by Lainelle Brazee, Jared Coleman, Abigail Cornelius, Amber Ellis, & Ephesia Harris
Both Butler’s Lilith’s Brood and Buolamwini’s work helps to highlight that although sometimes small intentional acts toward one’s self-advocacy build toward a broader systemic change alongside personal development. These seemingly tiny acts of change may not look revolutionary at first, but soon compound into something much more powerful.
In the 2020 summer Olympics—scheduled for 2021— gymnast Simone Biles shocked the world when she withdrew from the All-Around Final event. Biles advocated for herself and inspired others to do the same. “I too felt disoriented by the twists and turns of the final stretch of my doctoral program, which I was now calling Mission: Dr. Justice” (Buolamwini, 234). Biles’ advocacy for herself brought about inspiration in others to do the same. This can be the nature of self-advocacy; it can easily influence others to advocate for themselves and other people. It pushes the limits of a person’s conceived boundaries and makes them ask themselves, “Can I do that too?” Inspired by Biles, Dr. Buolamwini was able to jumpstart her own project, Mission: Dr. Justice. “The Biles Refusal is a beautiful reminder of the power of saying yes to your well-being” (Buolamwini, 238). This highlights the importance of self-advocacy and how standing up for yourself can motivate others to do the same.
Inspired by Simone Biles’ self-advocacy, Dr. Buolamwini made a major decision to take a step back from her doctorate. In doing so, she was able to preserve her well-being; this seemingly small decision had an immense impact. It became a key turning point that allowed her to refocus. “There was nothing I absolutely had to do, so I started to focus on what I wanted to do.” (Buolamwini, 240), and it was through this newly altered perspective, and through these acts of Buolamwini’s own advocation that she earned her position as “…the face of Olay’s #DecodeTheBias campaign…” (Buolamwini, 247). These small acts toward change, acts that Buolamwini once felt would never amount to something as great as what she had achieved, held more of an impact than she ever dreamed possible. “If you had told nine-year-old me that one day I would be the face of any beauty campaign that celebrated my dark skin and Ashanti features especially, I would not have believed you” (Buolamwini, 247). Seeing someone who looks like them in the media representing themselves opens doors for influenced young children. New possibilities and opportunities bloom as examples are set by strong leaders, especially, in this case, black women inspiring young black girls. Dr. Buolamwini’s work allowed her to not only impact the people she was doing the campaign for, but also her fellow coworkers, who may be inspired by her motivation. By standing up for herself, she also could’ve unconsciously created a butterfly effect that reached more people than she realized.“In the process [Dr. Buolamwini] worked to increase the number of women in STEM; develop guidelines for creating just, responsible, and inclusive consumer AI products; and elevate public awareness about issues of algorithmic bias” (Buolamwini, 247).
Dr. Buolamwini, when advocating for other people, acknowledges that it can impact people positively, but also impacts her. Arguably, advocating for others might be easier than advocating for oneself. “I know this is supposed to be for little girls, but it’s for me too. We don’t get to see ourselves celebrated like this” (Buolamwini, 264). At a restaurant, when eating with a friend, a person who received the wrong order is less likely to voice a complaint. However, if their friend got the wrong order and is hesitant to say something, they are more likely to voice that complaint for their friend. Standing up for others can be seen as doing a good deed for them and resolving any discomfort they may feel, advocating for oneself could be seen as stepping out of line and inconveniencing others. The notion makes people more likely to keep to themselves for the “better” of the collective.
The beginnings of self-advocacy are shown in Imago (1989) as Jodah takes the small step of speaking up for itself when feeling discomfort when dealing with a wound. Small steps, such as admitting that you are hurt or feel discomfort, can open the door to bigger opportunities for self-advocacy, as seen later in Imago (1989). “I had developed a rough, crusty growth on my right hand. I had deliberately reabsorbed it twice, but each night it grew again. I saw Lilith staring at it. “It will heal,” I told her. “Nikanj will help me with it.””Does it hurt?” she asked. “No. I just feel… wrong. Like a weight tied there where it shouldn’t be” (Butler, 39). This quote symbolizes a deeper sense of discomfort and alienation, as stated by Jodah: “Rough, crusty growth.” While it doesn’t cause them physical pain, Jodah describes it as feeling “wrong,” like “a weight tied there where it shouldn’t be.” This reflects the internal struggle Jodah faces as their body is changing in ways they can’t control, mirroring their emotional upheaval. Jodah’s statement that “Nikanj will help me with it” offers a sense of hope, suggesting that the growth, although uncomfortable, will eventually be fully integrated with help from Nikanj, symbolizing acceptance of the transformation. Additionally, the slight interaction with Lilith further highlights Jodah’s small act of self-advocacy. By expressing their discomfort, Jodah shows vulnerability, marking a shift towards acknowledging their needs and seeking support. This moment underscores the theme of self-advocacy in the face of change, illustrating how Jodah navigates both physical and emotional transformation by asking for help and asserting their right to heal.
