From protests and picket signs to public policy, the social change that continues to transform countries and campuses alike begins with an idea and a passionate voice.The causes these four UT students represent are just a few of the biggest conversations happening across campus and across the nation.
For Drost Kokoye, activism is …
“Always moving forward, and as you’re moving, adding someone to the group you’re walking with,” Kokoye said.
Kokoye has been a community organizer for five years, working on issues ranging from youth and gun violence to Islamophobia in the state legislature. She was the primary organizer of several protests against police brutality in tandem with protests in Ferguson, Missouri, last semester.
She said she believes in the power of channeling emotions into activism and community developing.
“When you take that anger and organize it and turn it into power building, that’s when true community happens,” Kokoye said.
Kokoye is also one of the original founders of the American Muslim Advisory Council and succeeded in forcing legislators to amend the 2011 “Anti-Sharia” bill that would have restricted basic religious freedoms for Muslims across the state of Tennessee. Kokoye added that while she may work with specific issues, it is important to remember that all political and social activists are working towards the same goal. Through working together, she said, any group is able to impact change.
Koyoye said, “If you stick your head up and see the bigger picture, you will see that we’re all fighting the same octopus, just different legs.”
Corey Hodge, a senior in Africana studies, said he thinks activism is …
“Not just thought,” Hodge said. “Activism is making a difference.”
Hodge practiced student activism by acknowledging the inequalities between numerous demographics through an event called Break the Silence, where students put tape over their mouths and wore signs acknowledging the inequalities people from every race, religion and creed face every day.
Hodge said he had often acted on behalf of social equality for African-Americans in high school, but after coming to UT, realized there are many more people who feel silenced by the privileges of others and must cope with their own personal struggles.
“I had the epiphany that by no means am I undermining blacks by acknowledging the inequalities that other individuals are going through, such as the LGBT community and the Women’s Coordinating Council,” Hodge said.
“I can acknowledge, as a heterosexual male, that there are members of the LGBT community who do not have the same equality as I do because I am a heterosexual male.”
Hodge said he hopes that through Break the Silence, students might also become aware of the inequalities everyone in the campus community encounters.
For Alina Clay, senior in College Scholars, activism is …
“Working with others to fight for a cause inherently bigger than yourself,” Clay said.
Currently, Clay is working toward a more civil and inclusive campus environment through her policy-centric student activism. Serving as co-director of Diversity Affairs, a member of Vice Chancellor for Diversity Rickey Hall’s advisory council and the Commission for Women, Clay strives to push initiatives which promote the discussion and recognition of privilege and diversity on campus, including the “Gender-Neutral Bathrooms” bill as well as an upcoming civility campaign.
Clay said her personal experience as a Russian-American influenced her understanding of diversity, stating it is made up of more than just superficial differences, a realization that has inspired her to practice student activism and promote understanding amongst students. Clay said using policy to protect marginalized groups is what motivates her to continue her work.
Clay said, “Because you understand that what you’re doing breaks from the status quo that traditionally discriminates against so many different people, that is what gives you the power to continue.”
For Amira Sakalla, senior in supply chain management, activism is…
“Using the voice that, for my entire life until college, I never knew I was allowed to have,” Sakalla said.
Sakalla is a founding member of UT’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. Sakalla, a Palestinian-American, said her time with family and friends in the Gaza Strip gave her the desire to educate and spread awareness about the ongoing conflicts in Palestine.
“Students need to realize that not only is this going on, but we need to do something about it,” Sakalla said.
Sakalla, along with the other members of Students for Justice in Palestine, has led protests and hosted educational events centered around informing the student body about what the conflict is like from the Palestinian perspective. Through her activism, Sakalla said she hopes Americans will start dialogue about what it means to live in an occupied territory and take action to promote change.
She said, “I’ve felt what it is like to lose my freedom, and as an American, you just don’t know until you feel it just how terrible it is to not be free.”
To Colleen Ryan, junior in global studies, activism is ….
“Working towards benefiting their campus community in whatever way they see fit,” Ryan said. “Not just signing a petition, but working to create meaningful change.”
As an executive member of Sexual Empowerment and Awareness at Tennessee, Ryan is working now to promote an inclusive and open campus community capable of discussing issues such as sexual assault, health and identity. She plays an active role in organizing Sex Week as well as working closely with events promoting the campus LGBT community. Ryan said through the continual efforts of S.E.A.T. and OUTreach, she believes the campus community is more open to discussing these issues than it ever has been in the past.
“I’ve seen a student body who is more willing to communicate about these issues and who recognize the importance of dialogue in preventing sexual assault and giving people the opportunity to express their identities,” Ryan said.
For Ryan, helping students become educated about sexual health as well as learning how to express their sexual identities is what encourages her to continue working for S.E.A.T. and OUTreach.
“To me, sexuality is a critical part of a person’s identity,” Ryan said. “So, I wanted to be a part of a movement that allowed students to have more autonomy over that.”
