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Julia “Butterfly” Hill’s two year redwood tree sit-in

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Julia “Butterfly” Hill’s two year redwood tree sit-in

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Julia Hill is an environmental activist who was born in Missouri in 1974. She spent a lot of her early childhood playing outside, and once on a family hike, a butterfly landed on her finger, giving her the long-lasting nickname: “butterfly”. When Hill was 22 years old, she got in a car crash that left her severely injured. After a year of physical and cognitive therapy, Julia realized that her life had been out of balance and that prior to her accident she had only been focused on success, rather than her surroundings. She believed that the crash woke her up to the importance of the moment and doing whatever she could to make a positive impact on the world. After recovering, Hill took a road trip to California and was captivated by the wisdom, energy, and spirituality of the redwood trees that she saw. She encountered a group of people who were protesting the logging of the redwoods by the Pacific Lumber Company. Logging is the act of cutting down trees to be transported and processed to make timber products. The environments where logging occurs often take decades to fully recover and are negatively affected by the process. Logging also limits the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the trees, contributing to climate change. The tree logging protestors Julia met called themselves “tree-sitters” and activated for the conservation of the California redwoods by living in them. In December of 1997, Julia joined the protest, and within a few days, was living 180 feet above the ground in a 1500-year-old redwood tree named Luna. This began her tree sit-in that lasted over two years.

Julia’s redwood tree sit-in fulfilled multiple characteristics of Creative Resistance. For example, the sit-in did not endorse violence or any form of revenge against the Pacific Lumber Company; Julia and the other protestors were simply occupying the trees. Another characteristic of Civil Disobedience that the sit-in fulfilled was being eye-catching. Julia’s sit-in lasted over two years, which brought awareness to the cause that she was supporting. It was unexpected and caught people off-guard, bringing more attention to the protest and encouraging others to join in. In addition, the sit-in required great perseverance, as Julia struggled through torments by helicopters, freezing winters and intense rainstorms, and even a siege from security guards that were sent by the Pacific Lumber Company. She had to prepare her meals on a small propane stove and slept every night in a sleeping bag which was the only way for her to stay warm during the winters. Her sit-in demanded great perseverance, which Julia displayed. Julia’s sit-in also required courage and bravery, another characteristic of Creative Resistance. Living 180 feet above the ground must have been terrifying at times, but Julia faced that danger as she believed that protesting and bringing awareness to the injustice was more important. Julia lived in the redwood for 738 days before she finally left Luna, making history. In 1999, a deal was made between the Pacific Lumber Company and the redwood conservation activists. The trees would be preserved in addition to the forest ground around the redwoods. The company agreed to this once they were paid 50,000 dollars which were raised by local supporters of the cause. Along with saving Luna and the trees around her, the media was constantly updating the public about this sit-in, inspiring others to learn more about the importance of environmental preservation. The sit-in also changed Julia's life as she began to travel the world as a motivational speaker and later wrote a book about her experience.

Bibliography

Lallanilla, Marc. "The Life of Tree-Sitter Julia Hill." The Spruce, 17 May 2019, www.thespruce.

com/the-life-of-julia-hill-1708797. Accessed 31 Oct. 2020.

N/A. "Why Is Logging Bad For The Environment." Want to Know It, 20 Nov. 2011,

https://wanttoknowit.com/why-is-logging-bad-for-the-environment/. Accessed 31 Oct.

2020.

Pumpkin, Ellia. "Julia Butterfly Hill: The Story of Luna, Leadership, and Legacy." Student

Environmental Research Center, 19 Feb. 2018 https://serc.berkeley.edu/julia-butterfly

-hill-the-story-of-luna-leadership-and-legacy/.

Sheldon, Marriott. "She Lived in a Tree for 738 Days ~ The Amazing Story of Julia Butterfly

Hill." Tree Sisters, n/d, https://treesisters.org/blog/the-amazing-story-of-julia-butterfly-

hill.  Accessed 31 Oct. 2020.

Watson, Nessim. "Julia Butterfly Hill." Britannica, 22 Jan. 2014,

www.britannica.com/biography/Julia-Butterfly-Hill. Accessed 31 Oct. 2020.

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How Women's Suffrage Came About and Sparked Charge for the Future

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How Women's Suffrage Came About and Sparked Charge for the Future

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Women all over America were fighting for a right that they had been alienated from since the beginning of time; a women's right to vote. This movement as a whole is known as the women's suffrage movement and it was not an injustice easily overcome. Throughout the 1800’s many women were starting to hear talk of a movement that would help to advocate for women's rights and equality of the genders. But, this movement did not become official until 1848, when the Seneca Fall Convention occurred. Two women, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, were the founders of this movement and held this convention in upstate New York. It was an incredible sight to see over three hundred men and women alike coming to discuss and advocate the rights American women should have in America (“19th Amendment”). Two of the most notable events that occurred were the 1913 Suffrage Procession and the 1917 peaceful protest. This was the spark of the suffrage movement that would later get the 19th Amendment ratified and women their right to vote and would officially prohibit the federal government from not allowing citizens of the United States the right to vote on the basis of sex ("19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women's Right to Vote (1920 )").

