The Dark Side of Activism: Why Our Safe Spaces Turn Toxic

What happens when the oppressed become the oppressor? In this episode, taking inspiration from an article by Dr Yvon Guest, Aiwan and Tamanda pull back the curtain on the concept of the "wounded activist”, a phenomenon where unresolved trauma drives social movements, often leading to the very oppression, hierarchy and exclusion we claim to fight. From the "untouchable founder" to "brand activism", we reflect on justice spaces we’ve been in that felt like fundamentalist religions and explore how to understand and break the cycles of trauma-driven bad behaviour. Aiwan shares about entering Black queer activist spaces with hope, only to find new rules, "pronoun politics" and exclusion. From vegan safe spaces to the murky line of “no hierarchy”, she traces the ways community can quickly turn into conformity. Tamanda brings the conversation inward, questioning her own journey in antiracism and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work. She takes a vulnerable look at her historical need for recognition from white institutions and the identity collapse that happened when she realised no movement could heal her wounds. That she had to do that work herself.  🎙️ In this episode:The Wounded Activist: How trauma can become both fuel and fracture in justice workThe Oppressed as Oppressor: How marginalised spaces can recreate the hierarchies they hateActivist Archetypes: Identifying the “Spiritualisers”, “Perpetual Martyrs” and “Untouchable Founders”Class Silence in Black Queer Spaces: What gets hidden when everyone performs samenessBurnout and Identity Crisis: Who are you when activism is no longer your whole self?Healing the Core Wound: How come activists die young and how to break the destructive cycle Note: This is not an anti-activism episode. It is a conversation about what happens when people carry their wounds into spaces that promise belonging, then reproduce the same control, hierarchy and judgement we were all trying to escape. 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tmYBzXCMWYo🔁 Share with someone who has ever loved a movement, left a movement or been hurt by one☕ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rigourandflow#RigourAndFlow #WoundedActivist #PsychologyOfActivism #ActivistBurnout #SocialJusticeAnalysis #DEICritique #BlackQueerThought #CriticalThinking #TraumaInCommunity #SocialMovementsPlease rate, review and subscribe for weekly episodes.Connect with us on:TikTokInstagramLinkedInAiAi StudiosRoots & RigourThis is an AiAi Studios Production©AiAi Studios 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.