Division
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
This scripture is a reminder that some struggles are spiritual. The spirit of division is running amok. We are divided by class and wealth. We are divided by our race. We are divided by our religion. We are divided in our homes. We are divided by our education. There is division everywhere. We need to recognize it, call it out and address it. The cure for the division is unity. It is recognizing that we are all God’s children. We all are created equal. We all bleed red. We all are the same and we have more in common than we think.
Mobilize
The last call to action Killer Mike mention was to mobilize. After all the unification and organization, there must be a call to action. Wars are won by strategy. It isn’t always about the size of the army. Sometimes, it's about the skill of the army. When Public Enemy said, “Fight the Power!” It's a call to action. The attack must come from all fronts. It must be social, political, judicial, and financial. To truly mobilize, there must be active service. Everyday is a deliberate attempt to change the system. We must spend strategically. We must speak strategically. We must vote strategically. We must protest strategically. We must mobilize.
Organize
When I think about organizing, I think lists. I am an organizer. I keep multicolored sticky notes on deck. I think Tupperware. I think storage bins. Mostly, I think order. When Killer Mike said, “we need to organize.” He was saying we need to get our affairs in order. What is our goal? Is it specific? Is it measurable? Is it attainable? Is it realistic? What time frame will this occur? Who is going to lead us? What’s the plan? Who is financing our goals? We need to organize, but first we need a clear mission on all fronts.
Strategize
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, “we can’t progress until we are unified and we need allies.” The reason South Africa was able to eradicate an apartheid was because they had a collective agenda that included a financial impact. Corporations began to divest in South Africa. The reason certain boycotts were effective was because it was a collective effort that affected a financial institution. In order for real change to occur, it has to affect our economy. It has to hurt financially. Most wealthy Americans, Black or otherwise are not trying to lose their wealth. They are willing to protect their pockets not matter the collateral damage. We aren’t unified. Yes, there are historical reasons for this, but we don’t all have the same goals. We don’t all want the same things. I've seen divisive posts about the Black LGBTQ community as if they aren’t Black first. I’ve seen disparaging posts about the disconnect between Black men and women…and yes there is a reason for that as well, but we have to strategize. We have to have an agenda. We have to get on the same page. We have to truly want the same thing. We can’t protest. We can’t boycott. We can’t be effective until we unify and strategize collectively.
Reparations
Illustration by Golden Cosmos
Reparations is a word that has been tossed out a lot. What are reparations? Who should receive them? How much should everyone receive? It’s kinda like our government trying to decide about the pending stimulus package.
rep·a·ra·tion /ˌrepəˈrāSH(ə)n/ noun
the making of amends for a wrong one has done, by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged.
The first issue is that America has not acknowledged their wrong doing. Slavery is over and no reparations have been made. America has not acknowledged how descendants of slavery are still affected by this heinous institution let alone acknowledged how others have benefited from it. Before we can talk about reparations or restitution, we’ve got to own our past. We have to have the difficult conversations and then talk about leveling the playing field, that is the only way we can truly get our 40 acres and a mule.
Eradicate
e·rad·i·cate /əˈradəˌkāt/ verb
destroy completely; put an end to.
I’ve heard a lot of conversation about police defunding and reform. I agree that those things are necessary, but it’s bigger than that. We must eradicate systemic racism. In order to truly do that, we must also eradicate the systems that have benefited from racism. This is when you really can see results. This is when true change can occur. America was built on racism. Our economy was built on racism. Our laws are derived from racism. Our educational systems are rooted in racism. Our housing market is rooted in racism? What do we need to eradicate? Everything.
Abolitionist
Sojourner Truth. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Frederick Douglass. Harriet Tubman. William Lloyd Garrison. Lucretia Mott. David Walker. There are many other names to add to that list. These are people who dedicated their lives to the eradication of slavery. Truth be told, the real reason why this was such a daunting task was because of the monetary loss that would occur if the slaves were free. It was all about money. The American economy has always been built on free black contributions. Slaves were a free labor force with minimal investment.
Unfortunately, the real issue behind reform and reparations is as economic as it is racial. We must understand who benefits from systematic racism. We must understand who benefits from prison pipelines and privatization. We must understand how gun control and law enforcement play a role in our current political climate. You can’t get rid of one system without having something else to replace it. We need think-tanks. We need allies. We need lobbyists. We need investors. We need influence. We need avocates. We need abolitionists who understand that racism needs to be eradicated.