It’s often said that the best art comes from pain. From hurdles. From struggles. Ina Bhoopalam, a recent high school graduate and member of the Harvard Class of 2024, is proving that the same goes for activism. If you ever had the privilege to talk to Ina, the first word that would probably come to mind to describe her unique disposition is empowered. But as surprising as it may seem, Ina hadn’t always felt that way growing up. Despite being a rather precocious individual, Ina unexpectedly faced numerous trials and tribulations along the serpentine path of life. However, these roadblocks were nothing compared to Ina’s unwavering determination to become a confident, able, powerful, and outspoken critic of the status quo. Her identity as a minority fills her with verve and vision, and with her unquenchable thirst to lend a helping hand to marginalized members of society, it is blatantly clear that Ina is no helpless victim. Rather, she’s a helper, paving her own way forward and for countless others for a brighter future, where she is holding the torch and leading the way. Due to the unique nature of her narrative, I recently sat down with Ina to uncover more about her unprecedented journey as a youth activist.
Could you give me a run-down of the different types of advocacy work you’ve been involved in?
Up until now, my activism has mainly centered around the issues of gender inequality, the climate crisis, and youth empowerment. I originally started out in my sophomore year of high school advocating in India for the access to and the quality improvement of education, a basic human right. My junior year, due to personal experiences, I decided to venture out and join the global movement towards gender equality and youth empowerment. This year, I had the additional opportunity to contribute to the fight against the climate crisis.
Could you go into more detail about your activism in gender equality?
In an effort to fight for gender equality outside my home, I founded Girl Up LPS – the first-ever chapter of the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up initiative in Nebraska. Girl Up is a global movement that has reached over 80,000 girls all around the globe. What started off with just me in Nebraska has now grown to several hundreds, becoming the largest Girl Up chapter in the world! We have raised over $6,000 for girls’ education, advocated on Capitol Hill, and hosted multiple events to raise awareness about global issues for girls. This year, to spread the movement throughout my state and increase Nebraska’s connection to the United Nations, I founded the Girl Up Nebraska Coalition. Yes Upon our requisition, the Governor even proclaimed a statewide “Girl Up” Day! In June, we hosted the Girl Up Nebraska Leadership Summit, where we educated girls on gender issues and taught them leadership and advocacy skills. We hosted speakers from all over Nebraska, such as the mayor of Lincoln, model Ashley Graham’s mother, and the Nebraska Director of the ACLU.. Last year, I was appointed as a Girl Up Teen Advisor to the United Nations Foundation, where I used my position and platform to help launch global advocacy initiatives.
Could you go into more detail about your activism in the fight against climate change?
We barely have 11 years before permanent and irreparable damage caused by the climate crisis becomes inevitable. Even though the generations before me created this issue and are the ones currently in power, appropriate action isn’t being taken. My generation will be the most affected by the climate crisis, so I have a moral obligation to fight for my home, my planet, and my future. This year, I got involved with This is Zero Hour, the youth-led climate movement. In July, we made history when we hosted the first-ever youth climate summit in Miami, a city which will unfortunately witness the disastrous effects of the climate crisis very soon. At the summit, we guided youth activists on how they can contribute to the fight against the climate crisis, hold corporations accountable, and most importantly, fight for their future.
Could you go into more detail about your work with youth empowerment?
Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, I was always heavily involved in academic activities in which there were typically more boys than girls. Naturally, this didn’t cultivate a comfortable environment, and as a result, I had to deal with a lot of sexism. When it started to take a toll on my mental health, I started to do research on how I could alleviate the issue and came across an article that stated that gender stereotypes start to develop at the age of 6. However, most gender equality initiatives weren’t tackling this issue at a young age, only focused on cisgender girls, and primarily served those of a high socioeconomic status. Therefore, I decided to create my own initiative -- Dream Equal -- which would tackle gender stereotypes at the age in which they develop, be youth-led, and accessible to all genders. I gathered my friends and created a curriculum that could be used to run empowerment programs in local elementary schools. Up until now, we have been able to run 40+ programs and have even won a $10,000 national grant from the Make a Difference Foundation. Seeing the impact Dream Equal was having, I decided to take a gap year to improve and expand the organization. Soon, no matter where you are, you will have the resources to start a Dream Equal movement in your community! To join our executive team, start a chapter, or support the movement, visit us at dreameql.org.
If you had to choose your favorite activism project out of all the ones you’ve been involved in, what would it be?
