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The most important part of civil rights protesting is the part that never really gets talked about. It wasn’t ‘peaceful protest’ it was ‘non-violent resistance.’
In other words, they went into protest zones fully expecting harsh violence. In many cases, they were required to sign wills before they went. A person I know who participated said that they would often pray and worship for hours to prepare themselves for what could happen.
They also participated in extensive trainings. The kids that did sit down strikes at lunch counters all trained for those strikes. So did the people who did bus integrations and the ones that organized voters in the south etc etc.
They trained and prayed and signed wills and prepared themselves because they knew it was dangerous work that had a good chance of getting them kille—Bcz they committed to resisting that violence without violence.
Non violent resistance didnt mean they just marched around the block and went home. That meant that they strategically, morally and ethically developed strategies for withstanding and exploiting white violence for justice.
If you look at the fighting that happened back then over non violent resistance—white police KNEW white supremacist violence was being out maneuvered. They weren’t angry cuz MLK marched around the block and went home. They were angry bcz—
Protestors exposed their violence and white supremacists had to save face’ to other white people, the govt, the USSR, etc by not using violence and integrating.
disagreement btwn MLK and Malcom X was not bcz MLk kneeled and then went home. It was based on strategies. MLK said when they hit, we resist without violence. Ie. We protect each other by covering defenseless person up, we make them physically carry 200 of us—
Individually to paddy wagons. People with cars give people w/o rides to work. We sit at lunch counter in groups.
Malcom x (at first) said if they hit me, im hitting back. Both men recognized—white people will hit.
White people WILL hit. So what are we going to do about it.
And THAT is the part that many who are pointing to MLK and calling for peaceful protests are refusing to reckon with. The police WILL hit. They will kill. They will destroy. They will. They question is what to do about it.
When people call for peaceful protests—they are saying that *when the police hit, strike, murder you, do nothing*. Just *take it*.
MLk did not just take it. He resisted it using non violent methods. If you are telling people to resist using non-violent methods—you are STILL telling them—be willing to die. Be willing to sacrifice your body, mind, life to violence.
If YOU are not out on the protest line, resisting being shot at, tear gassed, driven over, without violence—what right do you have to insist anybody else does?
have you earned the right to demand somebody to be permanently blinded, imprisoned, murdered so they can be free?
do you have the right to demand somebody sacrifice their life and well being to be free--when *we know non-violent ways to make people free*? like: defunding the police, funding schools, feeding people, giving living wages, etc?
