(Sign in the broken window at the Awaken Cafe.)
PROTESTING IS NOT A GOAL IN AND OF ITSELF. It’s a means to an end. You protest to give your self leverage so you can make demands/achieve a goal.
And I get it. These last two marches came together quickly in response to the verdict. But that doesn’t mean you completely ignore the importance of strategy. On Sunday we marched to the port. The port. THE PORT!!! 1, it was Sunday night and there was no one there. 2,it’s the port! What does that have to do with Trayvon?
Why can’t we think to pick a strategic target that helps to frame our message? How, specifically, does marching around town aimlessly help us get justice? What does justice even look like? Without defining that, how do we even talk about strategy?
And there are inherent benefits to having these marches. I heard a 66-year-old woman on the radio talking today about how she’s never been to a march or a protest in her life, but she felt compelled to speak out against this tragedy. Big marches and demonstrations serve as entry points for new participants. And that’s critical.
But if our goal was to mobilize more people, maybe we should walk down International Blvd handing out fliers with information about an organizing meeting? If our goal is to simply show numbers, maybe forming a human chain around City Hall would be a more powerful visual? If our goal was to help the community grieve, maybe a silent march would be more effective? If our goal was to show solidarity with the Martin family, maybe we could turn down the party music and all wear Trayvon masks?
AND WHAT ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION
I am particularly referring to the destruction in Oakland. As friend of mine on Facebook bragged about it, and was happy that it got a 65-year-old-woman in Santa Rosa talking about it. I am not sure that I agree that any press is good press.
This time it wasn’t just the Wells Fargo, but it was Oaklandish, an oragization who promotes Oakland pride and donates part of its proceeds to community based groups. It was Awaken Café, locally owned by some progressives who support every movement for justice. And perhaps most disgustingly, Youth Radio, an organization that works to empower local youth by providing skills in media production. I can’t get over that last one. And I just don't see how this mindless destruction furthers the case of Trayvor.
These days, anytime there is a major protest, businesses board up their windows. What does that say about this town? That anytime people come together to supposedly speak out for justice, we scare the local independent businesses? How does this help us?
Anytime there is a mass movement, it creates havoc for a lot of people. The Nashville lunch counter sit-ins and ensuing boycotts hurt a lot of businesses, including those owned by progressive whites friendly to the movement. But those inconveniences are small fares to pay on the road to justice.
The issue that I have is that anytime you escalate things and use more militant tactics, things like strategy, discipline and communication become more important than ever. If you’re trying to defeat segregation, then people will be ok being inconvenienced. People are OK paying cops overtime and dealing with traffic for a ball game or a festival because there is a reason behind it that they can understand.
Help me understand how blockading a highway for 10 minutes, as folks did in Oakland, achieves any purpose other than pissing people off? Again, if we had a goal, say we want the City Counsel pass a resolution to demand that the DOJ prosecute Zimmerman. And if they refused, THEN we block the highway, and we do it everyday until they pass it. Maybe I could get behind that. It would open up an opportunity for the City to actually get behind the movement, and we would get something out of it.
But an impromptu blockade that lasts for 10 minutes? How does that get us closer to justice?
Of course a campaign like the one I described would take a whole new level of training, discipline and commitment. Way more than a commitment to a one-day march or a 15-minute sit-in. The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 381 days. What is our level of commitment?
What is Justice?
Speaking of goals, saying “we want justice” is not good enough. We can’t keep thinking that if we get enough people to yell “Justice!” loud enough, all of a sudden justice is gonna come rolling down the hill. We need to articulate what justice looks like. What exactly is it we are fighting for?
Does justice mean getting Zimmerman prosecuted by the feds? If he gets locked up forever does that mean we get justice? Does racism end with Zimmerman? How about repealing the Stand Your Ground law? Or reforming gun legislation? Or mandating undoing oppression workshops in all public schools across Florida?
I think answering this question is perhaps the most important thing that the movement needs to figure out. A successful movement needs to be able to clearly frame the issue (is this just about Zimmerman?), articulate a concrete goal and vision for change, build strategies and tactics that move us towards that vision, and train our communities so they are ready to fight long-term for that change. That would be a movement that I could participate in without feeling conflicted.
Until then I think I am going to hang-up my sneakers, no more purposeless long/meaningless walks to the Ports of Oakland, not for me anyways!