It’s difficult to choose because all the different types of advocacy I do connect with each other on a fundamental level. However, Dream Equal is especially important to me because it launched my career as an activist and was my brainchild. It was the first project I started from the ground up, and before then, I didn’t even label myself as a feminist. That’s why I jokingly say that I “accidentally” started a feminist movement. I wasn’t knowledgeable about gender or social issues, and I wasn't even a confident person when I started Dream Equal. I learned and grew as the movement grew, and for that reason, it will always be particularly special to me.
What was the biggest challenge you faced along the way?
A lot of youth activists will say this, but getting people to value your voice as a young person is extremely difficult. Activism is hard regardless, but having to deal with adults not trusting you and not giving your work the respect it deserves makes it even tougher.
How has your identity and upbringing influenced you as an activist?
My identity, upbringing, and experiences are the core reasons why I’m an activist. Many people view activism as a choice, but as a young woman of color living in this world, it’s what I have to do to ensure my voice is heard. For me, many experiences added up over time, causing me to join the youth activist community. However, being on the receiving end of sexism on my high school debate team was the trigger for me to enter the realm of gender equality activism. Now that the activist in me has become fully rooted and I’ve realized the power I hold can affect the issues I see around me, I never stay silent and crave to change every injustice I witness. Overall, this is a good thing, but it becomes difficult not to feel overwhelmed by and obligated to solve all the complex problems I see everyday.
What are your future plans?
I’m trying not to plan too much into the future, but as of now, I’m taking a year off from school before I enroll at Harvard College with the Class of 2024. It was a big deal for me to decide to take a gap year because it wasn’t something that my family was familiar with, but I finally made the decision to take one because there were projects and ideas that I knew I needed to explore. The main overarching reason I’m taking a gap year is to focus on my mental health and completely dedicate myself to the causes and activities I am passionate about. Furthermore, I will be spending the majority of my year improving and expanding Dream Equal as I mentioned before. The last reason I am taking a gap year is probably a surprise to most people, but I will also be spending a large part of my time improving my acting skills and building my on-camera acting resume. Not a lot of people know this about me, but ever since I started to sing and act in plays in middle school, my dream was to become an on-camera actress. But in high school, due to family expectations and the difficulty of finding roles in school productions as a person of color, I forced myself to put off my dream to focus more on my academics. I was lucky to get into Harvard early action, since it gave me the opportunity to pursue acting more seriously after securing my spot at my dream school.
Where do you see yourself taking your activism skills?
No matter what career path I decide to take in the future, I’ll always place my activism at the center of all my work and use my platform for social justice. The impact of the entertainment industry on how people see the world is unparalleled, and as an actress, my goal is to increase diversity in the Hollywood casting process and work to create characters that represent South Asians and women positively. Whether it is running for office, pursuing my on-camera acting career, or fulfilling my dream of creating a sustainable fashion company for petite women, I will always be active in the fight for social justice.
What would be your dream role?
I would love to play a character who is the opposite of me: racist, sexist, homophobic, you name it. While this may sound counterintuitive, I am by no means endorsing someone with those viewpoints if I were to take up an acting job like that. To portray a character successfully, you have to understand them at a fundamental level, and I want to use that opportunity to understand the other perspective. The other side. And use that to my advantage as an activist trying to persuade people with similar viewpoints as that character to see my side.
Who is your inspiration?
My inspiration stems from the work of other youth activists because when I see a young person fighting against injustice, I find the strength to do the same. My ideas, my power, and my strength come from the youth activists I surround myself with. Because I am constantly educated by the youth who fight alongside me, I’m able to lead more sustainable and intersectional movements.
Do you have any advice for aspiring activists?
No matter how old you are, where you’re from, or the community you are a part of, you are all capable of creating meaningful change. Making a difference is stereotyped to be difficult, but we can all do our part if we are just willing to stand up, speak up, and challenge the status quo. When you witness an injustice or feel in your heart that something is wrong, confront it head on, have confidence in your abilities, and do good because the power to make the world a better place lies in your hands.
Do you have anything else you would like to say?
As I mentioned before, Dream Equal is in the midst of global expansion, and that means we will soon be looking for people to join our team and spread our message! Sign up for our newsletter at dreameql.org to get notified about when we open applications for our executive team and when we release the resources you need to start a Dream Equal movement in your community.
Words by Sojas Wagle
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