Part 5/7:
The Danger of Performative Activism
The speaker expresses frustration with organizing and sharing joy in a way that feels performative or disconnected from the ongoing struggles. There’s a concern that such posts, while seemingly positive, can serve as a distraction or a form of performative activism—where individual happiness is prioritized over collective struggle and systemic change.
The key issue is that when joy is propagated without acknowledgment of systemic roots, it risks becoming superficial and potentially counterproductive. It can promote an idealized narrative that grass-roots resistance or systemic change is no longer necessary, which is dangerous and dismissive of ongoing oppression.