In 2024, America faces a plethora of issues from all aspects of society. Political polarization, inflation, climate change and others combine to form a general sense of dread among younger people. While apathy and lack of action plague many in America, some turn to activism in its many forms to combat some of these existential threats, according to pewresearch.org.
Activism is defined as the act of promoting or campaigning to bring about societal or political change, according to languages.oup.org. Activism is one of the best ways to bring about large-scale change. Women’s suffrage, civil rights and climate awareness have all been spurred by some form of activism or another.
Dalilah Winford, 12, a student at Omaha North High School, prides herself on her ability to practice activism in a healthy way.
“I try my best to be well informed and up to date about the current situations in the world.” Winford said.
The diligence and restraint required to be a good activist is immense. This is in the pursuit of avoiding radical actions and not becoming violent in protest. The balancing act between radical actions and peaceful protest is a constant struggle activists like Winford constantly face.
Being an activist in America is a tough position, however. Due to a multitude of factors, activists face tremendous adversity simply because of the title of “activist”. While activists work to progress society, anti-activists work to keep the status quo, regardless of if the norm is flawed or not.
The meaning of being a Progressive is simply wanting to progress society and bring about social reform. The meaning of being a Conservative is to hold traditional ideals or values. These two groups of individuals are at odds in America over different policies and political ideology, according to pewresearch.org.
Because of the wide divide between these two groups, the main struggle in America stems from their differences. The inherent irregularities between tradition and change. If these two ideologies and ways of thinking persist, there will always be a need for activism in America.
