A world without labels | Voke Akati-Udi | TEDxYouth@BSN

imagine a world not without labels but

imagine a world not without labels but without the assumptions behind these

without the assumptions behind these

without the assumptions behind these labels now labels can be good if for

labels now labels can be good if for

labels now labels can be good if for whatever reason you have a bottle in

whatever reason you have a bottle in

whatever reason you have a bottle in your fridge labeled poison you would

your fridge labeled poison you would

your fridge labeled poison you would know not to drink that and inadvertently

know not to drink that and inadvertently

know not to drink that and inadvertently kill yourself

kill yourself

kill yourself for example chlorine is a harmful

for example chlorine is a harmful

for example chlorine is a harmful harmful poison and yet it’s used in

harmful poison and yet it’s used in

harmful poison and yet it’s used in everyday life

everyday life

everyday life for cleaning swimming pools in this

for cleaning swimming pools in this

for cleaning swimming pools in this bleach it uses poison being used as a

bleach it uses poison being used as a

bleach it uses poison being used as a useful thing and therefore even then

useful thing and therefore even then

useful thing and therefore even then there are limitations behind the

there are limitations behind the

there are limitations behind the assumptions behind this label labels are

assumptions behind this label labels are

assumptions behind this label labels are also good because they show our

also good because they show our

also good because they show our diversity now I am black I am female and

diversity now I am black I am female and

diversity now I am black I am female and I am a feminist now these are my labels

I am a feminist now these are my labels

I am a feminist now these are my labels and I stand proud of each and every one

and I stand proud of each and every one

and I stand proud of each and every one of them they define me

of them they define me

of them they define me now what doesn’t define me are the

now what doesn’t define me are the

now what doesn’t define me are the assumptions behind these labels the

assumptions behind these labels the

assumptions behind these labels the assumption that because I’m black I’m

assumption that because I’m black I’m

assumption that because I’m black I’m going to steal something or that because

going to steal something or that because

going to steal something or that because I’m female

I’m female

I’m female I’m lesser or weaker than my male

I’m lesser or weaker than my male

I’m lesser or weaker than my male counterparts or that because I’m a

counterparts or that because I’m a

counterparts or that because I’m a feminist I’m too opinionated and I hate

feminist I’m too opinionated and I hate

feminist I’m too opinionated and I hate men now the problem I have with these

men now the problem I have with these

men now the problem I have with these labels with these assumptions is that

labels with these assumptions is that

labels with these assumptions is that they are tied to other people they are

they are tied to other people they are

they are tied to other people they are not tied to me people’s experiences with

not tied to me people’s experiences with

not tied to me people’s experiences with other people who have the same labels as

