[ak-tuh-viz-uh m]
1. the doctrine or practice of vigorous action or involvement as a means of achieving political or other goals, sometimes by demonstrations,protests, etc.
Monday, January 15th was MLK Day. And while many people slept in, I was up bright and early to hear actor, author, and activist Hill Harper speak at the Hill Auditorium on The University of Michigan’s campus. If you’re thinking the auditorium was named after him you are incorrect, but Harper did make a clever joke about it in his speech. If you have never heard this man speak, please get a chance to do so soon. You will be enraptured by his words, stage presence, and even his looks.
The basis of his talk was about the power people have to change a society. He acknowledged that all of us were there that day because we considered ourselves to be activists. He then asked us if could we do more. He paused to give us time to think and I am sure a lot of people in the room would agree that yes, we could do more. We could march more, we could fight more, we could learn more, teach more, call our representatives more, vote more, etc.
Harper also went on to talk about the power we as individuals have. That we can inspire others through our actions. The harder we work towards building a more inclusive society that more we will encourage those around us. He made us see the power within ourselves.
I left the talk thinking two things.
- I’m in love
- I need to be more active in my activism
Going back to the definition at the beginning, ask yourselves... Am I vigorous enough? I am getting closer to my goals? Do I participate or promote enough protests? This is what I asked myself after I left the auditorium.
I’m guessing that if you clicked on this article you feel the same way as I. Here is my advice. Call your local representatives about issues in your area, vote and encourage others to vote in every local and national election, find organizations on campus that fight for the same issues you care about.
I also want to note that while Dictionary.com gives this one definition for activism, recognize that all activism doesn't have to look the same. As long as you keep fighting for an inch of progress, eventually those inches will turn into miles.
