Sunday Snapshots: everyday activism
It’s Oscar night tonight, a practically a sacred event in our household. I live with a movie lover, so it’s truly about watching and celebrating the love of good acting and movies and honoring people—and certain industry jobs—who really only get any attention at award ceremonies.
I was tremendously moved tonight by Mo’nique winning Best Supporting Actress; Mo’nique has a personal history of abuse in her family, and the performance she gave in Precious was the most horrifying and soul wrenching I’ve ever seen on the big screen. In response to a question by Barbara Walters in her post-Oscars special about whether Precious was bad for the black community, as has been suggested, Mo’nique said no, that this is a story that cuts across racial lines, that it’s about all families and women and girls who suffer. In the light of Chelsea King’s rape and murder last month, her comments couldn’t ring more true.
On Thursday I went to an author reading by one of my authors at Seal. The author is a young woman who wrote a book about feminism called Girldrive. She told the audience she wished that more activism could be imbued with spirituality. She’s a 23-year-old woman who thinks that a lot of people who are really passionate about their causes, their ideals, are turned off and don’t get involved because so much activism is just too hardcore.
This struck a nerve with me because I’ve been turned off by a lot of causes specifically because the movements and the people involved not only don’t bring in the spiritual, but often don’t even give space for it. I care deeply and passionately about protecting women, about preventing abuse—through support and education. I so appreciated Mo’nique’s words tonight because in sharing her own abuse so openly, and in being able to say, without defensiveness and just in truth, that these issues are our problem, she’s exemplifying everyday activism. And this is a deeply spiritual woman. In her case it’s a verbal and open relationship with God.
Too often we’re asked to split off our spirituality from our activism, so seeing examples of people who just don’t is quite refreshing. I know there are lots of people out there who are making it work, and I want to hear from you. In what ways are you bringing your spirituality to causes you care deeply about? How are you living your everyday activism?