Week 8 Blog Post

The Barbara Smith interview exemplifies historical background and its key role in present activist movements. For instance, initial actions taken in relation to a movement have inspired others to continue to act within a given movement. Barbara Smith explains the origin to the name of the statement and that she wanted the name to stem from action as opposed to a singular person. Smith also describes her role in the feminist movement and the inspiration of involvement in one movement overlapping or inspiring work in another movement. So, the prior experience she had with activism from a young age is what led to her work and creation of the statement. This also illustrates the idea that history is supplemental to the understanding of a movement and one’s contribution to it. For the discussion post the week I was able to find a figure in my movement that was inspired by historical background. I looked at one of the founders and activists from March For Our Lives, Emma Gonzalez. The prior experience of being in a mass shooting inspired her work and activism in the movement. This also relates to the idea of activists being those who are personally involved or have experienced the movement. This personal experience connects to the history of a movement and can inspire other people to participate. For instance, the initial March For Our Lives movement in DC and the speeches released from survivors of the shooting illustrate the importance of their message. However, this historical background allows others to participate in March For Our Lives protests that still occur in the present day. While the founding of the movement in 2018 is not long ago, the cause and message still remains and continues to encourage people to act.