The A Word by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: activism, anti-civ, feminist, history, leftism, Palestine, prison, privilege, race, Seattle, violence, war

Gangstarizing a Movement by Duwan Tyson

This article is not meant to be a call to action for the white or just middle class movement, but truthfully is just a jittery black dude’s view on it. If you don’t know what I mean or you think that this is negative then this really isn’t for you.

Once again I return home late in the evening soaking wet, tired, and mentally fed up. I’m tired in every way — I’m tired of political maneuvering, tired of long conversations on personal opinions, tired of eating tasteless corn chips with cold dip, tired of cheap generic food. When I get home I’m surprised how fast home life is going, it seems for the last few hours I’ve been in mental time warp oblivious to reality. Can you guess where I’ve been? Yes, you guessed it; a meeting. Doesn’t really matter what organization, doesn’t matter what were talking about, I’m bored. Even when I learn a lot, even when I have an epiphany about internalized racial oppression or when I understand at a deeper level “What globalization is all about” I still feel drained after an organizationally successful meeting.

Why? I ask myself this all the time. Why can’t I sit still at an anti-war rally? Why can’t I be interested in what the speakers are saying? I know it’s important, but for some reason I can’t. I’m sure you’ve ran into me before at sometime or another, or someone like me. I’m the kid who knows shit’s fucked up but you still can’t get me out to your meeting. I know you probably hate me but you need people like me, and this is your chance to get into my head so don’t zone out yet.

Think about how a lot of people understand what’s going on but are too busy being oppressed or too apathetic or both. I’ve been on both sides of the equation coming from the point of view of the organizer and organized, I still struggle with this every day. Tell you the truth, I’ve never felt so disempowered in my life as when I’m doing the most empowering work on the planet (ending governmental oppression through community self determination). Why is this? I’ve thought of every reason my Negro mind could conceive. There was never one concrete answer, always a litany of pre-programmed responses, quick explanations and write-offs, but never somthing concrete with a plan of action. I usually felt more confused and distraught after I hear all the answers then before I asked the question. This movement lacks clarity as much as it lacks...well, movement. Not internal clarity — no, not at all, people communicate great in esoteric meetings — but when it comes to events, I’m bored as hell. I’m sick and tired of the over-intellectualization ingrained in the way we organize, it seems like once you join an organization you lose all ability to speak real English — everything turns into a jumbled mess of ism’s, which the average person doesn’t really care to hear.

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