the united states has convinced do many people that MLK day is a day of service. MLK wasn't interested in "service," he was interested in the redistribution of wealth to render poverty obsolete. Less service, more redistribution
He was called “the most dangerous man in America” by the FBI, not because he was interested in community service, but because he was promoting anti-militarism and anti-capitalism
He was organizing a poor people's campaign to use direct action against the US government for maintaining economic inequality, not to "help out poor people," but to end the idea of poor people
People will remind us that King practiced non-violence. That is a half truth.
MLK practice non-violent DIRECT ACTION. He and others physically put their bodies on the line against the U.S. government, against state and local governments, against police.
The "direct action" is often left out because the people we protest against wants you to think that non-violence means inaction and it does not. Non-violence also does not mean peaceful. They don't want non-violent direct action. They don't want any action at all
so yes, clean your neighborhoods, plant your flowers, donate or whatever other service you want to do, but if you want to be in King's tradition of building a beloved community, join an organization, do political education, engage in nvda, call out racism, capitalism, militarism
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peep this terrible NYT piece on Shirley Chisholm from the 70s:
“... she is not beautiful. Her face is bony and angular, her nose wide and flat, her eyes small almost to beadiness, her neck and limbs scrawny. Her protruding teeth probably account in part for her notice able lisp”
i can’t stop thinking about it. Like wow she was running for president and you said yes to publishing this paragraph
part of the staunch defense of Black women politicians- regardless of their politics- probably comes from having to read nonsense like this about your sheroes all of your life
The United States is a country built on genocide, theft, and slavery. the spectacular and violent maintenance of white supremacy is exactly what america does, and denying that does not make it not true
and emphasis on the spectacular display of violence today. Most of America's violence is mundane and happens on the floor that was taken over by rioters
exactly. also, lots of excitement for black women like Harris and Abrams who perhaps maintain u.s. electoral politics, capitalism and militarism, not as much excitement for the black women who threaten it, like Ilhan Omar and Cori Bush
the liberal negroes are magical, the critical ones are dangerous.
Notice that the Black women who are saying defund the police, medical for all, green new deal, campaign finance reform, and abolish ice are not that magical
hi, some personal news— so grateful to write two books that I deeply believe in, for my city, for all of the protestors, organizers, and thinkers who make our liberation work possible, and for you, too.
so eager to learn what you think!
very thankful to my literary agent @AliaHanna and wonderful editor, @alessandra115 for making this project possible!
and tremendously thankful for so many of my political homes and comrades, most recently Belinda Hall, the Ferguson Collaborative @ActionSTL, @Dreamdefenders for trusting me as a thinker, lawyer and organizer
years ago, i stopped praying to be fearless and started praying to be relentless, so that even when i am afraid, i try
fear gives us information. we need it. and it is okay to be afraid and not know what may happen. fear also can invite wonder that we may never know otherwise, if we weren't afraid in the first place
so i hope that if you are afraid like i am today, that you also search for relentlessness and wonder
hi, Abrams played a part. But these takes that anyone “singlehandedly delivered a win” draw from capitalist logic that one person can be responsible for the hard work of many. Organizers and coalitions did this, have been doing this for years
Lots of black women did this. Lots of black people did this. Multiracial coalitions did this
oh I see. We cant let centrist narratives force us to obscure the truth. Centrists downplaying Abram's work doesn't mean that we have to downplay organizers who got this done. It means we tell our own narratives - not simply respond to bad or wrong ones. We are better than that