other people who have the same labels as

other people who have the same labels as me and made them to call have caused

me and made them to call have caused

me and made them to call have caused them to make assumptions about me my

them to make assumptions about me my

them to make assumptions about me my behavior and my character without

behavior and my character without

behavior and my character without getting to know me in the first place

getting to know me in the first place

getting to know me in the first place now a few years ago the class may

now a few years ago the class may

now a few years ago the class may deliver the presentation she didn’t tell

deliver the presentation she didn’t tell

deliver the presentation she didn’t tell anyone what it was about she simply

anyone what it was about she simply

anyone what it was about she simply asked the class to raise their hands up

asked the class to raise their hands up

asked the class to raise their hands up if they believed in gender equality and

if they believed in gender equality and

if they believed in gender equality and the entire class put their hands up she

the entire class put their hands up she

the entire class put their hands up she then asked them to keep their hands up

then asked them to keep their hands up

then asked them to keep their hands up if they would call themselves a feminist

if they would call themselves a feminist

if they would call themselves a feminist at least three-quarters of the hands

at least three-quarters of the hands

at least three-quarters of the hands went down

went down

went down and yet the merriam-webster dictionary

and yet the merriam-webster dictionary

and yet the merriam-webster dictionary definition of feminism is a theory of

definition of feminism is a theory of

definition of feminism is a theory of the political economic and social

the political economic and social

the political economic and social equality of the sexes and therefore by

equality of the sexes and therefore by

equality of the sexes and therefore by definition feminism and gender equality

definition feminism and gender equality

definition feminism and gender equality are one and the same also there are

are one and the same also there are

are one and the same also there are millions of feminists around the world

millions of feminists around the world

millions of feminists around the world and therefore feminism means something

and therefore feminism means something

and therefore feminism means something different to every feminist and

different to every feminist and

different to every feminist and therefore the dictionary definition is

therefore the dictionary definition is

therefore the dictionary definition is the only thing tying us all together

the only thing tying us all together

the only thing tying us all together these assumptions that people have about

these assumptions that people have about

these assumptions that people have about feminism

feminism

feminism there they come from radical feminists

there they come from radical feminists

there they come from radical feminists whose voices shout the loudest and

whose voices shout the loudest and

whose voices shout the loudest and therefore people make sweeping

therefore people make sweeping

therefore people make sweeping assumptions about the entirety of

assumptions about the entirety of

assumptions about the entirety of feminism based off of a small sample

feminism based off of a small sample

feminism based off of a small sample group now this is just one example out

group now this is just one example out

group now this is just one example out of millions I could go on and on for

of millions I could go on and on for

of millions I could go on and on for days about all the different stereotypes

days about all the different stereotypes

days about all the different stereotypes behind labels and why we should

behind labels and why we should

behind labels and why we should challenge them but why do we have these

challenge them but why do we have these

challenge them but why do we have these assumptions in the first place

assumptions in the first place

assumptions in the first place two main ideas fear and security we are

two main ideas fear and security we are

two main ideas fear and security we are afraid of what would happen if we don’t

afraid of what would happen if we don’t

afraid of what would happen if we don’t have these strongholds in place and

have these strongholds in place and

have these strongholds in place and these assumptions give us a false sense

these assumptions give us a false sense

these assumptions give us a false sense of security if we assume that all

of security if we assume that all

of security if we assume that all feminists are angry then we can stay

feminists are angry then we can stay

feminists are angry then we can stay away from feminists and if we assume

away from feminists and if we assume

away from feminists and if we assume that all vegan people are condescending

that all vegan people are condescending

that all vegan people are condescending then we can judge vegan people as well

then we can judge vegan people as well

then we can judge vegan people as well and know not to include them in

and know not to include them in

and know not to include them in conversations and also because we’re

conversations and also because we’re

conversations and also because we’re lazy if someone tells us their labels

lazy if someone tells us their labels

lazy if someone tells us their labels whether that’s being a feminist or being

whether that’s being a feminist or being

whether that’s being a feminist or being vegan or being a Christian we can

vegan or being a Christian we can

vegan or being a Christian we can already make a picture in our minds of

already make a picture in our minds of

already make a picture in our minds of what we expect these people to be and

what we expect these people to be and

what we expect these people to be and isn’t that so much easier than actually

isn’t that so much easier than actually

isn’t that so much easier than actually having to get to know the person now I

having to get to know the person now I

having to get to know the person now I want you to imagine a world where we

want you to imagine a world where we

want you to imagine a world where we don’t have these labels how much better

don’t have these labels how much better

don’t have these labels how much better the world would be and it starts with

the world would be and it starts with

the world would be and it starts with two main ideas fear and security how

two main ideas fear and security how

two main ideas fear and security how freeing would it be to be able to say

freeing would it be to be able to say

freeing would it be to be able to say I’m a feminist

I’m a feminist

I’m a feminist without any fear of repercussions how

without any fear of repercussions how

without any fear of repercussions how freeing with the beats be able to

freeing with the beats be able to

freeing with the beats be able to express who you are without any

express who you are without any

express who you are without any hesitation now the same way these

hesitation now the same way these

hesitation now the same way these assumptions give us a sense of security

assumptions give us a sense of security

assumptions give us a sense of security the lack of them does as well I can feel

the lack of them does as well I can feel

the lack of them does as well I can feel more secure in my labels if I know that

more secure in my labels if I know that

more secure in my labels if I know that no one is going to judge me based on

no one is going to judge me based on

no one is going to judge me based on those labels we can all feel more secure

those labels we can all feel more secure

those labels we can all feel more secure if we know that people will judge us

if we know that people will judge us

if we know that people will judge us based on who we are and not based on who

based on who we are and not based on who

based on who we are and not based on who people with the same labels as us are

people with the same labels as us are

people with the same labels as us are now how do we get there we have to ask

now how do we get there we have to ask

now how do we get there we have to ask more questions and be open to more

more questions and be open to more

more questions and be open to more answers these are these assumptions that

answers these are these assumptions that

answers these are these assumptions that we’ve grown so used to so accustomed to

we’ve grown so used to so accustomed to

we’ve grown so used to so accustomed to we have to challenge them and next time

we have to challenge them and next time

we have to challenge them and next time we’re making a judgment on someone we

we’re making a judgment on someone we

we’re making a judgment on someone we have to ask ourselves why are making

have to ask ourselves why are making

have to ask ourselves why are making that judgment and if it’s solely based

that judgment and if it’s solely based

that judgment and if it’s solely based on the labels and the assumptions behind

on the labels and the assumptions behind

on the labels and the assumptions behind these labels then we have to question

these labels then we have to question

these labels then we have to question that for example

that for example

that for example I think that person’s really

I think that person’s really

I think that person’s really condescending why do you think that

condescending why do you think that

condescending why do you think that well he’s vegan and the last time I’m a

well he’s vegan and the last time I’m a

well he’s vegan and the last time I’m a vegan person they were condescending so

vegan person they were condescending so

vegan person they were condescending so me that’s wrong we should challenge that

me that’s wrong we should challenge that

me that’s wrong we should challenge that I think she’s a bad person why do you

I think she’s a bad person why do you

I think she’s a bad person why do you think that because she robbed a bank

think that because she robbed a bank

think that because she robbed a bank okay that’s very enough

okay that’s very enough

okay that’s very enough now I’d like to sum this all up by

now I’d like to sum this all up by

now I’d like to sum this all up by imploring all of you

imploring all of you

imploring all of you let’s as a society stop being lazy let’s

let’s as a society stop being lazy let’s

let’s as a society stop being lazy let’s question what we’ve always known let’s

question what we’ve always known let’s

question what we’ve always known let’s learn to judge people based on the based

learn to judge people based on the based

learn to judge people based on the based on who they are and not based on the

on who they are and not based on the

on who they are and not based on the assumptions behind their labels my name

assumptions behind their labels my name

assumptions behind their labels my name is Volk a catio D I am black I am female

is Volk a catio D I am black I am female

is Volk a catio D I am black I am female and I am a feminist thank you

and I am a feminist thank you

and I am a feminist thank you [Applause]