Two of the most notable acts of Creative Resistance during the women’s fight for the equal right to vote was the 1913 Suffrage Procession and the arrest of 33 women in 1917 during a peaceful protest. In 1913, women gathered and marched the same route where Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration parade would take place the following day. Their choice to march on that avenue caught society’s eye and drew attention to the lack of a woman’s equal right to vote. To add on, the women who were participating in the Suffrage Parade created a detailed plan of where each group of women depending on their nationality and occupation would stand. One of the leading women was Inez Milholland, and she challenged the societal expectations of a woman through her clothing choice and her decision to ride on horseback. Parade floats followed her and drew attention once again. They shared the message of “The Great Demand”, a simple expression of the need for an amendment to enfranchise women (“1913 Woman Suffrage Procession”). The Suffrage Procession addresses the third and fifth characteristics of Creative Resistance because it was organized, thoughtful, extremely planned out, and drew the attention of the government, who was not expecting women to rise up against the discriminatory system biased against the female gender. On November 10, 1917, 33 suffragettes were arrested for picketing outside of the whitehouse (McArdle). They were taken to the North Virginia prison, and treated with extreme brutality. Lucy Burns, the party’s cofounder, was shackled to the bars of her cell and left to stand there all night (McArdle). Then, when she went on a hunger strike they decided to shove a tube through her mouth to her stomach and force fed her raw eggs. This was a form of punishment because they could not let a suffragist die in prison. Dorothy Day had her arm twisted behind her back and slammed into an iron bench, while Dora Lewis was thrown into her cell and smashed her head against her iron bed, knocking her out. The conditions at the prison were also disgusting and dehumanizing (McArdle). The story of their “Night of Terror” helped rally public support for the suffrage movement. This event displayed the eighth and eleventh characteristic of Creative Resistance, because it was extremely physically and emotionally gruelling on the women, as well as required perseverance. They were very courageous and determined in this situation, despite the horrors that  they faced. In summary, the Suffrage Procession and the nonviolent response of the women after being arrested and beaten are two examples of Creative Resistance that are directly connected to the 19th Amendment, addressing women’s need for the equal right to vote.

By: Sophia Duke, Gillian Atienza, and Evelyn Donnelly

Works Cited

"19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women's Right to Vote (1920 )." Our

Documents, 1919, www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=63.

Accessed 3 Nov. 2020.

History.com Editors. "19th Amendment." HISTORY, A & E Television Networks, 15 Aug. 2020, www.history.com/topics/womens-history/19th-amendment-1. Accessed 3 Nov. 2020.

Levy, Michael, and Brian P. Smentkowski. "Nineteenth Amendment." Encyclopædia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2020, www.britannica.com/topic/Nineteenth-Amendment. Accessed 3 Nov. 2020.

McArdle, Terence. "'Night of terror': The suffragists who were beaten and tortured for seeking the vote." The Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/11/10/night-of-terror-the-suffragists-who-were-beaten-and-tortured-for-seeking-the-vote/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2020.

"1913 Woman Suffrage Procession." National Park Service, U.S. National Park Service, 1 Sept. 2020, www.nps.gov/articles/woman-suffrage-procession1913.htm#:~:text=On%20March%203%2C%201913%2C%20the,Woman%20Suffrage%20Association%20(NAWSA). Accessed 3 Nov. 2020.

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Protest for Breonna Taylor: The sit in on the Brooklyn Bridge and halted traffic

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Protest for Breonna Taylor: The sit in on the Brooklyn Bridge and halted traffic

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On a Friday night in Brooklyn, New York, hundreds of people protested against the decision of the grand jury not charging the officers who killed Breonna Taylor. The protesters marched through the Barclays Center to the Brooklyn Bridge. Once they reached the bridge they sat and did not move for over an hour. This example of Creative Resistance includes both a protest and a sit-in which is very effective because it draws even more attention as the two of them were combined. By taking to the streets and blocking off areas that are essential to many peoples’ commute, the protestors are not only making their voices heard, but rather, hard to ignore. By stepping in and blocking off the Brooklyn Bridge for an hour, bystanders would have no choice but to listen to their pleas for justice (Setty and Yan).

This protest seeks transformation and change in regard to the murder of Breonna Taylor as opposed to revenge against the police officers that shot her. People could have turned to the destruction of property or violence, but they refused to do so in order to show that they were serious about holding the officers accountable for the killing of Breonna Taylor. The protesters had to have been courageous as they could have been arrested or even run over since they were blocking oncoming traffic. This protest draws attention to the injustice by bringing a large group of people together and blocking traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, which thousands of people use every day. The protest was also broadcasted on the news which accesses a larger audience and draws more attention to the injustice. In order to ensure that this protest was peaceful, its participants had to channel a certain degree of self-control within themselves to prevent any violence. As mentioned in the article, the death of Breonna Taylor is just one of many injustices against black people, therefore, these protesters could have a lot of pent up frustration that could easily come off as hostility. Nonetheless, they marched and sat peacefully on the Brooklyn Bridge (Setty and Yan) (Monsoor) (CBS News).

By: Stella Chinappi, Annamarie Magana, Taya Coleman

Work Cited:

CBS News. "Hundreds sit on Brooklyn Bridge in Breonna Taylor protest." CBS News,

CBS Interactive, 26 Sept. 2020, www.cbsnews.com/news/

breonna-taylor-protest-brooklyn-bridge-new-york-city/. Accessed 3 Nov.

2020.

Monsoor, Sanya. "93% of Black Lives Matter Protests Have Been Peaceful, New

Report Finds." Time, 5 Sept. 2020, time.com/5886348/

report-peaceful-protests/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2020.

Setty, Ganesh, and Holly Yan. "New York City protest demanding justice for

Breonna Taylor ends with 12 arrests." CNN, 27 Sept. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/

09/27/us/nyc-blm-protest/index.html. Accessed 3 Nov. 2020.

