I'm hearing some media discuss VP Harris's Guatemala trip as an effort to get to the "roots" of migration. That's important. But of course, poverty & corruption are not roots, they are fruits of deeper phenomena including a long history of U.S. Intervention in Guatemala.
Here's that old lefty rag "cia.gov" offering more context that should be considered when we talk about the roots of migration. cia.gov/readingroom/co…
Jun 1, 2021 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
I don't know who needs to hear this but "How did we get so polarized?" is a poorly thought out and problematic question that folk need to stop asking that way. Why? Start with the assumptions built into "we" and "get."
I know many folks asking this are well-meaning and sincerely curious. But asking that particular question leads you away from a smart analysis. Not trying to be mean or snarky here.
Aug 2, 2020 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
When we say "x is racist" I wonder if the most confusing word is "is."
Saying "is racist" seems to invite us into strange convos or about folks psychology or their "hearts."
Saying "supports/creates" (laws, policies representations etc.) invites us to consider actions & impact
Yes. I think there are people who meet the definition of "being" racist. And yes I think that in certain circumstances like when that person is president - or police officer it is necessary to name it. So not trying to let racists of the hook BUT
Jul 3, 2020 • 16 tweets • 4 min read
Let me say this. The concept of "listening" as applied to the leaders of large organizations and their workers is one of the most misunderstood and depoliticizing concepts out here - with race, gender and many other areas of social justice.
The concept of leaders "listening" in corporate or corporate like organizations is almost always applied to defang power struggles by presenting them as a "dialogues."
Jun 3, 2020 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
1) I'm seeing many center leaning liberal friends, white & otherwise realizing in this moment that they have misunderstood the scale of problems of policing & racial justice & overestimated the effectiveness of "police reform." Our movements should welcome this learning BUT
2) We also need you to be public about what precisely shifted in your understanding. Being public about your learning and being accountable is part of restoration.
Dec 6, 2019 • 7 tweets • 6 min read
From my vantage point, only folks who have been working & studying in the traditions of prison & police abolition fully grasp the widespread implications of this ongoing struggle. This is not a broken system folks. It is a system that is working as intended.
It has been proven time and time again that the NYPD structurally incentivizes oppression. And New York keeps adding more police and prisons to solve its problems. Everyone should be following this story and @nonewnypd, @nonewjails_nyc, @nonewjailsdc
