Sunday, December 4, 2011

"WHY BLACK AMERICA ISN'T 'OCCUPYING' "

For months I’ve been following the “Occupy” mobilizations and pondering what –- quite frankly –- felt “wrong” about something that -– on the face of it -– seems oh, so right.

Then I read an article by journalist Stacey Patton ("Occupy isn't black America's fight", The Washington Post Outlook section, 11.27.2011), who oh-so-brilliantly provides the context and sheds light on what seems to be Black America’s relationship with this overwhelmingly white mobilization.

In her article, “Occupy isn’t Black America’s Fight”, Ms. Patton serves up an October 2011 Fast Company survey finding that African Descendants, who are 12.6% of the population in America, make up only 1.6% (!!!!!!!!) of the Occupy Wall Street mobilizations. As New York WBAI radio host and producer Nathalie Thandiwe summed up in the Patton interview: “Occupy Wall Street was started by whites and is about their concern with their plight. Now that capitalism isn’t working for ‘everybody’ some are protesting.”

Talk about speaking Truth!

There has not been a time in this country’s history when income inequality, unemployment, disparate economic opportunity, and America’s capitalist system have not been racialized. Yet –- all of a sudden -– these things are JUST NOW coming into the public consciousness of “everybody” else –- enough for them to start mobilizations? Although few say this publicly, there is much chatter and questioning regarding where “they” have been for all the years that communities of color have been organizing around these very same issues. And it is not going un-noticed how -- instead of joining mobilizations of color that have structure, clear messages, actual strategies, and organizing experience -- “Occupy” mobilizers are instead perpetuating historical plantation dynamics when they insist that people of color join THEM in agendas developed according to THEIR racialized interests, experiences, and goals.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but it seems as though the offer being made to people of color by Occupiers is the offer of cleaving to an agenda of THEIR making, choosing, experiences and suffering, while being allocated segregated “safe spaces” to discuss their own concerns in return.

And they are expressing surprise that many activists of color are declining their urgent invitations.

In Patton’s article, a New Jersey comedian says “high joblessness and social disenfranchisement is new to most of the Wall Street protesters. It has been a fact of life for African Americans since the beginning.”

And he is not joking.

“Black America’s fight for income inequality is not on Wall Street, but is a matter of day-to-day survival. The more pressing battles are against tenant evictions, police brutality and street crime. This group doesn’t see a reason to join the amorphous Occupiers,” Stacey Patton affirms.

And it is that crucial difference in focus, history, and “lived experience” –- along with the (I’m sure) unconscious but palatable plantation dynamics –- which is keeping the “Occupy” mobilizations majority white.

Patton states “Beyond a lack of leaders to inspire them to join the Occupy fold,
[B]lacks are not seeing anything new for themselves in the movement. Why should they ally with whites who are just now experiencing the hardships that [B]lacks have known for generations? Perhaps white Americans are now paying the psychic price for not answering the basic questions that [B]lacks have long raised about income inequality.”

Perhaps. Or perhaps “Occupy” mobilizers will stay in the game as long as it takes for THEIR interests to be met. And organizers and communities of color will once again be left in the dust of their “safe spaces.”


Moving Forward,

Adar

12 comments:

  1. Bless you...You've always been the one to see through all the layers of Bull to the truth...that's why I love you. Yes, we've already done the marching and the protesting...we have a new strategy and we're not sharing it with "THEM"...SEE YOU SOON!

    Peace!
    Margaret

    ReplyDelete
  2. I live in the District and am involved with the Occupy movement. At the General Assembly (a nightly Occupy meeting) a few nights ago, when 46 states' Occupy movements were represented, we were reminded that "the 99%" includes people we don't agree with: Tea Party members, Democrats, Right to Life supporters, Pro Choice supporters, those who favor conservative foreign policy, etc. The 99% is comprised of all of us who are not being heard by the 1% of those who have wedged themselves into power (generally via financial means).
    I'm sorry that some of us were "late to the party". But since we're all now screwed together-- though perhaps not in exactly the same ways, nor for the same length of time-- could we enter into a conversation about how we can NOW help each other up-- and displace hierarchy and injustice? Or will we continue to divide, and let the total 99% of us be defeated by the 1% due to a lack of solidarity of concern for ALL of us, regardless of how long we've been down, who's got us down, or the history of who's been down before us?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Delirium,

    Thank you for your comment!

    To further clarify, I AM talking about "NOW". We are here, in this "NOW", as a result of everything leading up to this moment and to pretend that we are just starting from a clean slate with no connection to the past does an injustice to this moment and to this mobilization.

    The fact is that the many that you have accurately described as being part of the 99% continue to contribute to the hierarchy, injustice, and racialization that supports that 1%. They are continuing to do that NOW. And it is because so many are uncritically and unthinkingly entrenched in these patterns -- without even seeing them -- that we need to honestly raise and address these issues NOW or this mobilization will continue many of these patterns.

