Reimagining What Activism Means to Us

We can all be activists in our own way

Oluwatoyin “Toyin” Salau, is an African American 19-year old activist that was found dead after missing for over one week. She was last seen on the day she tweeted about being sexually assaulted by a man who had offered to help her when she was trying to make it back to a shelter that housed her belongings. 

The saddest part is he proceeded to assault her, right after she had just narrated her ordeal of a previous sexual assault encounter to him. The reason I’m sharing her story and saying her name is because her story could be my story and millions of women’s stories around the world. So would it ever not be a crime to be a woman? I wonder. 

In my previous article, I wrote about how to embrace your emotions (anger in particular) and use your voice for impactful change as women. It was inspired by two TED Talks I had listened to by Soraya Chemaly and Dolores Huerta. 

Toyin Salau did just that. We heard about Toyin because a video of her speaking at a Transgender Black Lives Matter protest in Florida, US went viral. She was very young and did not have the best cards dealt with her in this game of life, but she used her voice and anger to share a message that was important to her, #BlackLivesMatter. I hope she is never forgotten and you can sign this petition to ensure she gets the justice she deserves.

In this post, I would be reviewing the lessons I learned from the TED talks of two women that inspired me to think differently about activism. As we still struggle to embrace our emotions and learn to use our voices as women, here are some ways to do it that would energize us and not wear us down.

Helping Others in Ways that Make us Happier

In Elizabeth Dunn’s TED talk, she urges us to stop thinking about giving as just this moral obligation and how we can start thinking of it as a source of pleasure that leads to greater impact. 

So what happens when you have taken actions like making a few donations, shared posts on social media, or even marched at a protest. But it does not make us happier and we still feel helpless. Well, this is because you are trying to help people in a way that does not make you happy. 

Research shows that we feel happier helping people when we can see and feel how our time, donations, or resources are actually making a difference. In her talk, she suggests volunteering at organizations near you, especially the smaller and poorly funded ones or supporting causes you are passionate about. 

Volunteering is another great way to help because there are many skills you can easily utilize to support a cause and you get the opportunity to meet and engage with the people you are fighting for closely. This always feels truly rewarding. 

Finding Engaging Ways to Fight for Change

In Yana Buhrer Tavanier’s TED Talk, she explores the power of “playtivism” - the incorporation of play and creativity into movements for social change and how this versatile approach can spark new ideas, catalyze action and dissipate fear. 

Playtivism is a new approach we can take when trying to find ways to advocate for change. The common perception of being an activist is that you have to be this serious person that is a great orator and leader. But our times are changing so there is not a one-size-fits-all way of being an activist. 

You can make your fight for change interesting albeit I say fun? I have watched some 45 seconds TikTok videos where I learnt a lot from people acting, singing or dancing to important messages that I still remember. 

We can all be activists by lending our voices to a cause by creating awareness, starting conversations or catalyzing change. So in whatever field you are in there could be a creative and fun way to start the conversation. Collaboration is the mother of growth so be sure to ask for help and connect with like-minded people to create the change you want to see. 

“When we play, others want to join”

In conclusion

We can only have light to give when we have a source of light in ourselves, so dare to think of ways you can give that make you happy and keep you engaged. 

If you are passionate about the fight against gender-based violence and rape culture in Nigeria and are unsure of where to start. You can start here to access the links of local organizations you can support through donations or by volunteering as well as some petitions you could sign. 

To all the activists and feminists out there, I am wishing you strength as you continue to do your part to contribute to the causes you believe in. But it is okay if you do not feel strong too, please take time to take care of your mind and health. YOU matter.