The Black Lives Matter Response to Trump

http://www.solidarity-us.org/site/node/4848
Date Written:  2017-01-01
Publisher:  Against the Current
Year Published:  2017
Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX21512

Our mandate has not changed: organize and end all state-sanctioned violence until all Black Lives Matter.

Abstract: 
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Excerpt:

Here's what we know: Civic engagement is one way to engage democracy, and our lives don't revolve around election cycles. We are obliged to earn the trust of future generations - to defend economic, social and political power for all people. We are confident that we have the commitment, the people power and the vision to organize our country into a safe place for black people - one that leads with inclusivity and a commitment to justice, not intimidation and fear.

We also need and deserve an elaborate strategy to eradicate both white supremacy and implicit bias towards it. We must reckon with the anti-blackness of America's history that led to this political moment.

We continue to operate from a place of love for our people and a deep yearning for real freedom. In our work, we center the most marginalized, and look to them for leadership. We fight for our collective liberation because we are clear that until black people are free, no one is free. We are committed to practicing empathy for one another in this struggle - but we do not and will not negotiate with racists, fascists or anyone who demands we compromise our existence.