    To raise these questions and to acknowledge the continuing impact of this history in the NOW is not what "divides" us, nor is it what will defeat the 99%.

    NOT acknowledging this history and these patterns -- pretending that they are not there; that there is no power hierarchy based on race, class, gender, etc; that there is no difference in the relationships that different communities have with police and institutions; and that the voices, concerns, and interests of some groups have historically been given more credence than others -- are what continues to divide us and is what will contribute to the defeat of these mobilizations if not addressed within them.

    Moving Forward,

    Adar

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have to agree with Adar. The division is already here, now, because we white people prefer to say we're "postracial," "colorblind," or anything else we can call it so we don't have to look at it. How about we take responsibility for our conscious (or unconscious) collusion with a system that was created to benefit us and continues to benefit us, make reparations, and THEN ask people to move on. In the meantime, I believe Adar suggested what we can do NOW - SUPPORT people of color-led organizations who have already developed their content and process, instead of reinventing the wheel.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Could you or others reading this come up with the names of a few "mobilizations of color that have structure, clear messages, actual strategies, and organizing experience" in a particular community that could be supplied to "Occupy" folks just in case some of them might be interested in joining one?

    David

    ReplyDelete
  6. David,

    Thank you for your question, and I like your suggestion about opening this up for other responses. Responses might be more productive and tailored to you if you provided more information, like in what area of the country are you located and in what types of issues you are interested.

    Moving Forward,

    Adar

    ReplyDelete
  7. As an anti-racist activist one of the first questions I often here is "What can we do?" People rarely see educating themselves as DOING something but that is the first thing I would recommend. Even if we are post-graduates, we have inevitably not learned our history (beyond "Uncle Tom's Cabin), we are not aware of our unearned privileges, nor do we have an analysis of a system maintained by our often unconscious collusion. The second question I hear most often is "Where can I connect with Black people?" We may work together every day but we are at least vaguely, and at most painfully, aware that we do not have any "real" connections. (Or maybe we believe we do and are completely unaware that we're missing the mark.) So I would always recommend beginning with self-education. There are racial justice organizations all over the U.S. - google "racial justice [your city]." Become an anti-rasist FIRST (not the same as non-racist) and a whole world of people of color led organizations will come into view.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks D!

    David, I hope this helps. . .

    Moving Forward,

    Adar

    ReplyDelete
  9. I cant speak for wall st, but in Oakland there were tons of black and POC Occupiers. Maybe Oakland is just more radical than the east coast, but out here there isnt the same problem that you have in Wall st.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I like your strength. I enjoy reading one's thoughts as well written as yours. No Occupy was not designed for the people of African decent unless they were part of the schemes to steal from the middle class. No wall street lynch men and women sucked in their own in their dirty game. However the quicken loan, payday schemes are still taking the underclass by record. The pale face forked tongue is still able to get away with it because there is no "regulation" So yes, lets occupy a desk next to the door of any check cashing, payday loan operation Title loan. And any unaccredited school claiming to get us a job when we graduate. And tell them to get out of our hoods. Or pay us the interest you make off of us to improve our schools.Etc Etc

    ReplyDelete
  11. AdAR, thank you for your comment the responds to Delirium. There is nothing in this that I can disagree with. But I was struck with the tone of futility that seemed apparent in the initial blog. It seems to be saying that because of different historical circumstances and neglect of Black movements by whites on the left, there is no common ground for either blacks or whites to come together. At least now you have clarified that bringing up these issues shouldn't be an excuse to disengage but instead be an opportunity to bring them up to avoid old patterns that have lead to the abandonment of communities of color. If movements of white, Black, Hispanic, Native American and other groups can't come together in a way that doesn't leave anyone "in the dust" then we will all lose.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you, Anonymous Jan. 7th, for writing. I have been following Oakland Occupy and am, too, struck by the difference between the participation of people of color (POC) in that mobilization and the lack thereof in other Occupy mobilizations. Were POC involved in the planning and the leadership there? Were issues specifically pertaining to the experiences of POC put on the agenda as core issues and not afterthought issues? Inquiring minds want to know!

    A Mother's Prayer, thank you for writing, too! New readers mean new thoughts; I hope you'll stay tuned to Blogging Amerikkka.

    Anonymous January 9th, thank you for your comments! Sometimes addressing and organizing around these issues can feel like an exercise in futility! (smile) You are right, though: I don't feel that bringing up these issues should be an excuse to disengage. I do hope that bringing them up helps people discuss and exorcise the old American patterns of "the rightness of whiteness" that lead to those outcomes you have described. Just a historical point: in this country, movements led by people of color have been more inclusive than white-conceived and led movements. Having been racialized, marginalized, and demonized for daring to even "speak" issues of American racial apartheid and oppression, they have had to be.

    ReplyDelete