Notes

What Is an Activist?

What is agency ? I think it has something to do with the fact that the word "activist" was coined by citizens who felt threatened by the powers that be. In other words, citizens were asking for change and an activist is someone who thinks that change will happen.


A good analogy of what is an Activist would be Michael Moore. He makes movies to spread awareness of social issues and he does so by using his freedom of speech and his camera to document those things he observes and believes are wrong. In agency , an Activist is someone whose ideas and activism are based on facts and are not merely an opinion. In a sense, they are saying to the world "I'm not happy with what is going on in my world and I want to change it." This doesn't necessarily mean they are out to get power or money, but rather are stating their opinion and taking action.


Unfortunately, many in our society today do not see things quite this way. They believe that the word "activist" is used as an adjective that simply describes someone who is an angry person with strong opinions who thinks they know what's best for them. In other words, all environmentalists are activists. Not all Christians are Christians, not all Muslims are Muslims, not all writers are writers, etc.


This disconnect between what is an activist and what is an opinion is what makes the difference between success and failure. In order to win the argument, we must show that those being talked about are correct and those against them are incorrect. This requires communication. In other words, we need to engage with those who are posting on our behalf. An activist is someone who can engage a blogger, an op-ed writer, or a social media celebrity in a way that is respectful and civil.


What is also frustrating is when those on the receiving end of an argument are not willing to listen because it doesn't match their belief system. When we start down this path, it usually results in people calling us bigots or worse, vandals. It is unfortunate that many bloggers and social media personalities are not willing to look like the rest of society. When an activist is engaged on the side-lines of the dialogue, they are much more likely to succeed in changing hearts and minds.


For those on the front lines of fighting for social change, it can be difficult to understand why some within the activist community cannot seem to understand what is an activist. A simple example would be when an African-American woman criticises the police for profiling and her own experience in dealing with the criminal justice system. agency who have no patience for listening to a minority perspective may engage her in a heated debate or even insult her, but without ever really understanding what she stands for.


Another example is when an activist attempts to engage another black lives matter activist on a social media platform. Activists with thick hair and thick skin are often comfortable in speaking their mind, but many activists struggle with examining their motives and the decisions they make. Many say that the best way to change one's mind is to not allow others to do so. This is true, but one does need to be careful when using the platform of social media to engage with those you disagree with, because when you do this you create a void that allows others to misrepresent you.


If you find yourself asking what is an activist, consider whether you would like to see media outlets cater to a specific demographic or if you would like to see social media sites focus on broadening the base of readership. An African-American face or hairstyle might be interesting to a particular segment of the readership, but not to everyone. Reading about issues affecting the African-American community should not be all about what is an activist; rather, it should be more about the impact that your opinion or comments will have on the wider population. Consider that when weighing in on what is an activist, and what you intend to get out of it.

Here's my website: https://vimeo.com/anderssonhougaard7