Anti-Oppressive Practices

 

I think an important aspect of being anti-oppressive is having a strong understanding of oppression and privilege in the first place. I included the above video because I think it does a good job at simply explaining complex problems. I encourage you all to take a few minutes and watch this clip.

Activism as liberation... I like this idea. I also really enjoyed reading the Audre Lorde poems, she is one of my greatest role models. The combination of this idea and Lorde reminded me of a time activism was liberating for me that I wanted to share. I am, like most women, a victim of sexual assault. I was also raised in a culture that taught me my value was in what i could give a man, not who I was. I wrote a spoken word about this and shared it at sexual assault awareness event. I didn't know that writing and sharing could be activism until that day. It was really cool to see women take my words and write them or create art based on them, it was liberating. So, here is my encouragement to define activism for yourself and allow it to liberate you as you make the world a better and less oppressive place.