Activism Archives - Queen's Journal

‘Anyone can participate in advocacy’: Queen’s Student Activists, Part One

Written on February 4, 2022. Posted in Features.

Now a passionate and outspoken member of the student community, Yara Hussein, ArtSci ’23, almost didn’t come to Queen’s. “As a Kingstonian, Queen’s was at the bottom of my list,” Hussein said in an interview with The Journal. “Looking at what Queen’s is like and the history of it—specifically, the history...

‘The Activist’ was rightfully cancelled

Written on September 24, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

When I first heard about the launch of a new show called The Activist, I thought it was a joke. Within days of the hosts being announced, a swift firestorm of backlash was catalyzed, and CBS decided to reconfigure the proposed show into a one-time documentary special. The show’s premise was rooted...

Keep talking and dribbling: athletes deserve support in fighting racial injustice

Written on September 18, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

The intersection between sports and politics is more pronounced—and divisive—than ever before. Going forward, we must support athletes leading the fight against injustices. Racial tensions are high as the COVID-19 pandemic compounds global stress. At a time when powerful leaders are continuously demonstrating...

What we can learn about white celebrity activism from Lea Michele

Written on June 29, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

The death of George Floyd has forced even the most privileged people to confront the realities and persistence of anti-Black racism. The mainstream focus on #BlackLivesMatter (BLM) has pressured everyone from political leaders to social media influencers to publicly state their support for the movement....

Recognizing being white-passing as a privilege

Written on June 1, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Postscript.

I was born in Baghdad to Iraqi parents who fled war to Amman, Jordan. Although I grew up as part of a marginalized Iraqi community in Jordan, I was also part of the majority of the population, adapting to the Jordanian accent and identifying as both an Arab and a Muslim. In Jordan, I never thought...

The pandemic is exposing the weaknesses of celebrity activism

Written on June 1, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Celebrities are just like the rest of us—if you discount their privilege and ability to create meaningful change with enviable ease. Some are making meaningful donations during the COVID-19 crisis or raising thousands of dollars through charity initiatives, while others are singing covers of “Imagine.”...

Whitewashing climate activism limits its success

Written on March 3, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

Young climate activists represent the future of environmentalism in Canada and around the world. This activism must represent the diversity of those impacted by the climate crisis, not just a handful of white voices. A recent Toronto Star opinion highlighted the importance of including a broad range...

The anti-5G movement is a new form of fearmongering

Written on January 21, 2020. Posted in Opinions.

Over the past few months, you may have noticed Kingston yard signs advertising the following: “NO SMALL CELL ANTENNAS! OUR KIDS LIVE HERE! STOP 5G!” That notion has no factual basis and it prevents Kingston from moving forward with technology that can make our daily lives better. Here’s what you need...

Governmental inaction forces youth to carry the burden of social change

Written on November 1, 2019. Posted in Editorials.

In today’s political climate, youth activism has become the new norm. From Greta Thunberg to the “March for Our Lives” organizers, young people are fighting for systemic change with an urgency governmental leaders lack. While youth activism is a positive trend, the frequency at which we see it suggests...

Growing up in Asia taught me the importance of speaking up on social issues

Written on November 1, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Postscript.

There’s something to be said for living in a free, democratic society, where voicing your opinion isn’t repressed, but is welcomed. The same is true for living in a place where everyone’s right to freely express themselves is protected by law. While this may seem like something to take for granted...

The racialized intersections of women’s rights deserve more space

Written on October 29, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

It’s difficult enough to be a feminist, regardless of your skin colour. You’re policed and dismissed. Your frustration is interpreted as rage, and you always seem to be ‘asking for too much.’ Up until very recently, you’ve even been compared to Nazis—until, of course, internet misogynists started...

Where did all the feminism go?

Written on October 18, 2019. Posted in Features, History.

Second-wave feminist issues, like birth control and abortion, don’t have the same visibility on campus today that they had in the 70s. Last week, Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), a national anti-abortion organization held protests across Canada—including here on Queen’s campus. The event went unreported...

Marching against a platform of hate

Written on January 24, 2017. Posted in Lifestyle.

At 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 21, I gingerly crawled out of bed, trying not to wake my sleeping boyfriend as I went about getting ready for the Women’s March on Washington. As I laced up my boots and taped up my protest sign, he groggily rolled over and asked, “It’s so early, and it’s not like a small group...

Backpacking with a purpose

Written on February 11, 2016. Posted in Lifestyle.

Last reading week, I joined a group of “backpacktivists” for a nine-day excursion to Guatemala with Operation Groundswell: a program devoted to redefining travel and volunteerism. I went into this experience with a critical mindset, but also a hopeful one. The program satisfied those feelings, and...

