MLK did NOT put the onus of change on the oppressed, but gave practical resistance strategies

Apr 04, 2014 00:30

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent."

If you just look at the last sentence of this quote, it sounds like an endorsement of bootstrappism -- the idea that victims are victims Read more... )

writing prompts, social justice / feminism

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eternal_ot April 4 2014, 05:10:59 UTC
A good essay to convey MLK's thoughts...well done!

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rainbowfox9 April 4 2014, 05:38:42 UTC
This isn't completely related, but it's along the same lines, I think. This is something that's been on my mind recently. A lot of my 'eco-friendly' friends look at the evils of Monsanto and other ways the usda is basically feeding us poison, and say how awful our government is, and then I look at the way that Europe takes such amazing care (for the most part; I'm sure there are other detrimental things that happen) of its natural resources and really protects its citizens from GMOs and synthetic seeds, etc, and I wonder how Europe got to that place. And I think that it probably didn't have anything to do with snarly citizens merely ranting on FB or sharing little gifs about things going wrong (I don't care how many graphics of Monsanto workers you're putting out there, with snarky comments, you're *not* making a difference); I think it had to do with actively getting out there and boycotting the damn stuff our government puts in our food ( ... )

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rainbowfox9 April 5 2014, 23:16:57 UTC
Let me rephrase what I said: I am not talking about those physically unable to march. I do recognize the power of words, and even though I don't know you, I'm sure your words do make a difference.

This is not a blanket statement, meant to discriminate against people, even if that is how you interpreted it, and I'm sorry if you felt hurt or offended by it.

The people I am specifically talking about (who I do know *are* physically able to march) are people I know in person, through my FB. I am not presuming to tell anyone who is not physically able to march, that they *should* march.

I do not appreciate that you assume you knew what I meant. I do not appreciate that you seemed to get angry with someone you don't even know.

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alycewilson April 4 2014, 06:13:16 UTC
One of the best things I learned in college was that I had a lot to learn when it came to issues of civil rights and equality, many of the same points that appear in this essay.

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violaconspiracy April 6 2014, 18:51:26 UTC
I hadn't thought of being child-free as an oppressed status until you mentioned it here. I've felt looked-down-upon for choosing not to have children, and I've certainly put up with a lot of rude remarks about it. Thinking of it in terms of a status, like religion or sexuality, does put some things in perspective.

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lilmissmagic71 April 4 2014, 10:01:16 UTC
Very well done. It spoke on many levels, all of them thought provoking...

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