Full central experience impossible with only AP classes

Everyone at Central knows that the majority of the student body leans to the liberal side. That obviously doesn’t mean that every student is a democrat or even that every student agrees on the same topics and issues, but the larger part of the student body is left. Therefore, it has become somewhat of a trend or fad to be up to date with current events. There is absolutely nothing wrong with staying involved in politics and knowing what’s going around in the world around you, but there is an issue when people only pretend to care about issues that genuinely affect members of marginalized groups lives everyday just to fit in.
Though Central has a famous reputation for being the “diverse” school, we aren’t really that diverse in terms of political views. And because the school has such a strong sense community and closeness, it’s usually common knowledge when someone doesn’t fit under the term ‘liberal’ . So to fit in with the rest of the crowd, it’s seeming like more and more people are pretending to care about social issues to gain popularity. But this isn’t just a phenomenon at Central. People are plastering now famous slogans such as “Black Lives Matter” onto their social media bios yet none of their actions are demonstrating their concern for police brutality. And as black people are being slaughtered in the street by law those who are supposed to protect them, the commercialization of a phrase meant to show solidarity towards them is hurtful. Again, it is okay to use this phrase, but it has to be genuine! The phrase ‘black lives matters’ applies to all black people, whether they are gay, old or uneducated, and unless you respect all of them, you shouldn’t claim to believe that you think black people matter.
Yet another way that people demonstrate that they don’t actually care about the topics that they claim to is by talking over the people that these issues concern. There is a point where one has to realize that their empathy isn’t equal to marginalized people’s experience and they have to let them talk.
To demonstrate that you actually care about social issues doesn’t mean you have to be an activist. It simply means that you have to practice what you preach. Social change comes from average citizens changing their behaviors to better other people’s day. If you come from a racist or homophobic family, try and change their beliefs to more humane and modern standards. If you hear or see someone doing something problematic, correct them! These small interactions are what serves as a catalyst for change more so than tweeting about an issue to gain likes or retweets. So although it is fine to post about issues on social media, it is meaningless if you don’t actually care about the issues that you claim to.