September - 2012

“When I dream alone, it is just a dream. When we dream together, it is the beginning of reality.” –Brazilian proverb

Muses surround and inspire us. They are within us. Through our intentions and interactions, we have the power to inspire personal and political change.

The purpose of The Activist’s Muse is to:

Expand our individual and collective understanding of progressive ideas to provoke conversation and change within the progressive community
Examine my personal experience through a social and political lens
Enhance critical thought with curiosity, creativity, and compassion
Connect and build community among progressive leaders/activists around the world

This blog is my playground and laboratory. Everything that I write is intended to be the beginning of a conversation, not an ending. I invite you to play and explore with me.

“Every sentence I utter must be understood not as an affirmation, but as a question.” — Niels Bohr

jrdreistadt

Sep 28, 2012
1 min

Allentown Girl

Blue Glitter

In the Allentown School District, there were very few Jewish students. When I was in 4th grade, I was very fortunate to have a Jewish teacher. She knew that at Christmastime, I would prefer blue glitter to red and green. When she gave me that blue glitter, it made me feel really special. I felt as though she understood and appreciated my difference. I don’t always think to give people their metaphorical blue glitter. It can sometimes be difficult to sincerely express love of

jrdreistadt

Sep 28, 2012
5 min

Changemaker Chats

Changemaker Chat: Matt Meyer

How did you first become interested in social change? Growing up, my dad was a teacher and teacher’s union chapter leader, and my mom was active in community-based social service projects. But neither were very activist oriented beyond that; they gasped as the television images of the war in Vietnam were blasted across the screen, but attended no demonstrations. For me, when I was a senior in high school, and co-editor of my school newspaper, I began to look at some of the po

jrdreistadt

Sep 26, 2012
1 min

Poetry

United We Stand

We are divided and We are falling. America is in need of a new revolution. One that is peaceful, not violent; Selfless, not selfish; Unifying, not separatist. United we stand. #peace #revolution #USA

jrdreistadt

Sep 25, 2012
1 min

Social and Political Theory

Social+

Being carbon neutral is great, but I would like to suggest that being social positive, which we might cutify by writing Social+, is even better. Social+ goes way beyond being carbon neutral. People who are Social+ also: – consider the human impact of every decision they make – are actively involved in their communities – express kindness and compassion toward others on a daily basis Similar to carbon neutrality, social positivity can be assessed by reviewing our daily, weekl

jrdreistadt

Sep 24, 2012
3 min

Allentown Girl

Progressive Activism and Cute Shoes: Mutually Exclusive?

I was once a proud member of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU). While a student at Allentown Business School, I worked in two factories at night, along with other jobs, while also working two full days at a nursing home over the weekend. The first factory was a union shop. My job was to press collars for ladies’ suits. When that work ran out, my job was to use a seam ripper to undo bad work. After that, I was laid off. It was a fairly nice work environm

jrdreistadt

Sep 21, 2012
1 min

Social and Political Theory

Typology of Activism

Activism can be classified according to many characteristics. Based purely on anecdotal and intuitive evidence, I believe there is a positive relationship between the proactivity of a strategy/tactic (independent variable) and the sustainability of the change that results (dependent variable) Whether or not this is accurate, I do think that it is helpful to organize activism according to these variables as such: Four quadrants are created based on whether strategies/tactics a

jrdreistadt

Sep 21, 2012
3 min

Changemaker Chats

Changemaker Chat: Jon Elliot Ramer

How did you first become interested in social change? My interest in social change has been a part of my life since I was a kid. I had the sense that things were out of balance; and then I learned that the only way they would change was if we did something about it. I never felt complaining was enough, I felt call to get involved, myself, directly. How do you define social justice? For me social justice means ensuring that everybody has an equal opportunity and a fair chance

jrdreistadt

Sep 19, 2012
1 min

Social and Political Theory

Pride, Prejudice, and Politics

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy is greatly understood by those with whom he has not developed an intimate acquaintance. Elizabeth, in particular, finds him offensive until she falls madly in love with him and they live happily ever after. Our pride and our prejudice stand in the way of compassion and understanding for each other, leading to a breakdown of our political system. We lack political and civil intimacy; these relationships are shaped by manipulative

jrdreistadt

Sep 18, 2012
1 min

Allentown Girl

The Only One

No ‘rock video girl’ touched my heart so deeply as Jayzik Azikiwe, who starred in Dire Straits’ Skateaway video. When I was a little girl, I so wanted to be continually imbued with the spirit that she embodied: vibrant; independent; carefree; and confident. Just listening to that song now makes me feel fantastical. This past summer, we had a Rock of Ages party the weekend that movie was released in theaters. After the movie, we went back to my house to overindulge in food an

