Activism

The Creation of Yopp

In the mid 2010’s, we became increasingly involved in online social justice activism. Our writing received consistent praise from friends and fellow activists alike, particularly for its clear summaries of complicated topics and its patient and empathetic tone. And by 2016, our comments were growing so long that it was time to switch mediums: Yopp! was born to further our goals of decreasing oppression and increasing the quality of online social justice literature through self-published blog articles.

Yopp has since grown into something much more than a blog, publishing hundreds of articles and resource compilations, including contributions from more than 20 other marginalized writers. 

Here are Yopp’s current operating goals: 

  • To provide an online school and an all-encompassing hub of resources that simplifies the process of learning about social justice.
  • To validate both the perspective of the oppressed and the person just learning about oppression for the first time.
  • To create connections between different branches of activism
  • To offer a platform for other marginalized writers

The logo for Yopp the social justice blog: A cartoon style illustration of a dark red letter Y with a yellow sun above it, creating the impression of a rejoicing person. The Y is lined up with the valley of two tan mountains behind it. The illustration is contained in a tall oval with a pale pink background and a rose colored banner across the top that says Yopp! in dark red letters.

In the form of articles & written materials, the writers at Yopp give you the building blocks for understanding any and all forms of social justice causes, the glue to hold these basic blocks together, and the instructions for how to build something with these ideas on your own.

We know that ending oppression cannot be accomplished by any one person alone. And so, it is our hope is that by creating these resources, we are effectively training hundreds or maybe even thousands of people how to be social activists themselves, thereby amplifying the power available to us.

Below is a sample of what Yopp has to offer: 

Yopp Academy

“The Practice of Allyship“

A photo from above seven people standing in a circle, with their hand placed in the center in a gesture of teamwork. They are standing on top of grass and the skin on their arms is a variety of skin tones.

The backbone of this blog is Yopp Academy: A collection of educational articles that break down basic social justice concepts and demonstrate how they apply to virtually any form of marginalization. 

Two women of color of different racial backgrounds and varying levels of privilege spend time together.

“Explaining Privilege Part 1: WHAT Is Privilege?“

Yopp Academy articles are organized by level of difficulty like classes in a university: Level 100 is the most basic, which you will need to learn in order to proceed to Level 200 etc. The article above is a greater starting point and contains many recommendations of other articles to further your self-education process.

Yopp’s articles rarely respond quickly to current events but instead cover more widely applicable topics that continue to be relevant to developing social justice events over time.

WHAT CAN I DO?

A young boy with dark skin sits on the very top of a mountain, his fist in the air. He is surrounded by a field of clouds that are beautifully colored by the sunrise.

“The Story of Yopp and How You Can Be Part of It”

This category offers specific suggestions for behaviors and thought patterns you can change or actions you can take to help support marginalized groups.

Voices

On a black background, a light beige paper cutout of a chain of people wearing skirts and with bobbled haircuts.

“What Is Plurality/Multiplicity?”

“Voices” includes a collection of personal stories and anecdotes showing the ways oppression affects us on a day to day basis, as well as our reactions to it.

Bad arguments

These articles are responses to common arguments used to excuse oppression, and persuasive points on why they’re wrong.

Two people with tan skin each sit in their wheelchairs, talking casually. One holds a glass of beer and the other holds a ring over the large-sized game of connect four that

“Ableism Bingo: Things to Never Say to a Disabled Person”

Media with impact

Here we give recommendations for articles, videos, books, comics, or other media that had a profound impact on our activism and awareness of the issues other people face.

A light skinned woman with dark brown hair is pictured from the back. We can only see her face faintly in the reflection of the window in front of her.

“I Think My Friend is Being Abused. What Now?”

guest writers

A young black woman with loose curl natural black hair down to her shoulders stands tall holding a protest sign. The protest sign has "I can't breathe" written in black tape above a picture of George Floyd.

“7 Lessons on Racism That White People Need To Learn” by Denny Upkins

No single person can express the experience of every form of marginalization, which is why you’ll find articles from people with a wide variety of backgrounds on Yopp.

All of Yopp’s writers are marginalized and paid for their work. 

REsource Compilations

A pair of hands are wrapped around a blue ceramic mug, a pink tea towel sitting underneath.

“A Comprehensive Guide to Assisting with a Mental Health Crisis” by Lucy Merriman

Yopp specializes in putting all the information on a topic in one place. Guest writer Lucy Merriman wrote an amazing 5-part series filled with valuable tools, advice, and specific external resources to utilize when supporting a friend through a mental health crisis.

Want to be in the loop about yopp?

If you’d like to be notified about any new articles or other updates on the social justice blog, head on over to Yopp’s subscribe page to get on their email list.