activism and social justice ...

social justice has always been a part of my life ... a part of me. 

it started when i was 9 and i was boycotting products from south africa in protest of apartheid. i was 9, and writing letters to the government asking for tighter restrictions on factories that were polluting the environment. 

at 10, i was writing letters to Nelson Mandela while he was in prison. i was so angry at his imprisonment. 

at 12,  i wore a red armband to show my support of the first nations protest at oka. i wrote letters to the federal and provincial government demanding an end to the standoff. 

by 17 i was speaking at 'take back the night' rallies in toronto, participating in a young feminist activist group, and continuing to write letters to government, to organizations, and individuals. 

by 20, i had started a sit-in that lasted 6 days and 6 nights. i was marching in protest of all sorts of injustices. and still writing letters. 

by 24 i had completed a masters degree in women's studies, and by 26 i had completed my teaching degree and was planning to be an out lesbian teacher ...

... then i got into a school and discovered that activism can come in many forms. and the idea of being an out lesbian teacher was scary. and felt unsafe. and as much as i was angry with myself for taking a step back into the closet, and as much as i toy with the idea of coming out to my students ... there are many other ways to be an activist. 

merriam webster dictionary defines an activist as "a person who uses or supports strong actions (such as public protests) to help make changes in politics or society." notice the word SUPPORTS. an activist doesn't have to be the one doing the marching. an activist can be a person who supports actions that help make changes. 

... i teach my students social justice topics. we study historical atrocities and current ones as well. we talk about human rights. i teach them to be accepting of differences. and although i am no longer marching in protests, speaking at rallies, or participating in sit-ins ... my activism is to teach my students to be global citizens who are passionate about social justice. 

being an activist doesn't have to mean being loud. it doesn't have to mean being out there and marching. it can be through small things like teaching a group of children to be kind, to care about social justice, and to want to change the world. 

as always, 

be kind to yourself (and everyone else)

xoxo

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