February Post-Learning to Survive

    The sentence that stuck out to me the most was “...know that survival is not an academic skill. It is learning how to stand alone, unpopular and sometimes reviled, and how to make common cause with those others identified as outside the structures in order to define and seek a world in which we can all flourish” from “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master's House”. What the author means from this quote is that survival is not something that can be taught or learned properly from a lecture or taking notes, it is something that you must learn on your own as you go through life. Through doing this it will not make you the most popular and you may be on your own but you will meet people who are also outcast and you can come together to break down social barriers that will help benefit the world as a whole. By not expressing any of these traits one is merely on the level of existing in a physical space. By learning how to stand up for yourself and others similar who may be outcast you are entering into the stage of survival.

    A current example of this would be in this past month when President Trump lifted the transgender bathroom law set in place by the Obama administration. This bill is very controversial but also very important to others. People who are transgender or in support of that community have been vocal on social media platforms. In the comments section they often receive a lot of hate but at the same time even though they may stand alone this allows them to connect with other people who feel the same way about this issue so the can come together to help make change happen. Caitlyn Jenner has been influential for this community because she is a celebrity. At times she has had to stand alone and has been extremely unpopular and hated by many people but at the same time she was able to use her public image to reach out to other people who feel the same way. In doing so she has not only helped the transgender community but also has learned how to survive. She is able to be happy and confident with herself as her new gender instead of living in fear and denial.

    This is important today because the fight for marginalized communities isn't over and it probably will never be. Even today we see discrimination towards black people and women even though women's suffrage and the civil rights era is over. Standing up for what you believe in, especially when its controversial, is extremely difficult and it takes a ton of courage but it is an extremely liberating feeling once you do. Also it can help bring you closer to people who feel the same way but are also scared they are alone in their fight. This reminds me of Rosa Parks, if definitely took a lot of courage to do what she did but she set an example for us all even if we are not black or in the exact situation she was. Although she was not the first person to resist, she has pioneered this era and is considered “mother of the freedom movement”. It takes more people who are willing to stand alone to bring about change for marginalized communities but once they do we can finally move on from just existing.