Being a feminist

by Sofia Romero Campbell

I describe myself as a feminist and I am not afraid to say so. Throughout the past year 

I have really gotten to know what it truly means and currently feel a great sense of connection 

to what is stands for and how it shapes and defines the person I am. Nevertheless, there are still 

others who might be scared, intimidated, and worried about the repercussions that come along 

with identifying as a feminist. In this way I have recently found myself having more courage 

standing up to be a voice that brings awareness to fellow peer’s stereotypes and biases. As I am 

getting older and more exposed to how to talk about controversial and “hidden” aspects of the 

culture we are exposed to. I see how the more informed I am the better and more empowered 

I feel in expressing to others how to be more thoughtful about what they say, think, and do to 

make the biggest impact. 

Just this past week for instance there was a boy in my class who kept calling his friend 

a bitch. The friend was horsing around and irritating the other boy, and after hearing the word 

for about the fourth time I couldn’t handle it anymore. I told the boy to stop using the word to 

describe his friend and he told me how he would never say that to a girl but somehow it was 

ok to call a boy that instead. This struck me as an odd response, but I proceeded to explain 

to him that no matter who he is speaking to, the word is hurtful and shouldn’t be used in any 

circumstances to describe someone. After I had talked to him, I noticed a sense of understanding 

not immediately but gradually. 

The experience made me notice how if you educate someone they begin to see the world 

a little bit different. Gradually influencing people in small settings can be the spark that inspires 

people to hold others accountable for times when they might be unaware of what they are saying 

and how that impacts others around them. Lastly, you never know who is listening and to have 

that small victory it made me feel as though I could change the world because I had the bravery 

to say something instead of just accepting what was going on in front of me. Whenever you feel 

as though you’re witnessing injustice in your community just remember “speak the truth even if 

your voice shakes.”