Protest is not meant to change the minds of the oppressors, y’all. Movement theorists Mark and Paul Engler wrote, “When people decide to risk their safety or to face arrest, their decisions have the effect of mobilizing the communities closest to them.”

We are always, always trying to move the needle with protest, nonviolent or otherwise. This is why when y’all talk about sh**ting back, I get worried. Not because I’m a pacifist, but because yesterday, we saw tanks roll into Minneapolis, and most of our people are unarmed.

If y’all are telling people to sh**t back, I hope y’all have are ready to dispense military grade weapons and training.

The protests serve to polarize the people closest to us. They must make a decision: do our lives matter? And if so, what are they willing to lose, to risk, fighting for and with us?