When young Mia stumbled upon the term “feminist” during a school project, she was surprised to learn it had been digitally removed from a photo displayed at school. Principal Sarah Adams explained that the word had been taken down due to concerns from some parents who found it offensive. Naturally, Mia, like any savvy middle schooler in 2015, took to social media to share her experience.
With the help of her friends, they launched a campaign using hashtags like #KeepFeminismInSchools and #IDeserveFreedomOfExpression. The buzz quickly caught the media’s attention, ultimately leading to an apology from the principal.
While Mia felt satisfied with the principal’s change of heart, she was less impressed by the school superintendent, who spun a web of conflicting stories. He claimed the removal was due to a poor photograph of Mia rather than the word ‘feminism’ itself, and he erroneously suggested that her parents had preemptively discussed the issue.
Despite this, Mia embraced her newfound role as an advocate for feminism. Since her story went viral, she’s appeared on MTV, chatted with the Today Show, and made an appearance on The View. Alongside her principal, Mia is now working to educate both students and staff about what feminism truly means and why it shouldn’t be a taboo subject.
She mentioned on the Today Show, “People around here often misunderstand the term. They think, ‘Oh, you’re a feminist, so you hate men.’ What I really want is equality, but many don’t share my view.” Can you believe that? In 2015, no less! Mia’s experience has certainly opened my eyes too.
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In summary, Mia’s determination to reclaim the narrative around feminism has sparked important conversations in her school, highlighting the need for understanding and acceptance of the term.