Acclaimed authors talk freedom of expression

Written on September 29, 2015. Posted in Arts.

The muzzling of free press, the dismissal of media and the act of writing as activism were topics of a Kingston WritersFest discussion on Friday night. The panel event, entitled “Freedom to Speak, Freedom to Act”, was one of over 50 events taking place last weekend. The events are part of Kingston’s...

Spray can aimed in the wrong direction

Written on September 25, 2015. Posted in Editorials.

Accusatory vandalism has no place in promoting body positivity. Last week, a subway rider in Toronto pulled a dry-erase marker from her purse and added to what someone had already written across an ad for the Toronto Cosmetic Clinic — “you don’t need this.” Ads like this one reinforce the normalization...

Kingston welcomes refugees

Written on September 18, 2015. Posted in News.

Last Thursday evening, Market Square filled with concerned citizens campaigning for the Canadian government to allow refugees from Syria into Canada. Around 200 people attended the event, which lasted about an hour. “We thought this was a historical time in world history where the image of the three-year-old...

Shameless Promenade flaunts name change

Written on March 27, 2015. Posted in News.

The fourth annual Kingston SlutWalk celebrated its birthday with a name change — to the Shameless Promenade. The Kingston SlutWalk began in 2012, but the first SlutWalk took place in Toronto as a response to a local police officer saying in January 2011 that “women should avoid dressing like sluts”...

Unifying the Indigenous and non-Indigenous

Written on March 20, 2015. Posted in News.

Awareness Week, Queen’s Native Student Association (QNSA) sought to draw in more Indigenous students by involving non-Indigenous ones. QNSA President Leah Combs said the club received a lot of support this year in organizing a successful Aboriginal Awareness Week. The committee of six has been trying...

Protestors gather against “anti-terrorism” bill

Written on March 20, 2015. Posted in News.

City Councillor Jeff McLaren hopes to use the momentum of a series of anti-Bill C-51 protests to encourage Kingston to officially take a stance against the bill. On March 2, there was a community discussion about the bill. More recently, protestors gathered in front of City Hall on March 14 for the...

QPID camps out to raise money for youth shelter

Written on March 13, 2015. Posted in News.

The spring weather couldn’t have come at a more convenient time for students participating in the nationwide 5 Days for Homelessness campaign this year. Seven members from Queen’s Project on International Development (QPID) spent the past five days outside Stauffer Library in an effort to raise $10,000...

Best Buddies spreads the word to stop a slur

Written on March 13, 2015. Posted in News.

More than 150 Queen’s students have pledged not to use the r-word, thanks to Best Buddies’ “Spread the Word to End the R-Word” campaign. The r-word refers to “retard” — a slur against people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. On March 4, Best Buddies set up a booth at the Biosciences...

Students support Chapel Hill

Written on February 27, 2015. Posted in News.

After three young Muslims were killed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina two weeks ago, people looked to the Queen’s University Muslim Students Association (QUMSA) to take a stand. On Feb. 13, three days after the shooting, QUMSA set up a booth in the ARC intended to raise awareness about the shooting....

AuthenticallyU smashes eating disorder stigma

Written on February 6, 2015. Posted in News.

The first Eating Disorder Awareness Week (EDAW), hosted by AuthenticallyU, started with personal stories and will go out with a smash hit. The week, which began Feb. 2 and ends Friday, ran in alignment with the Canadian National Eating Disorder Information Centre’s (NEDIC) campaign of the same kind. EDAW...

Nog hosts shave-off

Written on January 30, 2015. Posted in News.

In the midst of karaoke on Thursday night, two men held a shave-off at Tir Na Nog in order to raise awareness for head and neck cancer treatment. A similar concept to Movember, Manuary is a charity that started five years ago and is in its second year at Kingston General Hospital (KGH). It encourages...

Fundraiser keeps mental health talk going

Written on January 30, 2015. Posted in News.

Grassroots fundraising for mental health sprouted at Queen’s this week, thanks to an initiative spearheaded by a student. The fifth annual Bell’s Let’s Talk Day raised $6,107,538.60 for mental health programs in Canada, contributing to a total of $73,623,413.80 raised since 2010. 4,775,708 tweets...

A hunger to help read

Written on January 27, 2015. Posted in News.

Two students living in Stauffer Library for the week are pitting Queen’s faculties against each other, Hunger Games-style, as they raise money for a charity that works to promote literacy in developing countries. The 10th annual live-in is organized by the Queen’s chapter of Room to Read, a charity...

Tag: Activism