Is Black Lives Matter Blowing It?

[Purveyor]

By John Blake, CNN

(CNN)Here's a question for both supporters and critics of the Black Lives Matter movement:

What does Black Lives Matter want?

Not sure? How about this. Can you cite a moment in which a BLM leader passionately and eloquently denounced the recent shooting deaths of eight police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge? Can you name one or two leaders from the movement?

Chances are the answers to those questions fall all over the place. Four years after its founding, BLM is still a movement without a clear meaning for many Americans. Some see it has a hate group; others as cutting-edge activism and yet others as just a step above a mob.

"Most of the folks in the movement are young and we're black so they assume we're uneducated and uninformed and we're just angry and in the streets," says Johnetta Elzie, a leader in the BLM movement and Campaign Zero, another organization formed to fight police brutality.

MORE...

http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/29/us/black-lives-matter-blowing-it/

[Old Union Guy]

1. Are BLM no longer useful to the Democratic Party? n/t

[emulatorloo]

3. Movement never was about political parties, it is about what they say it is about.

not "Democrats Matter"

IMHO Democrats understand that, or came to understand it quickly.

Primaries are over but there was misunderstanding and invective hurled at them by primary supporters of all of our fine primary candidates.

Lots of them finally began to "get" it, so good on them.

[Old Union Guy]

14. I agree, but that doesn't stop anyone from trying to co-opt them.

It was more of a comment on the OP, not the movement.

[Exilednight]

2. They put forward a ten point list of demands, and they are

Laudable goals, but they have no suggestions on how to get there.

They're message gets lost in their rhetoric. I was sent to meet with some of their "leadership" and it was a total disaster. I asked questions and only received accusations.

If they want to be taken seriously they need to do d a coherent message and work on solutions.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

4. I foresee this thread recieving the stinkeye.

[emulatorloo]

6. Hope to hell it does.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

10. It depends on the content and validity of the stink.

[emulatorloo]

12. Fair enough.

[Shandris]

5. ...four years?

How is this movement four years old? I didn't hear of it until Ferguson. Odd that a four year organization flew under my radar so long if it was truly grassroots and national; usually only the bulwark-tier thinktanks do that, and they do that to everyone. Hrm.

At any rate, I think their leaders are the backed/publicized ones that the Medes want us to know about. King and McKesson (spelling?). If there are others, I haven't heard of them. Oh, and wasn't there someone named Simone or Symone? Seems vaguely familiar, but can't quite remember.

As for what they want, less order. To a degree I can back that; a focus on order to the exclusion of certain other things (safety among them) isn't necessarily helpful, but I do recall noting they went way too far in their 'demands', but I can't quite remember why. I think it was the 'minor infractions' thing, but again...can't recall for certain.

There we go. Answered from pure memory, no looking anything up (as that's how most Americans will be if they are just randomly asked somewhere about a group and if they've heard of them).

No, I don't think they're 'blowing it'. I think they're accomplishing exactly what it is they're (actually) intended to accomplish.

[Dems2002]

7. Wow - the white privilege reeking of condescension

White people - it's clearly all about us. What do "they" want? Why don't I get it? Why didn't they do x,y,z in order to pay deference to white fragility? Why haven't they succeeded? Why do "they" hate me? It's not my fault! Blah.

Ugh. I am so ashamed sometimes.

The movement has moved the needle on awareness of crimes against African Americans and problems in our criminal injustice system. People, including some white people, are recording the actions of police officers and holding the system ever so slightly more accountable. The media covers shootings and racist crimes committed by law enforcement that have always existed but never made the news.

Real steps are being taken at the local level all over the country. Change does not happen in a day, month or year. Systemic racism embedded in the fabric of our society needs to be rooted out and there needs to be a willingness from people who have power to confront this. Which is very very very hard!

This elite condescension and need to simplify everything for the sound byte is one of the biggest problems in our society. It's why Donald trump has been allowed to rise to the level he has.

[guillaumeb]

9. Recommended. An excellent reply. eom

[emulatorloo]

13. Well said. Really appreciate your response.

[Brickbat]

16. This, right here.

[Tree-Hugger]

17. This should be it's own OP

Excellent.

