In cities from Alaska to Puerto Rico, thousands marched against authoritarianism. The next step is helping those in the streets radicalize through struggle.
I think it’s a misconception that leftists are these mean judgy people. We saw this during Bernie campaign too in 2020. The media exaggerated the presence of online Bernie bros when in reality, it was the centrist liberals who refused to engage with new ideas, hurled insults at the Left. I actually think it’s the opposite. It’s liberals who need to find more grace for leftists. It’s liberals who are typically elites unwilling to learn more and who regurgitate old McCarthyism talking points when confronted with leftism. That’s my experience canvassing and organizing for Zohran too. Liberals are often immovable because they are committed to the American Project in a way that Leftists are not.
I also would push back on this idea that “civil rights movement shifted from liberalism to Black power.” This was the media narrative, but that wasn’t the experience of SNCC workers for example who had leftist politics throughout their time in the org. Jim Forman was a Marxist when he joined. Outside of SNCC, there were people like Robert Williams. History of communist organizing in Alabama in the 30s. Of course Theoharis’ new book dispels the myth that King “became more radical.” He was always radical. A Phillip Randolph’s original idea of March on Washington was rooted in his socialism. Just as a few examples. Communism has a long been a part of the Black radical tradition.
Sure, we should always organize everyone, but it’s not the Left that is the problem. We’re already blamed by mainstream media and Liberals for Trumpism and elections.
Your point about “liberals on frontlines” is just a massive erasure and misunderstanding of who organizers are. It’s also just untrue. Leftists have shaped organizing culture and resistance in this country. Leftists are organizing in unions. In climate action groups. Social media/media erases this reality too because they’re not often on instagram with thousands of followers saying “look at me and this good thing I did.” Liberals are often fighting for different things than Leftists, and that’s ok if your vision for the world is more aligned with Liberalism but to claim that Leftists have something to learn from Liberals is propaganda.
Liberals don’t want to change systems of power, so they organize for reforms within those systems. They co-opt leftist demands and organizing work, and they repackage it as capitalist reform that electeds like. For example, when they fight against climate change, they fight for tiny reforms that make them feel good because they’re capitalists, and the climate fight is a fight against capitalism. Liberals like capitalism. I’d just be mindful of pushing media talking points that erase American Leftism.
I think it’s a misconception that leftists are these mean judgy people. We saw this during Bernie campaign too in 2020. The media exaggerated the presence of online Bernie bros when in reality, it was the centrist liberals who refused to engage with new ideas, hurled insults at the Left. I actually think it’s the opposite. It’s liberals who need to find more grace for leftists. It’s liberals who are typically elites unwilling to learn more and who regurgitate old McCarthyism talking points when confronted with leftism. That’s my experience canvassing and organizing for Zohran too. Liberals are often immovable because they are committed to the American Project in a way that Leftists are not.
I also would push back on this idea that “civil rights movement shifted from liberalism to Black power.” This was the media narrative, but that wasn’t the experience of SNCC workers for example who had leftist politics throughout their time in the org. Jim Forman was a Marxist when he joined. Outside of SNCC, there were people like Robert Williams. History of communist organizing in Alabama in the 30s. Of course Theoharis’ new book dispels the myth that King “became more radical.” He was always radical. A Phillip Randolph’s original idea of March on Washington was rooted in his socialism. Just as a few examples. Communism has a long been a part of the Black radical tradition.
Sure, we should always organize everyone, but it’s not the Left that is the problem. We’re already blamed by mainstream media and Liberals for Trumpism and elections.
Your point about “liberals on frontlines” is just a massive erasure and misunderstanding of who organizers are. It’s also just untrue. Leftists have shaped organizing culture and resistance in this country. Leftists are organizing in unions. In climate action groups. Social media/media erases this reality too because they’re not often on instagram with thousands of followers saying “look at me and this good thing I did.” Liberals are often fighting for different things than Leftists, and that’s ok if your vision for the world is more aligned with Liberalism but to claim that Leftists have something to learn from Liberals is propaganda.
Liberals don’t want to change systems of power, so they organize for reforms within those systems. They co-opt leftist demands and organizing work, and they repackage it as capitalist reform that electeds like. For example, when they fight against climate change, they fight for tiny reforms that make them feel good because they’re capitalists, and the climate fight is a fight against capitalism. Liberals like capitalism. I’d just be mindful of pushing media talking points that erase American Leftism.