A Polish activist has fought for progressive change in every country they’ve lived in.
Marzena Zukowska, who lives in the city centre, isn’t afraid to say what is on their mind. The 32-year-old has helped marginalised communities across the world from Poland and America to here in the UK. The 32-year-old's resilience and determination is motivated by personal experiences they have gone through in their lifetime both as a queer person and as a migrant.
The writer told the ECHO : “We know that resources in our society are not distributed equitably. Not everyone has access to the same rights, and some voices and lives are simply not valued. But injustice alone is not what motivates me. I'm motivated to organise and build power in my communities because I've seen what's possible when we come together and collectivise.
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"In the last decade alone, we've seen social movements led by people at the margins - like the Women's Strike in Poland, MeToo in the US, and Black Lives Matter globally - capture our imagination and expand the realm of possibility for everyone. Each of us has a role to play and the potential to make a change in society, no matter how big or small."
Marzena’s first taste of activism came through the Dreamers’ Movement in the United States where they grew up. They remember in the late 2000s, young undocumented people like themselves began to publically reignite the fight for immigrant rights - telling the government “we are undocumented and unafraid”. Alongside their stepdad, Marzena and 200,000 others marched towards the country’s capital.
They said: “Many of them were young, queer, working-class and so unapologetic in their demand for justice and equality. Witnessing the boldness of the movement made me feel less alone. It was a feeling of collective empowerment I hadn’t experienced before.”
Marzena was born on the other side of the Atlantic in a communist-era housing estate in Białystok, Poland, where they lived until they were six before moving to Chicago with their family. After six months in America, Marzena and their family’s visas expired. Suddenly, they were “undocumented” and Marzena found themselves unable to get a driving licence, work legally or obtain a grant for university.
As a result of their immigration status, Marzena wasn’t able to return to their home country until they were in their early 20s. However, once they did make the trip back they were left feeling bittersweet.
The communications strategist added: “I was scared and horrified at what was happening, but I also felt re-energised to help build a stronger culture of solidarity here in the UK. In many ways, the homophobic and far-right attack on the Pride parade in Białystok was a wake-up call for me. For a long time, I felt hesitant to re-engage with the Polish community, not knowing if I would be accepted for my sexuality and gender identity, not to mention my activism.
“Yet, when I attended an LGTBQ+ solidarity protest for Białystok in front of the Polish Embassy in the summer of 2019, I suddenly felt like I found my people – Polish migrants who were grappling with the same tensions and complex identities as I was.”
Since 2019, over 100 local authorities in Poland have declared themselves “LGBT+ Free Zones”, which essentially, are municipalities and regions that have declared themselves unwelcoming of what they described as "LGBT ideology". Combining this with the country’s rise in hate crimes and a citizen’s initiative called #StopLGBT, LGBTQ+ communities are finding it difficult to not only survive but thrive in the Central European country.
Marzena is working tirelessly to help build a stronger foundation of solidarity for those in other countries including their birth country.
Here in Liverpool, Marzena co-founded Polish Migrants Organise for Change (POMOC) and through the group, they are building a programme that “blends direct service, creative political education, leadership development and electoral organising” – all with the intent of making the community more visible and changing the balance of power in the UK.
They said: “We see ourselves as a kind of grassroots political home, where people can find community, but also be challenged to get more involved in local and national issues that affect them. We are led by migrants, women and gender-nonconforming people. While POMOC’s membership base is Polish, our work reaches beyond our community, and we look for ways to support other Eastern Europeans and people with experiences of migration.”
When Marzena first moved to the UK, they were looking for a change after being “burnt” out by US activism. Little did they know they would be leaving Trump’s America for Brexit land. Undeterred by this, Marzena grabbed the opportunity to make change with both hands with POMOC, which is led by migrants, women and gender-nonconforming people, having supported and mobilised thousands of Polish people across the UK.
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