Protest March Sheduled For Nov 3 In Va

SiennaMoonshine · 10-19-2007, 05:25 AM

According to the BlackNews website, a new march against racism is scheduled for Nov. 3</span>
in Charleston, VA. Here is the link:
<span style="color:#3333FF">National March Against Hate Crimes and Racism

Will it change anything ? Will it create open dialogue or will it just make people angry ? :Angry:
Will it increase awareness of widespread injustice in the legal system against minorities or will it just
make the powers that be that much more determined to hold to the good ol' boy system ?

What is your opinion ? :icon_thinkerg:

SiennaMoonshine · 10-20-2007, 04:40 AM

Won't anyone venture an opinion ? :dunno:

**Scribetastic** · 10-20-2007, 05:26 AM

According to the BlackNews website, a new march against racism is scheduled for Nov. 3</span>
in Charleston, VA. Here is the link:
<span style="color:#3333FF">National March Against Hate Crimes and Racism

Will it change anything ? Will it create open dialogue or will it just make people angry ? :Angry:
Will it increase awareness of widespread injustice in the legal system against minorities or will it just
make the powers that be that much more determined to hold to the good ol' boy system ?

What is your opinion ? :icon_thinkerg:
[/b]

My perspective is what will silence do? That's guaranteed to do nothing. All of these protests make an impact. The recent Jena 6 protest did and you know they were mad that it went off without a hitch. There was no violence and no silliness from the protesters. I don't see why this planned protest can't have a similar impact. The one thing is this is the first I've heard of it. The Megan Williams case hit the headlines but then disappeared just as quickly. If the situation were reversed and the victim had been a white woman subjected to this by blacks you know we'd hear more about it. Granted, I'm not in the States, but if there isn't a huge buzz around the event, they're simply not going to get enough people to show up.

Why not protest about it? Why not remind society and ourselves that society still has a long way to go in the quest for true racial equality?

Considering that people worldwide make a habit of judging each other by race, gender and religion we need to stay vigilant on it because both black men and black women have been the victims of it for too long. It's really a part of human nature to generalize things to a stupid and dangerous simplicity. There need to be constant reminders that there are people who are negatively impacted by this type of thinking along with a call for it to stop.

**dasweetstcypha** · 10-20-2007, 06:30 AM

Dr. John Henrik Clarke said marchin' ain't nothin' but a waste of good shoe leather. Although I think visible protest against certain situations is important, it can't be overused and unaccompanied by other social, economic moves. What it takes to make this country stand up and take notice is economic, social, and political solidarity. Living in Miami, I understand that's why Cubans are such a courted entity by the Republicans, they are a tremendous economic and political votin block that virtually controls South Florida. Until Afrikans in this country are able to organize similarly, we will continue to be one of the most disrespected groups in this country.

**librarising** · 10-20-2007, 10:24 AM

Marching does nothing these days. People get hyped for the moment, and then it's all over.

Boycotting and hittin' em in the pocketbooks where it hurts? Yes, that can help, but people these days won't take that much initiative for the length of time that it would take to make a noticible change.

**Scribetastic** · 10-20-2007, 10:38 AM

dasweetstcypha and librarising,

Those are some interesting points.

But I'm wondering in the case like this where it's a black woman held against her will by six white people, what boycott or economic protest could happen?

I also understand mobilizing and acting as a cohesive unit, but we're talking Cubans which is a distinct regional subset of voters sharing a common culture, history and language. That's one reason slave owners stripped black slaves of their history we're divorced from all that knowledge that binds us togehter. In contrast, a huge number of Cubans with all these commonalities settled in the same place, and they can control the area politically.

With blacks so widely dispersed and being so diverse in terms of beliefs, religions and philosophies I'm wondering what are the options in a case like this?

Other instances I think would be better suited, like in the discussion over the fashion industry and them not using black models. We can and should show our disapproval by not buying their products. But in a case like this I'd love to hear your ideas for alternative ways to strongly make the point.

**librarising** · 10-20-2007, 06:25 PM

^ In cases like the one you mentioned, I still don't think marching helps :dunno:> I think flooding newspapers with OpEd pieces and articles, and even flooding the internet in the same way has much more of an effect.

**Hadasah** · 10-20-2007, 06:56 PM

I don't know what marching does, either. I'm all for boycotts.

**Scribetastic** · 10-20-2007, 08:50 PM

^ In cases like the one you mentioned, I still don't think marching helps :dunno:> I think flooding newspapers with OpEd pieces and articles, and even flooding the internet in the same way has much more of an effect.
[/b]

Okay, that's a good solution. I'm just looking for alternatives 'cause I'm all about marching but I realize that doesn't work in all cases and, over time, it just becomes predictable and hackneyed.

That means, however, we've got to get more blacks plugged in. I'm still struggling to get my relatives to "get" the Internet. It's an uphill battle with some who don't realize that an investment in a computer and Internet connection makes it so that you can do quick and easy research from home, look for jobs, shop, etc.

**dasweetstcypha** · 10-22-2007, 01:25 PM

As an educator, I think the fixes to some of these issues are handled best in the "long run" of things. Black folks in this country must start thinking as a collective (hence why I chose Cubans as an example). You don't typically find Cubans in Miami arguing about who's first generation, second generation, whose Spanish is more authentic, etc.

The education of Black students has to tie them to a cultural / historical metanarrative that helps them conceptualize themselves as part of a larger entity to which they are responsible. If this can be accomplished then you will eventually have citizens that will be able to unite (and sacrifice) economically for the good of the group (i.e. the bus boycotts in the 60s).

short term fix--build stronger communities: when making the decision about where to live, choose the place where Black folk can build a strong political enclave (Atlanta, Charlotte, etc).

JMHO