Bisan Owda
Activist, Educator, & Revolutionary.
“Hi everyone. This is Bisan. I am still alive.” Because of the genocide, this is how Bisan starts her content as. She is a 24-year-old Palestinian woman, community activist, and content creator. Before recent events, she advocated for women’s rights, human rights, and climate change. She is a member of UN Women’s Youth Gender Innovation Agora Forum, which unites professionals, activists, and influencers to pioneer innovative gender equality solutions. Now, she has become one of the most influential documentarians of what is happening on the ground in Gaza. She has become the heart and soul of this fight for many of us, and is a central figure in the fight for a ceasefire. Bisan is a beacon of resilience and hope. Follow her story & survival @wizard_bisan1 on Instagram.
Motaz Hilal Azaiza
Activist, Educator, & Revolutionary.
Born and raised in the Deir al-Balah Refugee Camp in Gaza, Motaz, a photographer and journalist, has gained global recognition since October 7th. An Al-Azhar University graduate (an institution that is now rubble), he found his passion in photography and developed a following capturing life in Gaza. He has lost 15 family members, is living under constant threat of death along with Bisan and others, but still dedicates his life to helping the world understand Palestinian life. He is a symbol of truth and resilience in the continued fight to free Palestine. Click here to read an interview between Motaz and Abubaker Abed of The New Arab. Follow the journey and survival of Motaz and his people through his Instagram @motaz_azaiza.
Chakita Sharnise
Creator, Advocate, & Resource Developer.
Chakita develops resources for antiracist learning & unlearning. An important thing to understand (true for her and other Black voices) is that the responsibility to learn and unlearn is on non-Black folks. I am a disabled, light-skinned Brown woman and while I am not in the hierarchical position of our White sibs, I have my own set of privileges that Black bodies don’t have. These privileges come from the foundation of our society and dismantling them requires work. Because of this, folks who honor us with resources and education need to be compensated for their own work. I am a member of the Patreon community and am thankful for the content she shares with her subscribers. You can find Chakita’s Patreon here. You can also connect with her on Instagram.
Cynthia Kao
Comedian. Actor. Antiracist activist.
I discovered Cynthia Kao this year during the Panorama (and when my 33-year-old self became defeated by the addiction that is Tiktok). The content Cynthia creates is relatable, hilarious, and absolutely relevant to the shit-show that is America. Yes, her videos make me laugh, but they ring with truth. She points out that it’s not “we’re better than this”, it’s that we aren’t and never have been, and we need to be. It’s great content to share with folks who want a dose of reality and to have a laugh while we change things up around here. You can access her content here.
SoCal ASL Access Providers
“The Revolution Will Be Accessible”
Activists within the Deaf community have come together to provide interpreting services for all things revolutionary. When folks started waking up after the murder of George Floyd, and Black Lives Matter voices began to be heard, those from SoCal ASL Access Providers (then: Pro Bono ASL) went straight to the front lines. Interpreting protests and community meetings, they made sure that these important events were accessible. On top of that, this organization recruits Deaf & Hearing interpreters from BIPOC communities to ensure access is provided from culturally appropriate professionals. You can visit their website here and access their Instagram content here.
Disability Visibility
By Alice Wong
Alice Wong is a radical and badass activist who celebrates disability within our culture and media. The Instagram educates and radicalizes, and features disabled folks in all their Crip glory. They feature artists, academics, models, writers, community leaders and all bodyminds within the disability community. We can support Alice Wong by following the podcast, buying merch, and visiting the disability visibility website. Click here to find the Instagram and here to access the project website.
YoYo Lander
Discoverer of BIPOC beauty & essence.
I discovered YoYo’s work on Instagram. A friend sent me some artwork and I fell in love. Aside from the gorgeous talent in her pieces, the revolutionary energy in her work is palpable. She uses the body to tell a story and applies unique techniques to the process. 10/10 would recommend to follow and support. You can find her here on Instagram and peruse her website here.
Dr. Dominique Barnes-Walker
Educator. Researcher. Therapist.
I found Dr. Barnes-Walker’s content through Instagram and was instantly grateful for whatever algorithm Instagram uses to stalk us. The first post I found was in celebration of her academic achievement as the first Black woman to graduate with a Ph.D. in Couple & Family Therapy at Adler University. Not only have I found a social media mentor in my field of study, but I found a beautiful human who shares her life with the rest of us. Three cheers, a million snaps and all the glitter for what she’s accomplished. Way to be badass, Dr. Barnes-Walker. You can access her Instagram here.
Amanda Gorman
Wordsmith & Change-maker.
So…if you haven’t already googled this epic human (or somehow missed her speech at President Biden’s inauguration) allow me to pause for your research. Found it? Ignited? Empowered? In love? Yeah, me too. This young woman is at the start of her life and is already a revolutionary leader. I’ll follow you anywhere, Amanda. Let’s climb. Find her on Instagram here, check out her website here, and buy her poetry book here!
Rachel Elizabeth Cargle
Public academic, writer, & activist.
