Protests are fine as part of a multifaceted strategy. They're less effective when you don't have control of the executive branch and there's now a known nasty exernality in the form of rural white voters getting really riled up. The big issue w/ protesting wasn't the protesting itself, it was the "Protest, don't vote" stuff that was being thrown around pre-election, and hopefully a lot of people got knocked back into reality by what happened in November.
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Black Lives Matter shifts strategy from street protests to policy in the Trump-era
- Thread starter RastaMentality
- Start date
Vicetrailia
Member
Their protesting got Obama to do some stuff though, but under Trump they rather pass laws against protesting. But BLM has always been about policy. Those inactive don't know that though.
They way they are trying to create change isn't the issue for certain people.
Let the church say amen
RastaMentality
Banned
This is an aggressively blatant lie. Protests are the reason BLM is a globally known entity and the biggest new protest group of the century. It's an established household name.
excelsiorlef
Member
Nana Ruth finally won!
But seriously this is probably a safe move given I'd be terrified of what a Sessions led DOJ would do combined with the media's tendency to just nod along quietly at Trump propaganda...
But seriously this is probably a safe move given I'd be terrified of what a Sessions led DOJ would do combined with the media's tendency to just nod along quietly at Trump propaganda...
A motherfucking lie
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
Good move, should lead to more sustainable activity.
Those people don't have minds
Those people don't have minds
You know, I almost made a comment like "Trump Supporters certainly can't call themselves the Majority of the Nation," but then I realized that was completely wrong. Trump supporters would lie about being the Majority of the Nation and call anything that disagrees with them with actual facts 'fake news.'
I agree, there is anything wrong with "The Majority", just like there is nothing with Black Lives Matter, is all I'm saying.
Yeah, they always had a platform, but I don't think they were actually all that effective about it.
The good and bad part about policing is that it's a local issue. You can have a big impact on it, especially since local elections are often just a few thousand people voting. Clearly national attention was not being translated to effective action.
EDIT: One of the points the article touches on, but doesn't really talk much about, is the media coverage. And I think the part they're missing is that local issues like this have definitely been harmed by the dismantling of traditional local papers. Trump is always going to be bigger news on CNN—expecting them to replace home-grown media that can have an impact in the community they cover is hoping for the sky to change color.
DontBeThatGuy
Member
Good stuff. Winning elections is ultimately gonna be the way forward.
Mass_Pincup
Banned
Now I'm waiting for people to say that this is not the way and that they can't support the mouvement.
BlazinSkatinAxel
Member
No matter what happens, that was going to happen anyway under the leadership of Jeff Suppressions.
nephilimdj
Member
How is it going to work? I mean Bernie was there every week with Killer Mike promising billions in Affirmative Action money and changes. BLM people were still upset.
We change policy, y'all don't even notice because you're dumb and uninformed anyway.
The way they are trying to create change isn't the issue for certain people.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
Can we have one thread without old dude being brought up
nephilimdj
Member
Im reflecting on the fact they meet with Hillary and the orginsation was split between 2 even when one made a better offer, How do BLM now seperate themselves from anifita and the resist movements in making there message heard
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
You really equate BLM with "antifa"
Why you lying?
Fuck killer mike
Shocked when he came with "Bernie was the chosen one". Damn can't even talk about shit without bringing him up. His ass out on tour doing fuck all while the country is burning.
Bernie Sanders could have offered every black person 40 acres and a cadillac. Nobody believed him, and for good reason if you look at congress.
His promises were worth as much as Trumps...maybe even less.
Rest
All these years later I still chuckle at what a fucking moron that guy is.
And what policy has been changed? People going outside and yelling for a few hours, feeling good about themselves and then not voting doesn't change anything.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
You have data that shows participants in BLM protests didn't vote?
LordKasual
Banned
Proof?
Poor GRIMES
Banned
It's probably impossible to find fhat data, but I know that the most active participants in the BLM movement are Black adults between ages 30 and 64, which is a demographic that absolutely does vote.
The second most active demographic skew younger, and we all know that the youth never gets up out their asses to vote for anything.
Anecdotally, I know a lot of younger folks that were very proud to be part of the movement and participated in "protest voting" with stupid shit write-in votes during the actual election. I haven't found the prevalence of that data tho
https://www.aaai.org/ocs/index.php/SSS/SSS16/paper/viewFile/12720/11945
Wonderful. There are so many Blue states, counties, and cities that have fucked up things going on in them. The easiest way to help people who are open to change is to work at the local level RIGHT NOW where we have power rather than focusing largely on forcing change nationally where it just isn't possible with the current math. It's easier to get more people to care and be active in their own backyard. That's real grassroots.
Poor GRIMES
Banned
Absolutely.
I do think there's something to be said about BLM being a relatively new organization and how its more active participants have the tendency to be younger. Younger voters across the board aren't a reliable voting bloc
TheLaughingStock
Member
I'm sure they accomplished a lot more yelling outside than anyone who voted for political losers like the 60 million + Democrat voters back on Nov 8. Millions found out quickly how little their opinion matters. Not only did folks waste time and money but they probably don't feel good about themselves. They should take the BLM approach instead so at least when they don't get what they want they'll have that.
Mammoth Jones
Member
Protests work but protests backed up by boycotts work better. We will get there. But we still a long ways off till people really willing to sacrifice and struggle on the scale they did back in the day.
Economic activism is always going to be more effective (because money is easier for people to understand than concepts like equality of opportunity!), but I'm not sure how well that tracks with BLM's goals. Ultimately their obstacle is a state-funded institution (which has been starved of funds and used as a fundraising mechanism itself.) You can't really boycott your local government the way you could a bus line, lunch counter, or company with a racist CEO.*
*With the internet I'm also not sure economic actions work as well either just because you can pool racist dollars to counteract it. I suppose it's still effective long-term because after the news cycle has cooled it's unlikely continual support to the racist bakery or whatever will persist, but I'm not aware of any studies done on this.
It's much harder to boycott now than it was during the civil rights era. It's close to impossible to boycott multinational corporations cause they got their hands in everything with multiple fucking product lines. Also, it's really hard for poorer folks to boycott. Like people will look at you like you got eyes if you tell them to boycott the one brand that's cheap enough for them to afford. I think the #shutitdown style protest makes up for that in 2017. People using their bodies to shut down huge shopping centers is a big blow especially during the busy seasons and in the end, the same result is achieved.
Vicetrailia
Member
Just remember that if protesting starts to work again they'll do it again. But this time you have true assholes in office.