Social Activism in Government

October 27. 2020

I attended a Zoom debate where State Representative Erica Crawley and Franklin Country Commissioner Kevin Boyce, among others, tackled the question “How does social activism impact government?” This is a large and difficult task, but it was an informative and lively discussion. One issue they explained is how difficult it is to pass legislation when only one side is interested. When only one group is trying to make a change, while the other group doesn’t even want to listen, nothing will get done.

One speaker talked about how it’s hard to describe the trauma and daily struggles to people who don’t experience it. I do not experience the intersectionality of being a Black woman in America, but I am a woman. The struggles I face of trying to get people to take me seriously and constantly being sexualized by society are difficult to describe to men. I have tried so many times to explain the pains of being a women to men in my life and they never believe me. They often say how women legally have the same rights as men so the gender discrimination simply can’t happen. It’s incredibly frustrating. I know I don’t face the 400 years of structural racism that the speaker discussed multiple times, but I can relate to being a woman and understand a small percentage of the struggle.

Another topic they discussed is that “ally” is a verb. A lot of people, including myself, just say that they are an ally and think that’s all they need to do. You need to show through your words and actions everyday that you are an ally. You can’t just decide one day that you’re an ally. You need to continually show it and keep learning about how you can be better. This is something I remind myself of everyday. Overall, this discussion was very educational, and it gave me a lot to think about and evaluate in my own life.

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