[Igel]

19. John Blake wrote this.

Few think he's white.

Perhaps the photos I've seen of him have been photoshopped. (I haven't watched CNN except with the sound off while waiting for a pizza in over a decade.)

If not, he's not talking about "them" across a racial divide but as an actual organization, however loosely defined, that he's not a member of.

[Starry Messenger]

20. +1

[oberliner]

21. The author is African-American

Are you not aware of that?

[Democat]

24. Black people who disagree with you have white privilege?

The word is worthless if it's applies to anyone who disagrees with you.

[Skittles]

26. the author is not white

get a grip already

[KG]

28. the author isn't white, but that doesn't make your assessment wrong.

[TipTok]

30. You know what this reminds me of?

[Dems2002]

32. Sorry

I actually checked the thread and the poster before going off. However, it was absolutely my mistake for not checking the author. I knew I should do so but let myself get bent because it feels like too many white progressives here are so quick to blast blm at the drop of the hat, which is how I took this share. I have a ton of respect for what blm has accomplished. I'm sorry for overshadowing that through my own carelessness.

[frazzled]

8. I believe in them

But I do think they could use some help from some experienced, successful organizers to help shape and hone their efforts. They need to find the ways to influence not just the public but lawmakers from the very local to state and federal. They need prioritize their goals (because you can't get everything at once), fine-tune the ways to make them achievable, and then do a lot of behind the scenes work with the power brokers in each city.

Street protests are fine for consciousness raising, if they're done right. But the real work happens in the halls of power. Follow the lead of Dr. King's organization and I think we'll start to see success.

Otherwise, they'll just go the way of Occupy.

[msongs]

11. Black Lives Matter is self-explanatory. does it really need organization, structure, spokespersons?

[bananakabob]

15. No.

But considering they have to fight against institutionalised racism in the police department AND casual racism among the general population AND the media, I imagine it's hard considering you have to fight extra hard to be heard.

[rbrnmw]

18. Not this shit again

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028062147

[KMOD]

22. It's about equality, equal rights and equal justice.

How this is difficult for any liberal minded person to understand is beyond me.

[TipTok]

23. "Some see it has a hate group; others as cutting-edge activism and yet others as just a step above .

... a mob"

It's all of those things as there is no entrance qualification, leadership, policy, chapters etc.. etc.. etc...

Anyone who claims to represent it... is it...

[Jim Beard]

25. I assume you are all in favor of Marissa Johnsons tactics?

[That Guy 888]

27. No. n/t

[stonecutter357]

29. BLM Pissing OFF All The RIGHT People..

[Buckeye_Democrat]

31. I would prefer to see more education...

... and less blocking of highways. That's just going to annoy people.

This episode of Frontline called "Policing the Police" is surely eye-opening to many whites:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/policing-the-police/

I live in a predominantly white city. The police here linger around the poorer sections far more frequently than more wealthy areas. However, I've never seen police randomly frisk people here for weapons and drugs like the people are already in prison! It amazed me to see such behavior in Newark, NJ during that Frontline episode.

[romanic]

33. BLM just has no direction.

They yell and scream and block highways and protests, but when the time comes to present a plan for true change, there is none. The hype dies down until another black man gets shot dead by the police, then the yelling and screaming and blocking and protesting begins again.

It's a leaderless movement dependent on a cycle of tragedy and violence. You can't get anywhere with such a movement.

[LWolf]

34. I don't think so.

To answer the questions you posted:

BLM wants to, in their own words, end systematic and targeted devaluing and taking of black lives. They want black liberation. This information is clearly stated on their website.

Have BLM leaders condemned the shooting of police officers? Sure.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosebuchanan/black-lives-matter-leaders-condemn-violence-in-dallas?utm_term=.nulorkGY8#.ny9ym0N42

The article was a good read.

[Vattel]

35. As such groups go, they have been amazingly effective.

Their protests successfully got their concerns front and center in the campaigns of Sanders, O'Malley and Clinton. And I don't think Clinton will forget them come January 20.