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Unification through Neglect: The 1956 Women’s March in Pretoria on August 9

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Unification through Neglect: The 1956 Women’s March in Pretoria on August 9

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Our specific injustice that we choose to highlight was women's rights for women of color. The Creative Resistance was used to fight an unjust law proposed called the Urban Areas Act of 1956. This Act gave the South African government significant power to segregate residential areas, police African communities, and influence movement by forcing women to carry passes. The Act also forbade Africans from obtaining property from non-Africans. On August 9th 1956, over 20,000 women took part in a march to protest against the proposed amendments of the Urban Areas Act on the Union Buildings. The outdated and incorrect stereotype of women being politically inept, immature, and tied to the home is what they were fighting and protesting against. Some of the signs used in the protest said “with passes we are slaves” and “women do not want passes”. The legacy of these brave women lives on as August 9th is the official Women’s Day in South Africa.

The 1956 Women’s March in Pretoria on August 9 fulfills almost all of the characteristics of Creative Resistance as the women used civil disobedience to successfully protest against the proposed amendments of the Urban Areas Act on the Union Buildings.  On August 9, 1956, women from all over Africa gathered outside of JG Strijdom's, the prime minister of South Africa, office.  These women were dressed in eye-catching clothing as many women wore traditional South African dress, outfits composed of the colors of Parliament, green, black, and gold, and white saris; this is a characteristic of Creative Resistance as these striking outfits were normally not worn on a daily basis and, therefore, drew the attention of many people.  The women then proceeded to gather around Parliament in a determined yet orderly manner; this made the public and oppressor see things in a new way because the women’s organization and ability to unite broke the stereotype of women being politically inept and immature and only tied to the home.  After gathering, the women signed petitions that were placed outside of the prime minister’s office; however, Parliament refused to look at the petitions.  Upon discovering this, instead of swarming and attacking the prime minister, the protesters stood silent for thirty minutes and then sang Nkosi sikeleli Afrika, which is the national anthem of South Africa and a Christian hymn that asks protection from God for all of Africa.  This is a perfect example of showing love, respect, and compassion to one’s oppressors, which is a characteristic of Creative Resistance, as they did not harm their oppressors even when ignored and is also a perfect example of another characteristic of Creative Resistance, empowering the oppressed, because, by showing their unification in times of difficulty, these women inspired themselves and others often dismissed.  Overall, these women showed an immense amount of strength with their peaceful yet productive protest as they were able to assert their power without risking their dignity or acting in a disorderly and violent manner.

By Sophia Chan, Elizabeth Doerr, and Bailey Hamilton

Works Cited

“The 1956 Women's March, Pretoria, 9 August.” South African History Online, 31 Mar. 2011,     www.sahistory.org.za/article/1956-womens-march-pretoria-9-august. Accessed 2 Nov. 2020.

Stewart, Philippa H. "Stories of South Africa's Powerful Women Doing

Extraordinary Things." Human Rights Watch, 2 Sept. 2020, www.hrw.org/news/

2020/09/02/stories-south-africas-powerful-women-doing-extraordinary-things#.

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The City's Protests: Creative Resistance Against Climate Change in New York City

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The City's Protests: Creative Resistance Against Climate Change in New York City

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On September 20, 2020, hundreds of peaceful protests in regards to global warming took place across the United States, including New York City (Barnard 2). Global warming is the issue by which our planet is getting hotter but in a dangerous manner. Students who attended these protests believed that officials were failing to properly address the problem of climate change and they were not taking the issue seriously. Many people, especially the students who walked out of school to attend these protests, wanted to see a change in officials’ behavior towards global warming, which would ultimately result in the health and temperature of our planet becoming suitable and well. Focusing on the peaceful protest in New York, the specific acts of Creative Resistance are drawing attention to an injustice and seeking transformation and change. The protests occurred in the city because people are done with officials’ failing to address the crisis. The protesters do not want revenge, and they also refused to stand by and do nothing anymore. The goal was to draw attention to the matter of global warming as well as lack of action, and definitely did as a total of 60,000 to 250,000 students and workers filled the streets of New York City to chant about saving the planet (Sengupta 1).
The global warming protests that took place in New York clearly emanates Creative Resistance. It was emotionally and physically demanding, it sought out transformation, not revenge, it was eye-catching, and would take time to fix. People having to travel and then stand outside in crowded areas took a physical toll on everyone there. Those who attended, specifically the high school students, might have also been told not to go to the protests by others in their lives (Barnard 4). Even if they went, it could not have been easy to go against other people's opinions. The protest clearly sought transformation and change, but not revenge. The goal was not to punish or ridicule public officials, but instead see them take accountability and see positive change, such as limiting the amount of emission entering the atmosphere. The New York City protest drew lots of attention because of the masses of young people in the streets of downtown Manhattan (Sengupta 1). The high school students leaving during a school day made adults in the education system listen to their concerts, as the students exercised their power (Barnard 4). Last but not least, the protest was just the start of a long process towards positive change. Global warming in general is not something that you can fix very quickly. It will take time to see a change in our planet’s health.

By: Icema, Alexys, and Kaitlin

Work Cited:
Barnard, Anne. "1.1 Million Can Skip School for Climate Protest." The New York

Times, 16 Sept. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/nyregion/

youth-climate-strike-nyc.html. Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.

