a bit more, get better grades, be more compassionate and understanding, get involved in a movement or to take action, etc.).

For me, the latter is the one thing I aim to do. I want to get more involved in my community, take direct action, listen more often, and especially stay in tune with the news. I know for some of us, it can get incredibly difficult to stay in tune with politics, but now more than ever, we need to stay involved and we need to pay attention to what's happening. The impending threat of what a Trump administration can do is here.

You'll notice in my bio, I state that I'm an "aspiring Civil Rights Activist," and not simply a Civil Rights Activist. I say that because I haven't fully taken to the streets and shouted about civil rights like countless others before me. Some of the reasons I'm interested in Activism and aspire to be an activist arose in the wake of the murder of Trayvon Martin and the rise of Million Hoodies Movement for Justice to confront anti-black racism and systematic violence. It’s not enough to simply deny being a racist, but to be aware of the ongoing problem and be a part of the solution. Listening to the news of police shootings and talking about racism has made me hyper-aware of things I wouldn’t normally consider like how you go out in public, how Blacks have to be cautious of what clothings they wear and how to approach the police. Watching police shootings online and seeing interactions with the police, not only makes me angry because of the altercation but forces me to consider the mindset of both the victim and the aggressor. Getting involved forces me to think how much the victim might not get the chance to speak for his innocence and the systematic oppression he goes through based on his skin color. His voice might get shut out because he was shot.

Activism, at its best, can be defined as an organized civil rights protest against issues such as inequality, racism and terrorism. In an age like this, where social media has been the outlet for posting news mainstream and civil rights issues, there's still a huge controversy on whether social media has made a change in civil rights movements. While social media has helped make us hyper-aware of things we wouldn't normally notice and that we still have a long way to go in order to reach true equality, I would argue that the role of media isn't as effective in the sense of high-risk activism. High-risk activism, as Malcolm Gladwell would imply, is strategic activism: a challenge to the establishment mounted with precision and discipline. It is organized, affable and coherent with groups that are task-oriented with coordinated activities. In the 1960s, Franklin McCain, a sit-in freshman, posed a huge challenge to his fellow activists and summoned up the courage to go to a sit-in at Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro. He asked, "Are you guys chicken or not?"

In other words, he dared his friends to risk and facing the fear that was widespread during the 1960s. The technological activism that so-called Facebook and Twitter activists post and tweet about cannot compare to the risks that these protesters faced when facing fear in the form of racism and possibly even death. High-risk activism requires making a real sacrifice while Social Media activism succeeds by motivating others to do things that people do when they aren't motivated enough to make a real sacrifice.

Speaking for myself, I've fallen under the norm of making a lot of Facebook posts about social rights and civil liberties. I get very active on social media. But I want to do more than just be a social media activist and do all that I can to help fight for justice, be a part of the solution and not the problem. Every day, when I feel outraged or hopeless my head screams at me, “Do something! We’ve got to do something!” This usually happens when I’m writing and want to get something out on paper. I remember that feeling of wanting to do more when Drew University staged a "Die-in" and Madison march as part of a national protest against police brutality towards African-Americans. I was happy my school was doing this because secretly, I had been hoping for an event like this.

That day was the first moment in my life when I did something greater than myself. I remember taking the first step down the street, until it become a rhythm mingled with others shouting from “No justice, no peace” to “Black Lives Matter”. The pulse of my heart echoing to the beat of the voices. I felt my lips rising to the sound, chanting the same thing. My tongue shook. It didn't feel like a movement until there was anger, fear even, rising in my throat. I also remember one of the speaker's concluding with the words, "we have to continue this and it's going to be tiring and it’s going to hurt. We’re going to go home, depressed and dejected and say ‘what am I doing this for?’ It will generate feelings of hopelessness and negativity. But on the other side of that, when we start seeing change, then that’s when you will start seeing hope and justice.”

Two years later, I have still not be able to attend another protest, part of that is because I’m still finishing school. Even today, I’ve lost a lot of hope for this country and I’m not too eager to rejoice at being an American. I still feel hopeless and defeated and that I can’t do much. But if there comes another protest around the corner, you bet your ass I’ll sign up for it, because it felt good.

I started some of the goals I have for 2017 by reaching to elected officials about my concerns for this country. And oddly enough, I received an email from the White House, from President Barack Obama. Normally, I thought this was a joke, that it wasn't the real thing, but I took the chance and read it anyway, because what harm can come out of reading it. So I read it and it said:

"Thank you for sharing your story. I understand the feelings of uncertainty many Americans have had lately. But one thing I am certain of is that America remains the greatest nation on earth. What sets us apart is not simply our economic and military power, but the principles upon which our Union was founded: pluralism and openness, the rule of law, civil liberties, and the self‑evident truth—expanded with each generation—that we are all created equal.

One election does not change who we are as a people. The America I know is clear‑eyed and big‑hearted—full of courage and ingenuity. Although politics can significantly affect our lives, our success has always been rooted in the willingness of our people to look out for one another and help each other through tough times. More than my Presidency, or any Presidency, it is the optimism and hard work of people like you that have changed our country for the better and that will continue to give us the strength we need to persevere.

Progress doesn’t come easily, and it hasn’t always followed a straight line, but I firmly believe that history ultimately moves in the direction of justice, prosperity, freedom, and inclusion—not because it is inevitable, but because people like you speak out and hold our country accountable to our highest ideals. That’s why I hope you continue to stay engaged.

Whatever challenges we may face, there is no greater form of patriotism than the belief that America is not yet finished and a brighter future lies ahead."

To follow up on this, I would say the same for others who have a lot of fear and doubt as to what's coming up in the next few days. As long as we hold true to those principles not just in words but in deeds, by willing to look out for our neighbors (which includes Muslims, African-Americans, LGBTTQQIAAP, Hispanic, Latino/a and Syrian refugees) and help each other out, we can still turn the tide around. If we continue to speak out, hold those accountable and most importantly stay involved in politics, we can prove that we're stronger together, that one presidency doesn't define us. Stay strong and safe to all of those who are protesting, have the courage to face fear and not turn chicken at a time like this.