The strongest of movements begins in the common social spaces of the people; the cafes, the campuses, the parks, and neighborhoods. Some social movements come prepackaged through a disgusting amount of funding and premeditation - these movements are to be heavily criticized, questioned, and ultimately cast aside in favor of rebellions that are initiated by community members seeking liberation in their spaces now. There are many texts that elaborate on this, and they will come across your path as often as you want them to, but the urgency of such cannot be properly put into words no matter how romanticized. It must begin at a ground level -- in the restaurants, classrooms, and homeless camps. It is joy through solidarity when an apartment complex stands together against a landlord who raises the rent. It is strength through education when we know that the state is lying to us when they say that our criminalization will protect us. When we take the time to break down the barriers between ourselves and our neighbors, we can begin to truly communicate. In understanding that our struggles are similar, we become humanized and humbled. It is imperative to find common cause with those we see at the bus stops and crosswalks, for we share more with them than we do the police or the politician. Food, music, and laughter are what bring people together and the stories we tell are what unites us. Marches happen when we hear that our co-worker was pepper-sprayed during an anti-racist action. Movements gain steam when our classmate is arrested for feeding the homeless. Rebellions start after our friend is attacked by police for defending a squat. All of this begins from an individual drive to educate people, so write your essays, print flyers, distribute zines, and organize for events; the goal should be depth of a relationship, not how many people can sign a petition.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 17:45:48 +0000
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