Sengupta, Somini. "Protesting Climate Change, Young People Take to Streets in a

Global Strike." The New York Times, 20 Sept. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/09/

20/climate/global-climate-strike.html. Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.

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The Struggle Against the British Salt Monopoly in India

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The Struggle Against the British Salt Monopoly in India

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Upon arriving in India, the British East India Company took advantage of the political instability of the nation, offering protection and forcing their way into power. First through the British East India Company, and eventually, when the British East India Company was dissolved, through the British government. They exploited India to help their own industrialization back in India without regard for those in India. By forcing the Indian people to export cotton to be produced in England and then sold to the Indians, the local Indian companies began to go bankrupt and as people lost their jobs, India’s wealth depleted significantly. This is an example of an injustice in that the British selfishly came in, took away jobs, destroyed businesses, as well as the country's overall wealth and hurt thousands of people without thinking twice. Part of the British presence in India is seen in the British salt monopoly. This forced the people of India to buy British salt at whatever price the British chose because salt is essential for survival. Mohandas Gandhi addressed the injustices which came along with British presence in India through many ways; one of them being the Salt March. This is when Gandhi and a few others marched down to the Arabian sea to collect their own salt. While on their way there, Gandhi addressed many crowds and by the time he reached the sea on April 5th, tens of thousands of people were following him. The British arrested as many as they could including Gandhi, drawing world wide attention to the situation in India.

The Salt march fulfilled the Creative Resistance characteristic of transformation in an un-revengeful way because it was not in any way harmful to the British. The march was a peaceful way to make the world take heed of the injustices that were occurring in India, where people could get arrested by the British simply for harvesting their own salt. It was courageous and brave because the march was illegal and put its participants at risk of being arrested. Gandhi also wasn’t sure if people would join him, which put him at a greater risk. The march was wise and insightful because it directly went against the law that forbade Indians to collect and sell their own salt. To oppose this, the Indians went to gather their own salt from the Arabian sea. The march was also greatly physically demanding of its participants because the peaceful protestors marched 240 miles to a coastal town Dandi near the Arabian sea. In conclusion, the Salt March is a prominent example of Creative Resistance because it peacefully opposed the British in a risky and clever way.

Works Cited:

"Salt March." History, History.com, 16 Jan. 2020, www.history.com/topics/india/

salt-march. Accessed 2 Nov. 2020.

"5 Ways the British Empire Ruthlessly Exploited India." Telesur,

telesurenglish.net, 25 Apr. 2020, www.telesurenglish.net/news/

5-Ways-the-British-Empire-Ruthlessly-Exploited-India-20170425-0033.html.

Accessed 2 Nov. 2020.

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A Fight for Salt: Gandhi’s Creative Resistance

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A Fight for Salt: Gandhi’s Creative Resistance

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The Salt March, led by Mohandas Gandhi in India in 1930, was a response to unjust British rule over India, specifically the Salt Act of 1882 that prevented Indians from producing or selling their own salt. This was an injustice because it prevented native Indians from taking advantage of and making a living from their own resources. In addition, salt was a necessary part of the Indian diet, and the Salt Act forced Indians to buy salt from British merchants at higher prices and with a steep tax, placing an economic burden on the poor.

Mohandas Gandhi called for a “satyagraha,” or a mass civil disobedience. He began sending letters to Indian authorities and other officials who were part of laying this tax on the people. For example, Gandhi sent a warning letter to Lord Irwin to make him aware that the people would be breaking the Salt Law in ten days. Ten days later, Gandhi and his followers met at the town of Dandi, which lies along the Arabian Sea, and began producing salt from saltwater. This was in defiance of the British rules that had been imposed. The number of followers and protestors of this “satyagraha” increased day to day. For days, Gandhi and the people would go down to the sea and sift out the salt. When the police started to get involved, Gandhi was working with the salt on the beach and the British police crushed the salt into the ground to make the point that this is not allowed. Gandhi knew what he needed to do to gain back this right for the people, so nevertheless he continued by picking the salt up out of the ground and proceeding with his plans. This spread to individuals not only in the town of Dandi, but also in the towns of Bombay and Karachi, which goes to show how important it is to the people of India that they get their access to salt back because it is a staple in their diet.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt March, which involved risk, drew attention to the injustice, was thoughtful and organized, and was physically and emotionally difficult to take part in, fulfills several specific characteristics of Creative Resistance. First, the march involved risk and required the participants to be brave and courageous. The British Salt Act of 1882 prevented Indians from producing or selling salt, so Indians were forced to get their salt from British rulers, who charged a heavy tax. It was illegal for Gandhi and his followers to collect their own salt, and a total of 60,000 people including Gandhi himself were arrested as a result. Second, the march drew worldwide attention and was eye-catching or unexpected, and caught the British rulers off-guard. Gandhi addressed large crowds during his march, and tens of thousands of people eventually joined him in his march. The attention led to an international outcry over British rule over India. The march called awareness to the unfair tax laws and the unjust British rule over India as a whole. Third, the march was thoughtful, planned, and organized. Gandhi spoke and led prayers, and had a clear path that his followers and him were going to take down to the coast. Gandhi sent a letter before the march to a government leader named Viceroy Lord Irwin about their plan to break the laws. Finally, Gandhi’s march was a physically and emotionally difficult endeavor, and required them to walk 240 miles in ten days. They walked from Sabarmati down to the coast near Dandi to make their own salt. They also knew many would get arrested, and over 60,000 did, but thousands of people continued to go against the unfair Salt Laws after his march. This resulted in there being too many people to arrest. The march lasted from March 2nd to March 12th in 1930.

