What Is Resistance & Why It Matters

"Every small act matters. Resistance is not a single event—it’s a way of moving through the world."

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We live in a world where so many people are hurting. Where war, racism, inequality, and climate destruction feel overwhelming. Where powerful systems keep people poor, locked up, or pushed out.

And yet—everywhere, people are fighting back. Not always with fists. Not always in the streets. Sometimes through art. Through stories. Through survival. Through refusing to disappear.

That is resistance.

Resistance is what happens when people say no more. It’s when we challenge injustice and imagine a better way. It lives in movements, in music, in quiet conversations. It shows up in protests, mutual aid, healing circles, and Indigenous land defense.

Resistance doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. It just has to be honest—and rooted in the belief that something else is possible.

Banksy – Love is in the Air (Flower Thrower) Image © GraffitiStreet.com

It's important to remember that the systems that harm us—colonialism, white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism—haven’t disappeared. They’ve just changed forms.They show up now as borders, prisons, pipelines, and biased algorithms.They’re woven into how laws are made, how land is stolen, how stories are told. And if we don’t name them, they keep going.

These systems don’t only harm the most oppressed—they distort everyone’s humanity.They teach disconnection.They breed fear, competition, and control.They make us forget how to care for one another, and how to care for ourselves. Even those who seem to benefit are trapped in systems of violence, domination, and spiritual scarcity. No one walks away untouched.

That’s why resistance matters for all of us.

Because when we liberate the most marginalized, we all get freer.Because justice isn't a pie—it's a garden. And the more we tend it, together, the more it grows.

So, How Can You Resist?

You might be wondering: But what can I do? The truth is, there are so many ways to resist—and not all of them look like protest.

You resist every time you:

• Tell the truth when silence is easier.

• Hold space for grief and joy in a world that pushes numbness.

• Uplift Indigenous, Black, queer, and migrant voices instead of speaking over them.

• Refuse to normalize harm—at work, at school, in your relationships.

• Redistribute your resources—money, time, skills—to support collective liberation.

• Learn the histories they tried to erase.

• Make art, raise children, grow food, build community—acts of care are acts of defiance.

Every small act matters. Resistance is not a single event—it’s a way of moving through the world. A way of remembering. A way of refusing. A way of reimagining.

In my next blog post, I’ll go deeper into everyday ways we can resist—across identities, capacities, and contexts.