My name is Maya, I am a high school student and I am very passionate about social justice. As a culturally mixed person, I have experienced racism and discrimination and a large part of my childhood was spent learning about the history of segregation against my cultures (My mother is Japanese and my father is Jewish). Recently I have started becoming more aware of social and political issues that are happening around the world and as a result, have signed petitions, attended rallies, and written poetry to express my frustration about issues: specifically racism, sexism, and homophobia.

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In my art class, I made over 300 sheets of stickers and approximately 20 shirts reading the words “Fuck White Supremacy” and have sold them to friends. With the money I have collected thus far, plus the money I will be collecting in the near future, I am hoping to start small by donating it to a Canadian charity to help Aboriginal peoples. However, finding a committed organization is difficult due to the constant threat Aboriginal people face of their reserves being torn apart, the ongoing racism they encounter, Aboriginal women that go missing without explanation, high arrest rates compared to white people, etc.

A major problem I have encountered while trying to advertise my cause is white people who accuse me of being racist and “hating white people”, and generally do not acknowledge their own privilege. Whenever I face these people, I try to shift their opinions by educating them on the history of slavery and apartheid against people of colour, however of course it is not always easy to change one’s views.

I am hoping to expand this movement of essentially “fucking white supremacy” through my passion of poetry. Posting a video of myself reciting my poems onto YouTube to gain attention was suggested and currently that project is a work in progress. I would like to draw attention to the reality of white superiority and systematic racial oppression to change the future with empowerment of people of colour.

Thank you.

Maya[/expand]

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