Although the Salt March was focused on the narrow issue of the salt tax, its purpose was to bring attention to the wider injustice of British rule over India.

By: Kyra Bettwy, Kate Grillo, and Rebecca Dapello.
Works Cited:

Graham, Scott. "Gandhi's Salt March to Dandi." Post Colonial Studies @Emory, 1998, scholarblogs.emory.edu/postcolonialstudies/2014/06/20/gandhis-salt-march-to-dandi/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.

History.com Editors. "Salt March." HISTORY, 10 June 2010, www.history.com/topics/india/salt-march. Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.

Pletcher, Kenneth. "Salt March." Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 June 2019, www.britannica.com/event/Salt-March. Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.

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Protesting the AIDS Epidemic and Fighting for LGBTQ+ Visibility

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Protesting the AIDS Epidemic and Fighting for LGBTQ+ Visibility

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At the very beginning of the AIDS crisis, members of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power protested in a church to combat the silence and hate America was showing for the LGBTQ+ community during the time. This specific act of Creative Resistance occurred in the St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, December 1980. Over 4,500 protesters were inside the church where they lied down and silently protested until the protest was broken up and more than a hundred people were arrested by the police, (O’Loughlin). Even so, many members of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies marched downtown to continue their fight for social justice.
The Creative Resistance that occurred sought transformation and change since the protester’s goal was to transform the public image on the AIDS crisis and LGBTQ+ community. The protesting also required incredible amounts of bravery which overcame the fear for the non-accepting environment they were voluntarily putting themselves in. The protest drew the attention of many people as it occurred in an incredibly famous church and in a very influential city. The protest was also both physically and emotionally difficult as many of the queer people protesting were kicked out by religious parents who didn’t see them as worthy of dignity. Going back into a church would be like reliving that trauma, or perhaps experiencing new trauma.
By Nina Levret de Melo, Jane Lily, Victoire Lokossou, and Susan Kersh

Deparle, Jason. "111 Held in St. Patrick's AIDS Protest." The New York Times, New York Times,

11 Dec. 1989, www.nytimes.com/1989/12/11/nyregion/111-held-in-st-patrick-s-aids-protest.html. Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.

O'Loughlin, Michael J. "'Pose' Revisits Controversial AIDS Protest inside St. Patrick's

Cathedral." America the Jesuit Review, American Magazine,

www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2019/06/21/pose-revisits-controversial-aids-protest-inside-st-patricks-cathedral. Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.

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Occupy Wall Street: Compassion is Revolutionary

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Occupy Wall Street: Compassion is Revolutionary

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The specific injustice to which Occupy Wall Street responded is the fact that the ultra-wealthy or the 1% of the population holds 40% of the wealth (Locker screen 1). Occupy wall street is protesting for the 99% of people who feel they "have been left behind by a corrupt political system" (Morse screen 2). More broadly, Occupy Wall Street is fighting the social sin of classism and "...the influence of corporate money in politics" (Taylor screen 1). Occupy wall street fights the injustice of "financial inequality" and "corporate greed" (Taylor screen 1). The Occupy Wall Street movement started quietly but quickly and became the center of attention when police disrupted a protest in Manhattan. This disruption caught the media's attention because the protest the police got involved in was a peaceful protest and 100% non-violent. The Occupy Wall Street protest began on September 17th, 2011. The protest was located in New York City's Financial District, on Wall Street. It consisted of hundreds of activists coming together in Lower Manhattan. On September 30th, the protesters peacefully tried marching their way uptown, almost 80 people were arrested by the New York police. This movement had grown so quickly that the same day, a protest in Boston called "The Occupy Boston" happened as well (Taylor screen 1).

The Occupy Wallstreet movement fulfills several characteristics of Creative Resistance. One tactic used was seeking transformation and change instead of revenge. The protestors were 100% non-violent. They sought transformation and change by making a statement that they would change the growing wealth gap and cooperation influence on politics, which was based on money. (Taylor screen 1). In addition, the movement holds another characteristic of Creative Resistance, as it was both mentally and physically demanding. This is shown when protestors were arrested and pepper-sprayed in the face by cops, although they were not using violence (Morse screen 2). Another characteristic of the movement was being wise and insightful. For example, social media and other forms of technology were used to bring attention to the movement and "unite protesters around the perceived injustices of the US financial system" (Morse screen 2). Lastly, the movement used the characteristic of perseverance, as shown by the protestors. The marching lasted for several days, and people showed their determination to make a statement by sleeping on wall street (Taylor screen 3).

By: Clare Duggan, Galena Tanjeloff, Emily Francesa

Locker, Melissa. "5 Times Civil Disobedience Made a Difference since MLK's Death." Fast company.com, 4 Apr.2018,www.fastcompany.com/40554194/  5-times-civil-disobedience-made-a-difference-since-mlks-death. Accessed 30

Oct. 2020.

Morse, Jeremy. "Occupy Wall Street." Learningtogive.org, www.learningtogive.org/

resources/occupy-wall-street. Accessed 30 Oct. 2020.

Taylor, Alan. "Occupy Wall Street." Theatlantic.com, 30 Sept. 2011,

www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/09/occupy-wall-street/100159/. Accessed 30 Oct. 2020.

