Today we’re exploring the word “activism.” What does activism mean to you?
Today we’re exploring the word “activism.” What does activism mean to you?
A Kids Book About: The Podcast, Episode 26, Courtney Talks About Activism
https://a-kids-book-about-the-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/courtney-talks-about-activism
Do you have a word you’d like us to consider for a future episode? Email us at
listen@akidspodcastabout.com. And check out other podcasts made for kids just like you by visiting akidsco.com.
SIO, Ep 21
“Activism”
[INTRO]
Cat: Hi! I’m Cat Petru, and you’re listening to Sound It Out: A Kids Podcast About Words.
Here, we get to explore words — what they sound like, where they come from, how they make us feel, and how they illuminate our world.
Words are like little portals - they give us clues about the cultures that surround us.
[TODAY’S WORD]
Cat: Today’s word is “activism.”
What do you think activism means? What images or feelings arise when you hear the word activism?
[DISCUSSION]
Cat: Today, we’re going to hear Courtney Ahn, author of A Little Book About Activism, share her ideas.
Courtney: Hi, my name is Courtney Ahn, but everybody calls me Courn. I'm a Korean American designer and illustrator in Portland, Oregon, and I am also the author of A Little Book About Activism.
To me, activism is a lot like problem solving in our communities. Identifying when something isn't right, intentionally or unintentionally and taking the necessary steps to fix it for everyone's benefit. I think it's helpful to think of activism like a verb instead of a noun. It requires action. And the way we think about it is always growing and changing.
[EXPERIENCE & MEANING]
Courtney: Growing up in a community without a lot of kids that looked like me, I was often bullied for just being Asian. So of course anti-racism and racial equality has always been the most personal to me. But the great thing is that a need for equality connects so many other causes near to me, environmental activism, gender equality, LGBTQIA+ equality, worker rights, workers' rights, and much more.
Cat: Can you relate to Courtney’s experience in some way? What changes might you want to see in your community, or in the world? Do you consider yourself an activist?
Courtney: You are never too young, small, or unimportant to have a voice and make a difference in your community.
All it is ever taken is a single voice to start a movement. So why not you?
Cat: What examples of activism do you see in your community? What do you think activism looks like?
Courtney: Activism can look like so many things. It can look like starting a petition in your school for gender neutral clothing policies. It can look like joining a program to clean up trash in your community. It can look like getting involved in marches and rallies in your city.
The shared thing is just that activism requires a desire for change and to make your community a better place.
[CLOSING]
Cat: What does activism mean to you? Share your ideas by writing to us at listen@akidspodcastabout.com. And join us tomorrow, for another word!
Learn more about activism from Courtney in A Kids Book About: The Podcast, episode 26, and find A Little Book About Activism at akidsco.com.
I’ve been your host, Cat Petru. This show is produced by me, with inspiration from my teachers and friends, and support from Matthew Winner. Our executive producer is Jelani Memory. And this show is brought to you by A Kids Co.
Check out other podcasts made for kids just like you by visiting akidsco.com.