If you’ve started your antiracism work, you’ve heard of Rachel Cargle. If not…no judgement or shame. Welcome. Initially, I got my daily dosage of empowerment via her Instagram posts. I still do, but I have also discovered her other contributions and am thankful for the abundance of resources and education she offers. The best way to access all of this gold is to visit her Instagram and click on her linktr.ee in her bio. She’s got it all set up with newsletters, her website, The Loveland Foundation, Therapy Fund Donations, book lists, The Great Unlearn Community, Public Address on Revolution, White Supremacy in Heels, a FREE #DoTheWork 30day Course, and of course (and encouraged) other ways to support her more tangibly. You can find her Instagram here.
Sins Invalid
“An Unshamed Claim to Beauty in the Face of Invisibility”
I credit my friend and mentor, Dr. Shayda Kafai for introducing me to this radical, performance-based project. I’ve decided to amplify their voices to describe the project’s vision:
“Sins Invalid recognizes that we will be liberated as whole beings – as disabled, as queer, as brown, as black, as gender non-conforming, as trans, as women, as men, as non-binary gendered – we are far greater whole than partitioned. We recognize that our allies emerge from many communities and that demographic identity alone does not determine one’s commitment to liberation…[we] are committed to social and economic justice for all people with disabilities – in lockdowns, in shelters, on the streets, visibly disabled, invisibly disabled, sensory minority, environmentally injured, psychiatric survivors – moving beyond legal rights to collective human rights”.
They are the liberation and revolution. You can find their website here. Also, I highly recommend reading below for another resource of revolution.
Crip Kinship by Dr. Shayda Kafai (she/her)
Exploring the art & activism of Sins Invalid
After discovering the transformative art activism of Sins Invalid, Dr. Kafai investigated the movement further. She honors us with her work and helps us see the radical imaginings of what disabled, queer, and nonconforming bodyminds of color can do. She educates the reader about oppression and how to rewrite those stories in order to survive as a community. Her exploration delves into crip-centric networks and what she describes as “liberated zones”. If you’re looking to be empowered and liberated, click here to pre-order her book. As much as I live for expressing my truth, I don’t know if I can ever put into words how life-changing Dr. Kafai’s mentorship has been to me. I highly suggest inviting her words into your work toward liberation.
Megan Jayne Crabbe (she/her)
Body Positive Advocate & Fatphobia activist.
Megan, also known as, Bodyposipanda, is not only a body positivity icon – she is a personal hero. Many of us have trauma placed on our bodies without consent, which molded our self-images and taught us harmful lessons. For me, those lessons developed into the trifecta of consequences: mental, emotional, and physical disability and chronic illness. One of the earliest eating disordered habits that I remember was being teased by friends for my “forgetfulness” because of my well-practiced lie: “I forgot my lunch again!“. Or counting out almonds because I read somewhere that it helps to get that perfect body. I was 10. I share this for truth and context but also because Megan emboldens folks to fight the system. To fight fatphobia and size prejudice, to viscerally and violently reject diet culture, and to heal our relationships with our bodies. She advocates for all body types and encourages intuitive eating and makes us smile with her love of pastels and celebratory dances. She’s a gem (and happens to have a sister named Gemma, but I’ll let you discover the beauty that is Gemma on your own). Follow her on Instagram here and peruse her website here. Oh! And you should absolutely buy her book, Body Positive Power here.
Layla F. Saad (She/Her)
Author. Speaker. Educational Leader
I think if there was one piece of content or tangible resource to recommend for someone beginning their antiracism journey, it would be with Layla F. Saad. While there is a myriad of ways to connect with her and a number of platforms that you can educate yourself with her content, what she is most (and deservingly) known for is her book, Me and White Supremacy. Its radical title is equal to its change-driven content and is honestly a must-have for anyone committing to this work. It is a workbook and will lovingly educate while guiding your to ownership and accountability and I can’t say enough about it. She has a podcast called Good Ancestor Podcast (and a book club with the same name). I highly recommend looking through the resources she has gifted us and if nothing else, give her a follow and take it at your own pace. I found her via Instagram but you can access all of her content through this Linktree.
Create HAPI
Humanity. Acceptance. Progress. Intersectionality
Tiktok came through with their trusty algorithm again. I saw @yourpal_austin (who is epic for so many reasons and you can find his content here.) talking about the HAPI mask and I decided to do some digging. Turns out it’s a product designed for an amazing project that is partnering with an equally amazing non-profit called the Be Kind People Project. A lot of projects in this description. Allow me to elaborate. So, HAPI stands for Humanity, Acceptance, Progress, & Intersectionality. Their goal is to encourage more social empathy and acceptance into our culture. (Which I am totally on board with) Because masks have become a fundamental part of our social responsibility (and in turn: our survival) they decided to make some rad masks to give the project some movement. (I know that mask-making is the trend of the year, but this one has a super nifty and functional twist and I’m into it). Part of their focus is on empathetic and intersectional education. Enter: the Be Kind People Project. It’s a non-profit organization teaching diversity and kindness to developing young minds. They have a ton of events and programs like community gardens, assemblies, family engagement events, and training. (so much more than this, so you should definitely check out the Be Kind People Project here). If you want to get your hands on the rad mask I talked about earlier, here is the Create HAPI website. You can peruse their Instagram here and if you’re hip to the podcast world, check them out on Spotify here. If you just want to jump right into a quick synopsis of the mask, here you go: