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Talk Activism

Join the conversation on the intersections of activism and academia.

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  • Why Activism? Why Now?

    Posted by Dhipinder Walia on March 2, 2017 at 2:36 pm

    We’re a month away from Activism in Academia. A little context– this event is the brainchild of a colleague, Olivia Moy, and I’s lunchtime conversations on diversity. Whether it is the importance of diversity or the new ways in which we are enriched by diversity, diversity is something Professor Moy and I are always coming back to. In thinking about ways we could encourage diversity, department, campus, and perhaps city-wide, we decided we needed to engage in a conversation larger than ourselves. And so– Activism in Academia was born– a safe space for all of us– students, faculty, and administrators– to talk about ways we are active in creating change, or more importantly ways we wish to be active in the years to come.

     

    I’m curious to hear from all of you out there in the Commons world– how has activism played a role in your academic life? Does the idea of a symposium all about academia and activism seem like a natural pairing to you? And perhaps a more basic question, but a crucial one nonetheless, how do you define activism?

    I look forward to this conversation HERE and on April 7th!

    DW

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • Max Kulchinsky
    Participant
    March 8, 2017 at 7:23 pm

    I feel like saying “activism has played a role in my academic life” is a little unnatural. I have definitely rallied and protested for my moral and political beliefs, but I do not feel like my acts of activism have been really welcomed in the classroom. I don’t think activism and academia are a natural pairing because academia stresses intelligence, morality and objectiveness, whereas activism (especially in regards to issues that have become so divisive and political) is very subjective, and not always tied to truly good causes. For example, I had a politics class with a professor who was very insensitive to the experiences of certain ethnicities. He often said words that should only be repeated by people of certain backgrounds, and made sweeping statements about various communities. We discussed the election in class soon after it occurred, and this professor really disregarded the role of racism and sexism in electing our current president. I was honestly so shocked to see a man so highly intelligent and esteemed to be both prejudiced, and unwilling to be moved by his students who were so clearly offended.

    Jovanna Robinson
    Participant
    March 13, 2017 at 4:43 pm

    Well, Being That I’ve Been On An Academic Hiatus, I Haven’t Had Many Opportunities To Express My Thoughts or Opinions On Activism Within The Constraints of The Education System. But I Could Imagine The Benefit of A Symposium About Activism and Academia, Being That The Majority of Us Protesters and Activists Are In Working or School Age (18-45). We Are Making The Stories For The Next Generation’s History Books. Who Better To Tell Our Stories But Us;I Know That I’d Be Signing Up.

    I Also Think That Being Considered An Activist/Protester Is Like “A Cool Thing To Do” Now or More “Seasonal”… Folks Are Only At Rallies, Marches and Stand Ins When It’s A Public/News Covering. Like The Lotto, People Come Out In The Masses To Play Only When The Jackpot Is High Or Making Major Headlines In The News.

    For Instance: Just Two Years Ago The Twentieth Anniversary of The Million Man March (a gathering en masse of African-American (Men) in Washington, D.C., on October 16, 1995. Called by Louis Farrakhan, around the National Mall.) Was Honored By A Justice or Else Rally @ The Same Location On October, 10th, 2015 – A Week From Date of The Original March. This March Was Again Called On By Minister Farrakhan To The Masses of All Minorities and People Who Stands Up Against The Injustice That Had Been A Constant Topic At Then… (Sounds Like Something Big Right) But There Was No Major News Coverage (CNN, NBC, ABC, FOX (Well Duh), ESPN, MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, MTV, Not Even BET, Nor The History Channel… As Much As They Love To Cover “History”) Hadn’t Live Streamed, Put A Little Breaking News Clip or Anything On Air.

    Might As Well Say A Non-Story To Major Media; And Why ? Because There Were No Casualties. No Riots or Fights. No Shootings, Stabbings or Looting. Maybe Because There Were No Nudity and Twerking (Hip-Hop To The Ill-Informed) Just Every Black Major Sports Star, Rapper, Producer, Singer, Activist and T.V. Stars. Ex-cons, Fathers and Sons, Gang Members, Working Class and Millionaires, We Were All In Attendance At On Time With No Static.

    With All Due Respect To The Most High, But The Pope Bought Out One Hundred Thousand or So, and Shut Down All Major Broadcasts For Major Time Slots pf Airtime – But One Million and More Blacks Turn Out and All We Got Was C-SPAN and Puffy’s Network Revolt.

    But The Women’s March At This Past Inauguration Day or The Rallies In Front of Trump Towers Are Flooding The Timelines, New Feeds and Media.

    What Determines What’s News/Gossip Worthy???? Media Driven Activism and Protests… Which Cause Is More Important?

    https://instagram.com/p/8q-bLcmUkBK4q18xHZFINrDgHX_mgyBhbwHl40/  https://instagram.com/p/BBQcf1wGUm41GOFUnWcgoTyPQRIn6GJrN1jSvY0/

    It Was A Turn Out That Only One Could Dream; You Had To Be There To Grasp The Energy, Beauty and Unity There. Just To Hear The Message.

     

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