Footnotes
No Kings
On the day of the No Kings protests I sent out a post that said, "I think No Kings marches have a specific (but very limited) usefulness in this political moment. And so I cant help but wonder what could be accomplished if these millions of people (who are clearly primed to do something) were organized for civil disobedience and action toward particular policy change. Maybe we'll get there."
But here is what people heard:
The No Kings rallies are stupid and useless.
The people who attend No Kings rallies arent doing anything that matters.
The only political action that matters is civil disobedience.
Do it my way or the highway.
And even though things like this exhaust me because I really really want to engage in conversation about what I actually said, it does feel like a teachable moment. Perhaps because there are very strong opinions on the matter of these rallies, the efficacy of protesting, and how we should/shouldnt model the protests of the past, I will take the time to clarify my current position, in case it helps you. But as always, you need not agree with me. I am but one person. There are a great many educators, organizers, and leaders who would strongly disagree with me, and if their position more closely aligns with yours, that's okay. My goal here is not to convert you, only to give you more to consider.
If I thought the No Kings rallies were harmful, I would say so. But I specifically said that they are useful, in my opinion. That usefulness can include: camaraderie, hopefulness, connection, an introduction to community gathering and my greatest hope- that they would serve as a place to connect with coalitions who have targeted aims/efforts to move forward the agendas that brought folks out in the first place.
I have no desire to belittle the importance of any of this, AND I refuse to believe that any of you are convinced that if we host enough rallies, the administration will close detention centers, pay TSA, drop the legislation for Voter Suppression, abolish ICE, send troops back home, stop dropping bombs, and ensure equal access to healthcare and education for all. My desire to point this out is not to be cynical (which Black women are so often accused of). My point is to say that if the numbers that appear for a rally plugged into other actions, we could move some of these agendas forward. My point was not cynicism, it was hope.
And that hope is rooted in the fact that so many people (at least who were interviewed and posted signs) seem very clear about the policies they care about most. If you can find a local or national organization that is committed to the same outcomes, you are- there truly could be a force for good challenging power in ways that could not be ignored.
And this is why I specifically mentioned civil disobedience. Not because I believe it to be the highest form of activism, but because its exciting to think about millions of people, in cities all across the nation, participating in a kind of disobedience that stops the system from functioning. Because civil disobedience is dangerous, it's typically done in small groups and those small groups pay a heavy price, most often by going to jail and paying fees. But millions of people cannot be imprisoned at a time. Millions of participants would mean immediate stoppage of some of these atrocities due to sheer overwhelm. And yes, I find that exciting. But I have no desire to create a hierarchy of political actions.
And to that end, a great many people challenged me by asking what exactly I want them to do. Some asked with genuine interest, but most asked as a way of implying that I have nothing to offer people and therefore should shut up, unless Im willing to become a leader of a movement. To that I want to say two things very clearly: 1. The movement already has leaders. I dont need to become a leader because there are hundreds of activists, organizers, and political leaders who care deeply about the same issues you care about and have been working on them for decades. There are folks out there who are waiting for you to bring your passion, your energy, your desire to "do something" and channel it right at the bullseye. We are not leaderless. But if your only idea of leadership looks like Dr Martin Luther King, Jr in 1965, you wont recognize today's. 2. It doesnt matter at all what I think you should do. I dont know your skill set or what brought you to No Kings. I dont know what organizations you are already connected to or what type of activism you're willing to try. My opinion matters not at all. All that matters is that you can identify the issues you are passionate about. Because if you want to see change in policies, it's going to take more than rallies. And I think most of you know this. To say so isnt to discourage you from attending rallies, its to encourage you to go deeper. The crowds are going to get smaller and the actions more inconvenient. It might not be fun. The media may be against you. It could cost you. But you'll have to forgive my naive daydream that millions of you could handle it and change the trajectory of the country.
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