“‘I want Human things,” I said. “Small Human things that you and Tino would leave behind. And I want yams from your garden—and cassava and fruit and seed. Samples of all the seed or whatever is needed to grow your plants” (Butler, 39). This desire for “human things” is seemingly an act made by Jodah toward preserving their own identity. When faced with the decision of leaving with the Oankali, Jodah ultimately decides to remain connected to the human aspects of its own personal identity, aspects which it has grown to cherish, and not those of its Oankali identity. Through this act of personal advocacy, Jodah is unintentionally advocating for its sibling as well.
Throughout the trilogy, we see humans in three groups when it comes to their opinion on the Oankali. One group is revulsed, one is enthralled, and the other doesn’t care either way- dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t. We see several examples of humans who accept the Oankali but vocalize discomfort that is, seemingly, ignored. Jesusa and Tomās both hesitate with their usage in the healing process of Aaor. “‘I don’t ever want to do that again,” Tomds said as we emerged from the water. I said nothing. The next day, as Aaor’s body shape began to change in the wrong way, Tomas and I did it again. He didn’t want to, but he looked at Aaor and me and reluctantly lay down alongside me. The next time it happened, I called Jesusa. Afterward, at the river, she said, “I feel as though I’ve been crawled over by a lot of slugs” (Butler, 159)! This is just one of many examples of fruitless attempts at human self-advocacy, which go back to the beginning of Dawn (1987) and Lilith’s — somewhat forceful — introduction to her daunting task ahead.
Those with a different/objecting mindset may believe that small acts do not significantly impact personal advocacy and self-betterment. Oftentimes, it’s hard to see how small things can build into a huge impact on other people due to larger acts of advocacy overshadowing them. This can be seen in the real world when observing advocacy events. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his I Have a Dream speech to thousands of people, it wasn’t the first speech he gave, and it wouldn’t be his last (In total, MLK would give over 2,500 speeches). Many people may look to his speeches as large acts of advocacy where he took it upon himself to advocate for other people. His large act of advocacy brought people together and pushed forward the civil rights movement. While MLK was a defining advocate for the movement, he wasn’t the only person who fought for it. While we might look back at it with high regard now, Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat, at that time, was a small act of advocacy that inspired others to self-advocate while simultaneously advocating for a common cause. Her refusal pushed forward the movement and fought for the desegregation of buses. Not acknowledging the importance of smaller acts of advocacy would be taking credit away from their impact on the wider communities around them. It’s easy to see how small acts of self-advocacy can impact outcomes once the dust settles, allowing us to trace the line from action to result. In hindsight, the pieces come together like a puzzle, and even the smallest steps begin to feel significant. However, when we’re in the thick of a situation—especially one that feels overwhelming or unjust—it can be much harder to recognize the value of these seemingly minor efforts. This is particularly true for those with a revolutionary mindset. For revolutionaries, incremental steps may feel insufficient or even meaningless in the face of systemic issues. The focus often leans towards large-scale outcomes—the sweeping changes and final results—rather than the series of smaller actions required to achieve them. From this perspective, small acts can seem like distractions or symbolic gestures rather than real change. Yet, it is often these very small acts—like speaking up in a meeting, setting a boundary, asking a question, or advocating for someone else—that gradually shift the dynamics. They may not feel revolutionary in the moment, but collectively, they create momentum. Over time, that momentum builds into the kind of change that initially seemed out of reach.
Learning how to advocate for yourself in small instances can lead to greater confidence. Through self-advocacy, as previously mentioned, a person can inspire others to speak up for themselves and others. In this sense, advocating for yourself in more important situations as well as advocating for other people will come more naturally. Advocating for others allows for the creation of an inclusive environment that appreciates others’ thoughts and opinions. Through creating inclusive environments, a space is made to further expand on creativity, which permits mankind to continue prospering in a cyclical relationship. Self-advocacy is an issue that should require thought outside of this essay. Speaking up for yourself can be a fundamental skill when trying to get a job or build deeper relationships with others. As Dr. Buolamwini says, “What did I owe the past? What did I owe the future? What did I owe myself?” (Buolamwini, 245).
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