Using the Platforms I Have to Create Change

Hafeezat

Changemaker

”I realized that the world wasn’t as kind as I thought it was, which forced me to be more active in consuming the news and learning about our systems.”

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Hafeezat, 20, lives in New Jersey, where she is a college senior and active in local issues. She has a YouTube channel called, As Told By Hafeezat, and works with peers to capture stories and organize around gender equality and Black issues.

How would you describe yourself as a changemaker?

I used to say I was a “novice advocate” because I was just getting into the field, but now I like to consider myself more so an advocate than activist. I feel as if activism is a lot of on-the-ground work, whereas anyone can advocate for social justice issues from pretty much anywhere. I like to use the platforms I have, no matter how small, in order to do that.

How did you get started in change-making?

For me, it all started when Trayvon Martin was murdered. I realized that the world wasn’t as kind as I thought it was, which forced me to be more active in consuming the news and learning about our systems. Fast forward to high school: being in a majority white and Asian school made me more outspoken about Black issues and issues of other marginalized identities. It started on Snapchat and now has manifested on my Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube channels. And in my life.

What issues are you most passionate about?

I push very hard for accurate Black representation in the media, and I would like Black people behind these stories, too. Whether it’s news stories, print journalism, or fictional shows, I want to see more of us on the screen and behind the scenes. I want stories of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) to be amplified, and in the ways we choose for them to be.

Besides that, I am very vocal about police brutality, systemic racism and global issues that are the result of European colonialism.

Using the Platforms I Have to Create Change

Published

How would you describe yourself as a changemaker?

How did you get started in change-making?

What issues are you most passionate about?

What work are you most proud of?

Tell us about Misogynoir – how did you get the idea and what was it like to create it?

What do you want other young people to know about engaging in change?

1. Source: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/misogynoir

How do you make time for what you care about in your schedule?

What’s next for you?

How do you self care?

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