So whatcha gonna do about it?
by Renáta Nelson
10 June 2020
The events following the brutal death of George Floyd unleashed a flurry of social media posts expressing solidarity with black Americans and denouncing racist acts. While it is nice to know that there is, in theory, strong support to deal with systemic issues like racial profiling, police training and inadequate legal responses towards perpetrators of hate crimes, including police officers, the social media barrage once again begs the question: what is real activism in the 21st century?
Well, perhaps it is news for some, but posting on Social Media is neither political nor social activism. This is even worse with the blind reposting of misinformation without taking the minute needed to fact check it online. Showing up for a march or protest is a more committed step for those who at least genuinely mean it – for others it may just be a social media post, checking off the box of solidarity – but honestly a couple of appearances with picket signs or even more agitated protests is also not going to change deeply rooted issues. Neither is burning down a block in your own city, an act that may in some instances even spark the reverse effect by solidifying already existing prejudices towards particular groups. We live in a political system, whether we like it or not, and while screaming at a rally may draw some attention, it is not enough to catalyze long-term, sustainable change. In fact, our social and political engagement is considerably lower than during the 1960s and 70s.
In the 1960s and 1970s activists not only gathered for non-violent Civil Rights marches, and rallied to end America’s involvement in the Vietnam War, but also took part in far deeper action working towards making a difference. Social media seems to boil history down to gatherings in front of the White House and shots being fired by the National Guard into crowds of peaceful protesters. Yes, these things happened and of course, not all protests were peaceful, not to mention that there were acts of terror and violence that erupted as well. Yet, the use of petitions, the good old fashioned method of calling one’s congressman, the ballot box, donating towards the cause of Civil Rights or Peace Movements, joining the Peace Corps, getting involved in a political campaign for a politician who represented change or your ideals, or even running for office yourself are just some of the many ways that changes occurred. If politics made your stomach churn too much to take that approach there were civil society organizations that worked towards advancing social causes, which individuals got involved with by donating to them, volunteering or even working for one. Young people, in particular, were politically involved, and all without the Internet or Social Media. Yet, somehow today this seems to get lost in the droves of Social Media posts or seemingly token appearances at marches or protests.
Another serious kind of act of solidarity in the 1960s and 70s, particularly regarding the Civil Rights Movement, was quite simply to support black businesses, or hire qualified blacks if you were an employer. This could even be deepened by recommending these businesses or recommending a particular individual for a position. Word of mouth still has greater weight today than television or online advertising, or even your profile on LinkedIn. Such actions helped strengthen the establishment of black-owned businesses or break through barriers by creating employment opportunities in sectors previously unavailable to black Americans. Such behavior displays an attitude and behavior change in society and serves as a model to others. The wider spread it is, the deeper the change.
The third, and perhaps one of the most important aspects towards actively fostering change, is to be open to and engage in dialogue with people of different views. There are extremists on both ends of the spectrum, who are not likely to change their point of view, but there are also many (perhaps even still the majority) who have doubts about or, at least, room for doubt regarding their own perspectives. The polarization in many places is worsening, but this is particularly exacerbated in the United States of the 21st century. People cut off friends or family for differing views. This is no call to support moral relativism and relegate prejudice, xenophobia or hateful views or actions to “that’s just someone else’s beliefs.” It is rather a plea to be open-minded and listen. There are many examples of people who have left hate groups, including the KKK, only to become spokespeople or advocates in their own right against what they previously believed in. In most instances, these individuals came into contact with someone from the group that they hated and developed a relationship (friendship, working relationship, etc.) with this person. In others, a compassionate individual offered them an ear (not a lecture!) to let them begin the self-questioning process. There is a real hero in someone willing to listen to another person’s questions and thoughts, even if they are extremely uncomfortable and may even be hurtful, to help guide the person to discover for him/herself that maybe he/she is wrong. These examples show the power of human doubt and reason, but also the power of compassion, empathy, and above-all patience and the willingness to listen. By shutting oneself off to listening to uncomfortable thoughts or even questions, you are not contributing to a deeper and lasting change.
So what are you going to do to deepen your commitment and actions to make sustainable changes in the United States, or even elsewhere, to address racism, xenophobia, hate crimes, antisemitism, Islamophobia, etc? Join a group, donate to a political cause or civil society organization, volunteer your time, or run for office? The path is certainly individual, but the options are many.
Go ahead and post your social media posts, or attend a march, but please:
1) Take it further and make a greater effort by taking on some serious act of political or civil activism whether it be one of the many mentioned above or something else;
2) Do your silent duty and support societal change from within by supporting businesses and individuals to make a lasting change;
3) Be willing to listen and engage in a dialogue, which does not mean lecturing someone or telling them they are wrong, but rather helping them guide themselves to new conclusions;
4) Read your history in depth. Change has happened in the past, and there are paths for the future that can be found in the past; and,
5) Even if you hate politics, go out and vote!
For some helpful links to get started:
Forbes List of Black businesses to support: https://www.forbes.com/sites/elisabethbrier/2020/06/05/75-black-owned-businesses-to-support/
How to get politically active: https://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/15/politics/ways-to-be-more-politically-active-trnd/index.html
How to participate in politics: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/year-of-living-better/how-to-participate-in-government
Most effective ways to make a political donation: https://www.rewire.org/effective-political-donation/
Volunteering: https://www.volunteermatch.org/
5 more ways to creatively channel anger to fight racism: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/06/07/870251488/beyond-protests-5-more-ways-to-channel-anger-into-action-to-fight-racism?t=1593442843745
Excellent piece, Renata, may it fall on receptive ears.