We are witnessing one of the most widespread and sustained protests in U.S. history. And while it was spontaneous, it also has been made possible by an infrastructure of activism developed over the past several years, centered in Black Lives Matter and bolstered by other orgs.
When historians and sociologists and political scientists dig into this, I suspect we'll find that a significant number of Americans who had not previously been activists became activists, marchers, and protesters over the past decade.
Being acculturated to activism eliminates a huge barrier to participation. Once you've participated in your first protest, you're more likely to participate in more.
I think that pre-existing activism helps explain why these protests have spread, in sustained way, not just throughout cities in the U.S. but small town as well. Many of these places have BLM, Indivisible, Women's March, and other groups already active.
That's not to say that everyone who protests has been out on the streets before. We know from reporting there are lots and lots of first-timers. But lots of people have done this before, creating a critical mass of experienced people to help organize and sustain the protests.
Anyway, very excited for researchers to map and analyze all this, so we can better understand the grassroots activism at work across the nation right now.
