Yesterday, I was told by a professor that activism died with my generation. We’re too “apathetic.” We’re too “narcissistic.” We’re too “self-involved.” We’re too “scared to step out.” We’re too “concerned about looking good on paper.”
Students in his generation wouldn’t have just sat by, passively chatting about the latest instance of injustice, like it was the latest trend. Marches. Sit-ins. Protests. Rallies. Picketing. With duct-taped mouths, heads bowed and fists raised to the sky, they would have fought relentlessly (with their local, contained group).
Have you ever imagined how the civil rights movement might have been different had social media existed?
Dr. King would have had thousands of Twitter followers. Pictures of Rosa Parks being arrested after defiantly refusing to give up her seat on that bus would have spread like wildfire on sites like Instagram. The Freedom Riders would have organized a group via Facebook and might have even recorded and uploaded their encounters in the Deep South to YouTube or Tumblr. News of the four little girls killed in the church bombing or 14-year-old Emmett Till’s murder would have been instant trending topics (given that Twitter didn’t block them).
Social media would have been major for not only raising worldwide awareness of civil rights issues happening in small areas, but also for mobilizing international support. The bus boycotts, which begin in Montgomery in 1955, would have extended beyond Montgomery, traversing the South and east coast, devastating the public transportation industry for years to come. The sit-in at the segregated Greensboro lunch counter in 1960 by four brave North Carolina A&T students might have been by at least forty brave students. The 1963 March on Washington, which was attended by 200,000 people at the time, could have easily reached one million attendees.
I am inexplicably grateful for and indebted to my ancestors who sacrificed their livelihood and lives for the life and opportunities that I have the privilege of benefitting from today. Their strength and courage during the civil rights movement has been unmatched by many generations. On the same note, I believe it is unfair to claim that my generation lacks the capability of making the same impact. While our ancestors laid the foundation that paved the way, we have courageously continued their legacy by stepping up and speaking out. And, it is our voice that has forced the world forward into places they only imagined (the outer space and the White House, to name just two).
Our generation has a different type of power than our ancestors. What they did – the sit-ins, marches and rallies – had a purpose of making people pay attention; making people care enough to address the injustices they faced. Conversely, our generation has the power to dictate to what the world decides to pay attention by speaking out about it online. From Barack Obama to Troy Davis to Trayvon Martin – we tell the world what is relevant.
For example, within the past two weeks, Trayvon’s story has gone international, even leading to protests abroad. Our voice led to the fastest growing petition in Internet history, according to Change.com. Our voice made celebrities pay attention, helping to get the word out. Our voice has made news networks dedicate days of coverage and analysis to the story. Our voice made the FBI and the Department of Justice take over the case when the local government mishandled it. Our voice made the President of the United States comment. Most of all, our voice made sure that the Kony’s and the Zimmerman’s of the world aren’t sleeping at night anymore.
That, my friends, is activism; and I'd bet anything that our ancestors are proud.
-Jess
