13 Lessons About Social Justice from Harry Potter

8/15/13 13 Lessons About Social Justice From "Harry Potter"hands, he wouldn’t have been able to ultimately defeat Voldemort without the helpof so many others. He looked to figures like Dumbledore and Sirius for guidance,was shown unconditional love and support from the Weasleys and other Order ofthe Phoenix members, and Harry also heavily relied on Hermione and Ron to fill inthe gaps (and even destroy a few Horcruxes). Social justice and fighting for what’sright doesn’t take just one person alone — it’s very much a group effort.7. News sources aren’t always accurate.Warner Brothers / Via rabbit-says.tumblr.comThe Daily Prophet intentionally portrays Harry and Dumbledore negatively so therest of the wizarding world doesn’t trust their word. As you continue on the path tofighting for what’s right, it’s important to be a critical consumer of mass media andnot just believe everything you read in the news. All human beings have bias, andreporters aren’t any different; they can also be influenced by their own experiencesand surroundings.8. People are often products of their environment.Warner Brothers / Via fashionandillustrations.tumblr.comNo one is born with a particular set of beliefs and opinions; as individuals, we alloperate within the systems that shape us and affect our eventual outcomes. TomRiddle was shaped by a number of experiences before he transformed himself intoLord Voldemort, from the orphanage that raised him to the problematic socialnorms that drove his Muggle father away from his witch mother, and even hisexperience in Slytherin house. He didn’t come up with his dark plans for thewizarding world all on his own.9. Do your research.Warner Brothers / Via gardenskeletons.tumblr.comIn order to know where you’re going, you have to know where others have been.Hermione is especially good at reading into the past and understanding importanthistories so that the group is aware of others’ successes and failures. The moreinformation you know, the better off you’ll be. It’s crucial to have full context.10. Injustices operate within systems.Warner Brothers / Via wonderful-ponds.tumblr.comInequalities and evils aren’t just isolated incidents, nor do they come about bycoincidence. Discrimination against house-elves, Muggle-borns, and half-bloodsoccurs because of the social structures that exist in the wizarding world. Otherinstances of injustice — like professor Umbridge’s “disciplining” of students andhow Hagrid is treated as a giant — are evidence of greater systems perpetuatingdifferent kinds of oppression.11. Follow your own moral compass.Warner Brothers / Via xitsrealforus.tumblr.comIt’s not easy to stand up for what you know is the right thing, but trusting your gutfeeling is the key to being an advocate for social change. Even if your opinion isunpopular, like Hermione creating the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare,that doesn’t make it any less just. We all have instincts for a reason, and more oftenthan not your own moral compass won’t steer you wrong.www.buzzfeed.com/krystieyandoli/essons-about-social-justice-from-harry-potter2/3