jrdreistadt

Sep 17, 2012
1 min

ILA Denver 2012

I am exceptionally excited to attend my first International Leadership Association (ILA) conference in Denver, CO next month. Not only will I have the opportunity to meet and learn from amazing scholars from all around the world, I am also going to participate in a panel discussion, present a poster, and facilitate a roundtable discussion. For the panel discussion, I will be joining scholars from Virginia Tech, Nova Southeastern University, Murray State University, and Our La

jrdreistadt

Sep 14, 2012
1 min

Social and Political Theory

Targets of Activism

Activism can be directed toward three interrelated components: ideas, people, and systems. Ideas represent both unique expressions and the collective zeitgeist. People may include individuals and various kinds of groups (families, special interest clubs, neighborhoods, etc.). Systems are the political, social, and economic structures through which people interact. In activism practice, these three mechanisms are sometimes confounded. We often blame people without thoroughly i

jrdreistadt

Sep 14, 2012
2 min

Changemaker Chats

Changemaker Chat: Tom Tresser

How did you first become interested in social change? I’ve been involved in civic work since high school when I organized an all-day event where every class got hear from leaders of peer-groups – athletes, hippies, brains, etc. My first voter registration effort was on my college campus in 1973. I’ve always been trying to figure out how to get people involved in public life in meaningful ways while increasing their knowledge of how government works and how it affects them. Ho

jrdreistadt

Sep 12, 2012
1 min

Poetry

The Princess

The princess freely shares her love throughout her dominion. She recognizes the privilege and responsibility that has been entrusted in her by her G-d (unless she is an atheist) and by her friends. The princess loves power with all of her heart because she has the vision to see the good it can do and the passion to share that vision with the world. She knows that power is multiplied when it is shared and uses this wisdom to the advantage of all. The princess is inspired by tr

jrdreistadt

Sep 11, 2012
1 min

Social and Political Theory

Essential Existentialism

Essence and existence coexist. Each existence and every experience is a representation of the whole, the essence, in which all can be located. Each existence and experience, along with those of others, contributes to and co-creates the whole. When all colors combine into the whole, their hue is overwhelmed by the black common area and differentiation is diminished. Yet, in the whole we can search for both our unique light and that which we share with others in addition to are

jrdreistadt

Sep 10, 2012
2 min

Allentown Girl

From Nail Files to Geraldine: The Emergence of my Political Identity

My political identity is rooted in my social and cultural identities, my unique personal beliefs, and my lived experience. This political identity is emerging rather than fixed; over time it has evolved and expanded to encompass my deeper and broader understanding of the world in which I live. My first political experience was campaigning for Guy Kratzer, who was then running for reappointment to Allentown City Council. My job, as a very young child, was to hand out nail file

jrdreistadt

Sep 7, 2012
1 min

Leadership

Illusory Immunity

We live in a very superficial world. To cope, we design, construct, and reinforce artificial barriers to protect us from the dis-ease of making mistakes. By choosing not to fully experience and learn from our mistakes, we fail to build an immunity that is an integral part of our humanity. This immunity strengthens our resolve and enhances our understanding of self and others. We cannot be immune to failure; rather, our immunity allows us the space we need to be authentic and

jrdreistadt

Sep 7, 2012
4 min

Changemaker Chats

Changemaker Chat: Diana Balot Frank

Diana Balot Frank is a recent graduate of the MSW program at Kutztown University, an activist since her student days at N.Y.U., a writer, and an amateur chocolatier. She publishes a blog called The Foot of Mount Olympus. How did you first become interested in social change? I was always interested in history and politics. In high school, I could not understand how the holocaust happened. I didn’t understand how one man (Hitler) could do so much harm. It wasn’t until I was in

jrdreistadt

Sep 5, 2012
1 min

Poetry

Liberate Wall Street

Liberate Wall Street from attachment to abstract economics and material things. Liberate Wall Street from fear, insecurity, selfish thoughts, and short-sighted decisions. Liberate Wall Street from the self-deception that further marginalizes those who have been excluded from, and oppressed by, the predominant financial system. Liberate Wall Street from its limited interpretation of history that confounds present day choices. Liberate Wall Street from the destructive and divis

jrdreistadt

Sep 4, 2012
1 min

Leadership

Intersecting Levels of Change

I believe that social change is the result of both individual and organizational action. I further feel that social change is impossible without significant personal change – within both ourselves and others. Organizations, formal or informal, can be a conduit for collective action, amplifying – and morphing — personal change. To move from personal to organizational to social change, three factors are necessary: passion, vision, and commitment. Passion motivates movement towa

jrdreistadt

Sep 3, 2012
3 min

Allentown Girl

Broken Glass, Shattered Dreams, Becoming Whole

Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of freedom, courage, and dignity for all people. It was along a street named for him that mine were so unjustly stolen from me on what was supposed to be my first day of high school 23 years ago this week. Due to a combination of healthy teenage rebellion, bipolar disorder which at the time included hallucinations and delusions (possibly the result of 12+ years of consistent prescribed codeine abuse to treat my allergies), and the circumstances