Ripple Effect

I believe that social pollinators understand the significance that their own actions hold. They understand that all actions have the ability to be the catalyst or fuel of positivity and negativity. Because of this awareness around action, social pollinators actively make an effort of moving responsibly and mindfully through spaces and with others. Taking this belief into consideration, I have decided for my bottle to highlight the importance of making conscious decisions by emphasizing the fact that every action we make as humans greatly affect each other. I wanted to get this message across by showcasing a single drop of water creating ripples and impacting a larger body of water. The rendering of this image is reflective of how one action can cause a multitude of outcomes that affects multiple people.

The ripple effect has been referred to often in an effort to connect people across all lines of differentiation. I also included the phrase “Every Action Affects All” that acknowledges the fact that one person’s actions can affect many other people. This acknowledgment also serves to give a person a sense of purpose. Which is another reason i’ve chosen to display ripples. I feel that a social pollinator pushes others to discover their purpose. A social pollinator empowers the people around them.

I personally consider myself a social pollinator because I always try to be mindful of my actions, and advocate for those who have had their voices muted. I make sure to not be complicit in the systems that have muted their voices and my own. I deflect being complicit by voting, partaking in activism based work, promoting progressive political movements, and simply telling people that they matter. As a social pollinator I understand that I have the ability to tear down systems that oppress , no matter how long it takes or what I have to do. I understand that my actions transcends time as they will impact future generations to come.

Being a part of the Heritage Garden internship has taught me that every act of advocacy counts. Fighting oppressive systems is not only attending protests, but also banishing habits that feed into said oppressive systems. This internship alone has given me the opportunity to preserve and uplift the culture and the people of marginalized groups. I’ve gained a new sense of unity through the group of social pollinators i’ve met.

I also believe that through acknowledging the iminent impacts of actions, there can be better solutions made. When a person is making decisions carefully, they consider all aspects of the considered context. They ask critical questions that contemplate every demographic’s responses to a possible solution, and not just their own. This, in my opinion, is the most effective and inclusive method of decision-making. As an Urban Planning major, I hope to be able to be in the position of decision making. I hope to rectify wrongs and yield equity across an urban landscape that has been wronged historically due to careless decision making.

As a black woman I have a responsibility to every oppressed community, but specifically my own ethnic community that has been demonized and swept under the rug throughout the history of urbanization. Through the qualities i’ve learned about social pollinators, I feel that I am well-equipped and up to the challenge to pollinate.