stop misusing mlk’s “peaceful protest” - a thread on history #BlackLivesMatter

mlk’s protests started in the south where there was de facto segregation: legal separation. his “peaceful protest” methods worked bc there were tangible things that mlk and the sclc could tackle, like segregation in schools.

but as mlk turned his attention to the north, he dealt with de jure segregation: separation that exists bc of sentiments (de jure segregation is voluntary and done ON PURPOSE). while de facto segregation still exists, de jure segregation is mostly the world we live in today.

mlk’s biggest issue was with northern white moderates. In letter from a bham jail, he tells liberal church leaders theyre “more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice..constantly saying: ‘I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action’”

basically: he didn’t want to wait for change, and it was important to be firm and not passive! but going back to de jure segregation, it was harder for him to make changes in the north, bc he’d need to change their MINDSET, in addition to their laws.

and in a country that is majority white, built on a society that is rooted in racism and meant to be advantageous for whites, peaceful protesting DIDNT WORK, bc the racists got even angrier, bc god FORBID others fight for equal rights :/

our schools like to paint mlk as the good guy bc he liked peace, and malcolm x as the bad guy bc he was “angry”. but who’s to say that anger isn’t a valid emotion? how can someone protest without feeling anger towards an establishment that has always wronged them?

why am i making this thread? bc mlk’s words r being twisted to support a disgusting narrative. we celebrate an entire fucking holiday for him only to learn and spread a distorted version of his vision

ppl paint him as a fuzzy “oh, let’s all hug it out and be friends” kind of guy, but he wasn’t all that. he’s not the person to use as an example when u want to justify “blm makes me uncomfortable”.

yes, mlk believed in love. but he didn’t mean “let’s love each other so we don’t have to protest ”, he meant that love could cause people to change. his message of nonviolence was NOT meant to silence ppl.

if u use him as an excuse to undermine blm, you’re part of the problem, you’re part of the “white moderate” who mlk was fighting against. this is important bc the rest of us can’t just silent, we need to start speaking up. https://twitter.com/danitycafe/status/1266063302335115266