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Follow the Money March: A Fight for Farmworkers' Rights 

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Follow the Money March: A Fight for Farmworkers' Rights 

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Farmworkers work one of the most necessary jobs in this country, yet they do not receive proper treatment for their true value. There is a distinct injustice in the farmworkers' rights, working conditions, and pay. Numerous farmworkers experience sexual abuse and violence from their bosses in their workplace. Alejandrina, a farmworker who picks tomatoes, was one of these victims. Her boss led her to believe he would bring her to a better job at a warehouse, but when she arrived in the back of his truck, she knew she faced danger. Alejandrina shouted and her cries were heard by a fellow worker. The next day both the worker who saved her and Alejandrina were fired (CNN Freedom Project - the Fair Food Program, 0:53-1:59). CNN describes farmworkers as the most “vulnerable” workers not only in our country but globally as well (CNN Freedom Project - the Fair Food Program, 2:10). Agricultural workers partake in exhausting work that benefits in an industry worth billions of dollars. In return, they receive a minimum wage, terrible treatment, and exploitation of their rights (Alliance for Fair Food, 2).

The fight for fair rights for farm workers' like many other social justice issues in the US uses Creative Resistance as a way to stand against the oppressor. An example of this is the Follow the Money March, which unfortunately was canceled due to COVID. It was started by the Fair Food Program who fights hard to end gender-based violence, forced labor, and other human rights violations against farm workers (Alliance for Fair Food, 2). This march was started by the news that Wendy’s, unlike other fast food chains, refused to join the Fair Food Program (Alliance for Fair Food, 2). With this news, many people began to boycott Wendy’s as a way to try and make join the Fair Food Program. The Follow the Money March movement seeked transformation and change instead of revenge because they didn’t mean to cause “pain” the way revenge would to the Wendy’s chains, rather they aimed to make an impact on their economic gains, in hope that this would consequently lead them to join the fair Food Program and support the workers. This was thoughtfully planned because it was communicated to people, including the Marymount community, in advance by handing out flyers, shown in the picture below, with the day, location, and start time so it would be a big group of people to attract the attention of the audience and gain awareness for the movement. It even includes contact information if you happen to have further questions and gives background information on the specific injustices that farmworkers face. This movement and its impact will be unexpected from the Wendy’s chains operators because all of a sudden, their customers will stop buying from them which can significantly affect their revenue. This is an empowering movement because it shows that you have a voice; the march spread awareness and the effect of it would be for people to make the choice of deciding whether or not to keep on buying from Wendy’s after knowing the unfair treatment of farmworkers that cultivate the tomatoes that they are eating for such a little pay.

By Dalyn Booker, Janely Cruz, and Milena Smolizza

"CNN Freedom Project - the Fair Food Program." Youtube, 1 June 2017,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpKMHIUkPQk&feature=youtu.be  Accessed 30 Oct.  2020

Alliance for Fair Food. Follow the Money March. Alliance for Fair Food.org,

March 2020.

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Malala's Movement: A Deadly Fight for Women's Education

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Malala's Movement: A Deadly Fight for Women's Education

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Malala Yousafzai is known worldwide for her work in empowering girls and fighting for women’s education. When Malala was a student, the Taliban banned women’s education and in response Malala gave talks and speeches condemning their policies. In addition, the Taliban used violent tactics to enforce their policies and “in October 2012, Malala was targeted by the Taliban and was shot while returning home from school” (Yousafzai 229). Malala Yousafzai used nonviolent means of Creative Resistance to achieve her ideal of justice. Malala is a Pakistani education advocate who started out her career as a young girl who attended a school that her father, educator Ziauddin Yousafzai, had founded. After the Taliban began attacking girls' schools in Swat, Yousafzai gave a speech in Peshawar, Pakistan, in September 2008 when she was 11 years old after her father took her to a local press club in Peshawar to protest school closings. She gave her first speech “How Dare the Taliban Take Away My Basic Right to Education?” which was quickly spread throughout Pakistan. In early 2009 at 11 years old, Yousafzai began blogging for the BBC discussing her life in Pakistan as the Taliban made threats to deny her education, writing regular entries for BBC about her daily life. In order to hide her identity, she used the name Gul Makai. As she gained followers, she spoke about her right and all of women’s basic right to an education (Biography: Malala Yousafzai 2). In February of  2009, she made her first television appearance on Capital Talk.  The New York Times made several documentaries with Malala, Class Dismissed, a 13-minute piece about the school shutdown, and A Schoolgirl’s Odyssey. In summer of 2009 she met with the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, and asked him to help with her effort to protect the education of girls in Pakistan. Her actions in the face of danger led to her nomination by Desmond Tutu for the International Children’s Peace Prize in 2011, and she was awarded Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize, which was later renamed the National Malala Peace Prize. After her shooting, she did not stop her creative resistant actions even when facing a near death experience. Her shooting triggered protests, and her movement gained widespread attention, including the attention of the UN special envoy for global education, Gordon Brown, who introduced a petition that called for all children around the world to be back in school by 2015. This widespread attention also led to the ratification of Pakistan’s first Right to Education bill, and the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari soon announced the launch of a $10 million education fund in Yousafzai’s honor (Encyclopedia Britannica 2). Also in 2012, the  Malala Fund was established by the Vital Voices Global Partnership in hopes of supporting education for all girls around the world. The Malala Fund founded, with her father, is a non-profit made to internationally support and advocate for women and girls.  The Malala Fund advocates for quality education for all girls by funding education projects internationally, partnering with key leaders, and creating new strategies to strengthen young women (Alexander 2). On July 12, 2013, her 16th birthday she addressed an audience of 500 at the United Nations in New York City. Among her many awards, in 2013 Yousafzai won the United Nations Human Rights Prize. She wrote I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban (2013).  In 2014 she was the youngest person to win the Liberty Medal, and in 2014 won the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the youngest Nobel laureate (Encyclopedia Britannica).  In July 2015, with support from the Malala Fund, she opened a girls’ school in Lebanon for refugees from the Syrian Civil War.  She talked to Syrian refugees and women in Kenya and condemned Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram who abducted young girls, prohubiting them fro getting an education(Alexander 2).

