Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Unity in Diversity
As
UN member states and agencies escalate repression of liberation
movements worldwide, more of us will be confronted with a choice of how
to participate in the human rights struggle. Whether we protest or
resist, it will be advantageous to understand how our participation
relates to that of others. Through that understanding, we can create a
beloved community where all roles are respected and supported. Unity in
diversity.
For those of us in the United States, the fight to abolish
segregation and other forms of racial discrimination still resonates in
how we oppose tyranny. I suppose that’s why they call the strategy of
Freedom Summer in 1963 Mississippi civil disobedience. Disobedience is
by definition resistance.
Compliance with rules about marching, asking permission to assemble, staying within the barriers–these are not acts of resistance. While they are ancillary to resistance, they are nevertheless important. For those who want to learn more about integrating the various roles required, James Forman’s book The Making of Black Revolutionaries remains instructive.
Compliance with rules about marching, asking permission to assemble, staying within the barriers–these are not acts of resistance. While they are ancillary to resistance, they are nevertheless important. For those who want to learn more about integrating the various roles required, James Forman’s book The Making of Black Revolutionaries remains instructive.
