Brainstorm Week 7

It was very enlightening for me to read “Layers of Humanity”, the interview with undocu-queer artivist Julio Salgado. He clarified many ideas that I had questions about and had a beautiful way of explaining the necessity of intersectionality in social justice movements. Since reading about the use of social media for the advancement of social movements, I’ve been curious about how activists see social media acting as a catalyst for policy change in the US. For me, it’s felt like there’s a disconnect between the organization of social movements and the effects they will have on the discriminatory legal language so prevalent in the US. I was interested that Julio Salgado really wasn’t focused on the policy discussion, though. He’s so invested in changing the cultural sentiments surrounding undocu-queer people that thinking about policy comes second. Instead, his use of social media to spread his artwork and connect with others who experience similar and different forms of oppression is meant to uplift and empower everyone involved. In this empowerment of one another, these groups fight social death by reminding themselves of their worth and their valid place in society. Use of social media in this way is absolutely a resilience practice in that it is a catalyst for real human connection and developing a better understanding of oneself and others by allowing one to genuinely express themselves as they wish to be represented.