Thread by @1JoshGreenberg

THREAD

HOW WE GOT HERE: PART V—AN IDENTITY-BASED MOVEMENT FOR THE PROGRESSIVE CAUSE

This thread contains excerpts from Part V of “How We Got Here.” This part critiques identity-based movements and lays out a new vision of togetherness.

1/21

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“Instead of capitalizing on the cause for national economic justice as an opportunity to unite the country, the progressive movement has grown increasingly identity-based in recent years.”

2/21

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“The progressive movement has a challenging path to navigate. In particular, we must think critically about how to achieve long-overdue social justice in a fashion that is and that feels inclusive for all groups in society.”

3/21

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“While recognizing the urgency of equality for historically marginalized groups, we cannot afford to alienate others in the process of pursuing justice—especially when some other individuals, such as rural Americans, may themselves be marginalized.”

4/21

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“Even if the progressive movement is generally on the morally correct side of social issues, its methods in achieving social justice have been flawed, even fatally so.”

5/21

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“Problematically, many citizens have perceived that progressive efforts to empower certain groups in our society will come at the cost of their own power.”

6/21

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“For the progressive movement, the demand for complete moral conformity leads to exclusion. This dynamic—which contains both pragmatic and moral flaws—ultimately leaves out key groups that could otherwise contribute to important social causes.”

7/21

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“To highlight an alternative approach to social change—togetherness—and to further elucidate the flaws of an identity-based movement, allow me to use diversity initiatives as an illustration.”

8/21

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“Diversity programs play a crucial role in ensuring just representation for marginalized groups across our society. Nevertheless, many of these efforts have gone astray by leading to a greater emphasis on our differences than our commonalities.”

9/21

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“After all, it is not our differences, but rather the commonalities at the essence of our existence, that make us equal and provide the most powerful argument for a just society.”

10/21

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“On matters of diversity, I am reminded of the words once told to me by a wise and dear friend from Uganda, the late Serwano Kaborgorwa: ‘Humanity often becomes preoccupied by heterogeneity rather than togetherness.’”

11/21

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“Humanity reacts to heterogeneity by demanding uniformity. Eventually, uniformity becomes exclusion. Ultimately, exclusion becomes hate. Thus, the response of uniformity cowers in the face of heterogeneity by invoking superiority.”

12/21

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“The progressive movement has fallen victim to the trappings of heterogeneity and has lost sight of our commonalities. Yet, the most beautiful and powerful message of diversity ought to be about our commonalities which transcend our differences.”

13/21

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“When we recognize this fact, we discover the greatest human gift of them all: togetherness—the coalescence of many different individuals and groups, out of their common humanity, for a common cause, building power, together.”

14/21

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“Togetherness is the answer and the alternative to uniformity. Togetherness transcends heterogeneity by recognizing commonality. Togetherness recognizes that while we are different, we all share the universal bond of humanity.”

15/21

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“When the many voices of humanity sing in harmony, they produce the symphony that is togetherness.”

16/21

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“In contrast, when we replace togetherness with more tribalistic approaches, social causes are bound to be perceived antagonistically by groups that feel unheard.”

17/21

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“In this light, amidst our society's focus on identity at the expense of togetherness, it is no surprise that white Americans, too, have begun to form the cultural expressions of an identity or minority group.”

18/21

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“As structural changes have made working-class white Americans vulnerable to divisive ideologies, the progressive movement has simultaneously become hyper-focused on identity-based causes rather than universal solidarity.”

19/21

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“Altogether, a demagogue cannot divide us independently. We must allow a demagogue to divide us.”

20/21

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21/21

https://twitter.com/1JoshGreenberg/status/1313296081489260544