White ally here asking for an opinion on the BLM/Sanders protests.

[intheflow]

10. Thank you so much for this deep and rich response.

Last edited Sun Aug 9, 2015, 05:30 PM - Edit history (2)

I am particularly appreciative of the time and research you gave to answering each of my questions specifically.

The most enlightening correlation in your response (for me) was your drawing my attention to the local aspect of each BLM chapter beyond (or inclusive of?) the national narratives and headlines. Here in Denver there's a BLM protest today to change the name of a newly emerged neighborhood, situated on the site of our former airport, Stapleton. Stapleton Airport was named after a former Denver mayor, who was also a local KKK leader. Your inclusion of the Seattle press release, your local Detroit issues, and seeing my local BLM's action come up on my facebook feed has crystallized this perspective for me. I am grateful for your ability to help me (and hopefully others) make such a profound contextural connection.

I also so heartened to hear that the emerging leaders are young and educated. I don't see formal education as the be-all and end-all of organizing, but it gives a gravitas to their words that I can leverage in discussions I have with educated white liberals, who are almost always more willing to listen to educated people than non-educated people. It can be a double-edged sword - as with white adoration of Cornell West or Ben Carson - or it can be brandished to shame any suggestion that the organizers are "mere ignorant masses." That the organizers are young also gives me great hope for the future.