When the HPR gathered in November 2019 to select a topic for the spring magazine cycle, we faced a unique challenge. Amidst the usual happy chaos of choosing a topic for our magazine, there hung a quiet solemnity brought on by the understanding that the issue would be our first of the 2020s. As a consequence, we found ourselves debating not just what pitch would create an interesting set of articles, but also what subject would be appropriate to set the tone for another decade of political journalism.
After tireless debate, we emerged with an answer: protest. Protest is an act of reclamation of one’s political identity, a decision to rise against the status quo to assert one’s agency as a citizen. The rise of the internet has introduced ubiquitous global access to news alongside massive platforms for political organizing, galvanizing generations young and old to exercise their political voices. The increased accessibility of protest in the digital era has brought about its own challenges, from the spread of false information to the growing threat of cyber crime. Across the globe, people and institutions alike are turning a critical eye to protest, examining both its immense power to provoke positive social change and its potentially damaging, often unintended consequences.
2020 marks the beginning of a new age of activism. On New Year’s Eve, the world welcomed the decade with celebration, but underneath the revelry, the pulsing current of political unrest continued to rush forward. From Hong Kong to Iran and France to Brazil, global streets have erupted into protests. Greta Thunberg and young climate activists around the world are building coalitions and organizing powerful demonstrations for climate action, taking the reins of global politics and guiding us towards a sustainable future. In the United States, a large, powerful cohort of voters is coming of age, demanding answers to challenges the world has never before been asked to face. As we continue into this new decade, we can nonetheless remain certain that protest will continue to shape our political reality.
In “The Politics of Protest,” four writers consider the implications of a new era of protest at Harvard, in the United States, and across the globe. In “Good Protestor, Bad Protestor,” Swathi Kella explores the effects of identity on public perceptions of protest legitimacy, highlighting a history of disenfranchisement of minority groups in American protest. Ilana Cohen’s “Revolutionizing Harvard” evaluates the history of radical activism on Harvard University’s campus, demonstrating the ways in which contemporary protestors are adapting old tactics in service of new causes. In “Culture Jamming,” Joseph Winters tackles the use of adapted corporate logos in protests, with activists harnessing the power of corporate advertising against the very power structures it is designed to uphold. Finally, Jeremiah Kim considers the use of lasers as tools for peaceful protesters to make a statement in “Lasers: The Future of Protests.”
It is with immense pride that I present to you the first magazine produced by the HPR’s 52nd masthead. 2020 is a pivotal year in politics, but it is also a critical year for the HPR as we welcome the organization’s first ever majority-female leadership team. We remain firm in our commitment to empower and give voice to hundreds of writers, regardless of background, identity, or political affiliation, while continuing to build a more inclusive, representative community. As we enter a new decade of political uncertainty, we find stability in our belief in the power of rigorous, analytical journalism to fuel change and shape our political moment. Thank you for continuing to support us as we pursue this goal for another decade.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash / Md Mahdi
