Activism Log # 7

Jennifer Smith
Nina Perez
4/3/10
WST 3015

Activism:
I started this project knowing that a lot of the work I would be doing would be on my own as an individual, and this week I continued do my own part in this campaign. I used the opportunity of having a lot of people in one place at once and talked about my activism in the beginning in each of my classes. My teachers were very helpful and left me take about ten minutes to explain why I was collecting signatures and what gender identity was. I admit being a nervous wreck, but found my fellow students very responsive and collected about two pages of signatures in each class. I was even able to talk about the rally we’ll be holding on the 16th and can’t wait to see if anyone from my classes shows up.

Reflection:
In class this week we read and discussed a few of the readings in our Alice Walker handouts. One reading that really impacted me was actually the poem “Black Mother Women” by Audre Lorde. Lorde is acknowledging her mother (and the generations of women before her) and recognizing the impacts they had on the world. One line in particular really connected back to my own political activism I’m doing today, “I learned from you to define myself through your denials” (Lorde 53). Today we’re fighting for equality and equal protection, but we wouldn’t even be able to do that if it weren’t for the generations of women and men before us that fought for their own voices to be heard.

Reciprocity:
There are only a few weeks left until our big rally and I’m really hoping that I’ve done enough for the campaign to be a success. If we can make it possible for gender identity to be included on UCF’s non-discrimination policy, then maybe in the years to come people will look back and recognize our efforts in the fight for equality. This service-learning project has really affected me more than I thought it would. It’s made me feel proud to be doing something to make this world a better place for everyone.


Works Cited:
Lorde, Audre. "Black Mother Woman." From a Land Where Other People Live. Detroit: Broadside, 1973. 53. Print.