Malala’s work to promote change and advocate for universal educational entitlement, specifically female educational rights, fulfills the aspects of Creative Resistance, or Jesus’ Third Way. For example, part of Creative Resistance includes the lack of violence and revenge-seeking. Although she suffered trauma and violence due to the Taliban’s imposing regulations regarding female education, Malala did not seek revenge against the Taliban. Instead, she used her experience to transform the injustice she was a victim of. Secondly, her movement was empowering, considering that it raised awareness to the situation and pursued global change. In another example, Malala’s advocacy was thoughtful, planned, and organized. In order to document the stifling events that unfolded under the Taliban, she used “the pen name Gul Makai” (Yousafzai 229). Her writing was later used by BBC Urdu in order to further propel awareness about the injustice surrounding female inferiority. This demonstrates the consideration that went into her work, since the use of her actual name could have produced a contrasting result and may not have impacted a large spectrum of people the way it did. Lastly, Malala Yousafzai’s acts of Creative Resistance required self control. Although brutality was used against her, Malala took the difficult route towards peacemaking. She resisted the natural urge of violence and instead seeked education even for the “‘sons and daughters of the Taliban’” (Johnston 1). In addition, since these events took place at a young age, Malala dealt with transitions and global affairs early on, which in some cases proved to be difficult. In one demonstration, Malala had to leave her family in order to fight for female rights to education. She went from living in Pakistan to living in Birmingham, experiencing the common emotions that come with sudden change, “But now another family lives in that home, another girl sleeps in that bedroom–while I am thousands of miles away… the life I loved and the girl I was–before I left home that fateful day” (Yousafzai 2).

BY: Nathalie Robayo, Maya Munshi, and Kate Falla

Sources:

1. CNN. “The Story of Malala Yousafzai.” YouTube, 12 July 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIqOhxQ0-H8. Accessed 28 Oct. 2020.

2. Yousafzai, Malala, et al. I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood up for Education and Changed the World. Oshkosh, OSCI Braille Program, 2016.
3. Allardice, Lisa. “Malala Yousafzai on Student Life, Facing Critics – and Her Political Ambitions.” The Guardian, The Guardian, 19 Jan. 2019, www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jan/19/malala-yousafzai-voice-generation-we-are-displaced. Accessed 30 Oct. 2020.
4. “Malala Yousafzai | Biography, Nobel Prize, & Facts | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Malala-Yousafzai. Accessed 30 Oct. 2020.
5.Biography: Malala Yousafzai. “Malala Yousafzai.” Biography, 29 Mar. 2018, www.biography.com/activist/malala-yousafzai. Accessed 30 Oct. 2020.
6.Johnston, Ian. “Malala Yousafzai: Being Shot by Taliban Made Me Stronger.” NBC News, NBC News, 13 July 2013, www.nbcnews.com/news/world/malala-yousafzai-being-shot-taliban-made-me-stronger-flna6C10612024. Accessed 30 Oct. 2020.

7.Alexander, Kerri Lee. Malala Yousafzai. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/malala-yousafzai.

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The specific injustice to which our example responds to is the Salt tax imposed by the British on India. In a larger view this was an act against the independence of India. The British imposed a heavy salt tax on the Indians, where salt was a crucial part of their diet, so the Indians would manufacture and sell salt to the British who in turn forced them to buy it under the heavy tax. Ghandi found a way to follow his mantra of non-violence, and respond to this injustice peacefully. He gathered many people and marched around 240 miles to Dandi, to enforce his new campaign of satyagraha or ‘mass disobedience’. At Dandi he and his followers picked up salt from the sea to defy this salt tax.

Number 5 is displayed in this form of creative resistance because the British government had to notice what the protesters were doing, because it was an illegal act and because there were so many participating in this act, so it brought attention to the British government and the world of the injustices the Indian people were facing. Number 2 is displayed in this form of creative resistance because this kind of protest was illegal and the many people who participated faced the risk of arrest; indeed, some important figures, like Gandhi, were arrested. Number 9 is demonstrated in this form of creative resistance because it empowers the people, putting them on the world stage and the forefront of their oppressors’ minds. They illegally made salt for which they did not have to pay a heavy tax for their oppressors, giving them the power they deserved and needed to feel to continue on this upward battle. Number 2 is reflected in this specific form because during the salt march all 60,000 people who joined had to be courageous and stand up for what they believe was right and not let the British take advantage of them. Number two represents this as they not only had to be courageous but also had to take the risk of being punished for their actions and standing up for justice.

History.com Editors, editor. "Salt March." HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, 10

June 2010, www.history.com/topics/india/salt-march. Accessed 25 Oct. 2020.

