From “An Open
Letter to Progressives” by Monique Teal (published in the Daily Kos)
“If you support
Black Lives Matter activists up until they do something you don’t agree with,
then you were never really in solidarity. If you support the Black Lives Matter movement but have never done anything to
challenge systems of privilege and power, then you aren’t actually an ally. You are part of the problem.”
“At
every single point of transformative change in this country, disruption has been
key. Making your
problem the entire country’s problem is how social movements have advanced time
and time again. Illustrating the moral dilemma is what makes the crisis real to
those not directly affected or purposely obtuse. Being uncomfortable is the catalyst
to moving this country forward.”
I was struck by the force of these two short passages from
Monique Teal’s posting. Her challenge to white progressives is to twofold. One
is to recognize and follow the leadership of a movement of black activists.
White progressives can not set the agenda for Blacks in this country any more
than men can set the agenda for the women’s movement. The privilege that white
males enjoy makes it impossible for them to comprehend the needs of these
movements and any attempts to exert influence should be seen as an attempt to
maintain the same old “systems of privilege and power”.
Her second challenge is to point out that white progressives
must step out of their comfort zones if they are to be allies of the BLM
movement. It begins by accepting the reality of white privilege, not out of
guilt over the past, but rather because the relationships of wealth and power
privilege whites TODAY! It involves white progressives taking up the struggle
as an ally of BLM and bringing that struggle to all aspects of their work. It
will make people uncomfortable at times, but unless the progressive movement
can come to grips with institutional racism in all its aspects, it will be
doomed to failure.
George Vlasits
August 25, 2015
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