What Radicalized Me

I’ve been lucky enough to explore three continents as well as every corner of the United States.

Throughout my travels, in addition to curating cute restaurant recommendations, I’ve been growing.

But my growth was not linear. There were moments I felt myself desperately holding onto my preconceived notions, even when they contradicted my reality.

I had been taught to fear the unknown, as many Americans are taught. I was told to trust a higher power (be it God or my government or both) in spite of my own intuition. I was scared to make a mistake, to be perceived as ignorant. I was ridiculed for existing beyond the norm, even when the norm was harmful. All these factors made it tempting to stay put and avoid any experience that might humble me.

I could’ve lived in my hometown forever. I could’ve built a full life that never challenged me. I could’ve stayed the same.

What Happened When I Grew

In expanding my perspective, in trying something new, in being humbled by my mistakes, I unlocked countless benefits.

I learned new languages and how to communicate with people beyond language. I discovered new favorite foods. I navigated spaces where I was the only white person. I stood up taller because I had figured out how to get from the airport to my hostel all by myself. I became close friends with people who look and pray and love differently than me.

My traveler’s mindset seeped into my daily life. I am now comfortable walking through foreign places and that has changed how I navigate familiar ones.

In short, I developed an open mind and once my mind opened, there was no closing it.

I began to see all people as peers, even if their lives looked completely different to mine. I began to see the connections between the struggles of everyday people and the larger systems of oppression designed to keep us fighting one another.

I saw the world for what it is, not what I was told it was.

Instead of immediately judging someone or something, I now approach them like a traveler. I pause and assess. I develop a well-rounded perspective of the whole situation. I educate myself with credible resources. Then, I experience it for myself.

More times than not, my initial fear about some unknown person or place was unfounded. Over time, as I pushed beyond my unfounded fears, I became less fearful.

Today, I am no longer scared.

The Power of An Open Mind

I see why an open mind is scary to certain systems of authority.

You cannot control an open mind. You cannot convince me that all brown people are criminals simply because they are brown. You cannot convince me that legislation restricting voting access for citizens of a democracy is “common sense”. You cannot convince me that democracy and authoritarianism can coexist. You cannot convince me that billionaires should pay less taxes than lower- and middle-class people. You cannot convince me that peaceful protesters deserve to die.

Maybe Minneapolis was your first moment of radicalization. Maybe, like me, you see the absolute irony of killing American citizens in the name of protecting them. Maybe, like me, your mind is open.

It’s Time To Activate

Just like people, activism comes in a range of shapes, sizes, and styles.

Effective activism can be as small as signing petitions or sending a letter to your representative. The American Civil Liberties Union wrote a whole letter for you, which you can edit and personalize.

Personally, I believe in the power of non-violent resistance like what was employed during the Civil Rights Movement.

Without any threat or force of violence, we can enact massive change for the better. Some examples of non-violent resistance include strikes, walk-outs, vigils, and marches.

To take action on a local level, you can volunteer with a political candidate who aligns with your values, join a local chapter of a political organization, or sign up to work at your polling station on election days.

The violence at the hands of masked federal agents in Minneapolis is unprecedented. It’s the first time that most Americans have felt such animosity from their own government.

As such, it’s radicalized a lot of us, and I think that collective activation is one positive to come out of such a tragedy.

In this country, we have the right to peaceful protest. We have the right to demand more from our government because we live in a democracy.

The second we forget that, the second we bend the knee, we lose the essence of the United States.

So let’s get to work.

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