By
Maggie, Maria, Clare Mcgarry, and Mia Sinatra

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The Injustice in which our example responds to is segregation in 1960s America, which forced black Americans to not have an equal place in society, and in this case, on the front of the bus. Also, when the bus was too busy for the whites to sit in the front, black people were asked to give up their seats to them. This was where Rosa Parks came in with her act of Creative Resistance. The specific acts of Creative Resistance that are demonstrated by Rosa Parks are desiring change and transformation, not using violence, and not doing nothing. Rosa refusing to move from her seat in the “colored section” to make room for a white rider was the first step in the bus boycott which sought a change in segregation. While the other 3 passengers in the “colored section” did move, she took a stand and that would not be perceived as doing nothing. Although she was arrested and fined for her attempt, she did not use violence and was peaceful in her actions (history.com 1).

The actions of Rosa Parks on the Montgomery Bus fulfill four specific examples of Creative Resistance that include the following. Her actions were courageous and brave because they involved a risk, when she did not give up her seat on the bus to a white person when asked, she was breaking the law. Also, her refusal drew attention, was eye-catching and unexpected, and caught J. Fred Blake, the bus driver, off guard. Despite having a previous interaction with Parks, Blake did not expect her to not move from her seat. Her actions were empowering, her choice was her own and this allowed her to assert power over both J. Fred Blake and the unjust law that forced her to be in this position (history.com 1). Lastly, her actions sought out transformational change, but not revenge because when she refused to move from her seat initiated the start of the Montgomery bus boycott (history.com 2).

History.com editors. "Montgomery Bus Boycott." History.com, A&E Television Networks, 10 Feb. 2020, www.history.com/topics/black-history/montgomery-bus-boycott.  Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.

By Aurora, Juliana, and Mia

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Votes for Women!: Woman's Suffrage Procession 1913

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Votes for Women!: Woman's Suffrage Procession 1913

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When the Constitution was ratified in 1787, the Founding Fathers wrote that only white, land-owning males were allowed to vote (“Women’s Suffrage”). As people began to protest that voting rights should include more people, the Women’s Suffrage movement began to take off in the early 1800s before the Civil War (“Women’s Suffrage”). Throughout the 19th century, women continued to petition for the right to vote through different protests and gatherings, one of the most famous being the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 (“Women’s Suffrage”). Nevertheless, the government refused to amend the Constitution and pronounce women as deserving of equal citizenship privileges to men (“Women’s Suffrage”). Despite countless discouragements from the lack of reform, the Suffragists continued their work, and when World War I erupted, women proved themselves capable and deserving of equal citizenship privileges to men when they took the jobs of men who had gone off to war (“Women’s Suffrage”). This ultimately resulted in the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 which stated that the right to vote could not be denied on account of sex (“Women’s Suffrage”). One of the most successful peaceful protests in the Women’s Suffrage movement was the Women’s Suffrage Procession in 1913 which although took place seven years before the 19th Amendment was passed, played a crucial role in bringing awareness to the injustice of gender discrimination.

The 1913 Women's Suffrage Procession used no violence, and instead used peaceful protests to get their point across. They walked with floats, marching bands, and hundreds of women who were now demanding that they not only have the same voting as men, but to have all the same rights as men. On the first float, there was a banner that said “We demand an amendment to the Constitution of the United States enfranchising the women of this country.” The march was peaceful, but the crowds, who were all men, became violent with the women who were marching, storming into the middle of the parade, screaming vile insults, making sexual propositions, spat on the women, and manhandled them. The police did nothing to help the women, saying that if the women didn’t come out in the first place and stayed at home, none of this would be happening. The women, who were still peacefully trying to protest, had to wait an hour for the military to come and help them. After the streets were cleared of the violent men, the women continued to peacefully protest, showing their perseverance, self-control, and their seeking change for women (1913 Women's). These women's peaceful protests would be the foundation of which later peaceful protests were based, because they showed that violence would get them, and others nowhere (Suffragist History).

This march in 1913 exemplifies the characteristics of creative resistance by using self-control, seeking change, having perseverance, drawing attention to the fight for women’s rights, and more. The goal of the suffrage movement was to seek a constitutional amendment that gave women the right to vote, not revenge over their lack of rights in America (“1913 Women’s” 2). This movement as a whole required perseverance because the movement, which started before the civil war, took until 1920 to be realized in the constitution (“Women’s Suffrage” 1). This march fulfills the requirement of self-control because the women in the march, who were spat upon and manhandled by spectators, needed self-control and determination to lock arms and keep marching (“1913 Women’s” 4). Lastly, the march drew great attention to the movement, as there was a crowd of spectators of over 250,000 people (“1913 Women’s” 4). This procession followed down Pennsylvania Avenue, which was also the site of the presidential inauguration the following day, further drawing attention to the cause (“1913 Women’s” 2). The 1913 march for women’s suffrage demonstrated an act of creative resistance, as seen with the use of self-control, seeking change, having perseverance, drawing attention to the cause, and more.

Below is a picture of a woman who dressed up as the goddess "Columbia" who is known as a female personification of the United States of America.
Source:
Woman Dressed as Columbia at Women's Suffrage Procession 1913. 3 Mar. 1913.
"1913 Women's Suffrage Procession." National Park Service, www.nps.gov/articles/

woman-suffrage-procession1913.htm. Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.
"Suffragist History." Turning point, suffragistmemorial.org/suffrage-history/.

Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.

The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2013, www.theatlantic.com/photo/2013/03/
100-years-ago-the-1913-womens-suffrage-parade/100465/. Accessed 27 Oct.
2020.
"Women's Suffrage." History.com, 29 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/womens-history/

the-fight-for-womens-suffrage.  Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.