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So everyone& #39;s like "what are the Black orgs/organizers doing? what do they tell us to do?" Stop waiting for us to tell you what to do. Have we not given you all the tools you need leading up to this moment?
I mean, I get it for sure. Like, you don& #39;t wanna overstep. But guess what: we don& #39;t have all the answers either. And it takes a lot to plan an action while simultaneously grieving.
People want us to plan the actions, get the marshals, get the medics, get the LOs, etc. I don& #39;t think people truly understand how much it is to hold the safety of total strangers who show up to an action. The moment something goes wrong, it all falls on that org.
we MUST get to a place - if we plan to win - where we& #39;re not depending on orgs/Black organizers to create every space for you to protest and to protest "safely". Instead, we should begin actively practicing "We Keep Us Safe".
"We Keep Us Safe" means you and your people/org members are constantly doing trainings to be better on the ground. You& #39;re developing skills and sharing skills. You& #39;re finding your strengths. You know your best role in an action and you take it.
"We Keep Us Safe" means you& #39;re showing up not depending on anyone else to "marshal" you, create lanes and routes for you to march, etc. It means you show up able to keep yourself safe and ready to jump in for others where you& #39;re needed with the skills you have.
And "we keep us safe" doesn& #39;t always mean frontline. It can mean seeking out information about what& #39;s happening on the ground and sharing it. It could mean making shields for actions, getting gear together, hosting trainings, raising money for relief, etc.
When you put all your faith in the Black organizer and Black led orgs you put us in a very specific type of danger. We& #39;re providing something. Meet us halfway. Be at our side. We& #39;re not here to lead you, and people who wanna lead you can& #39;t be trusted.
We all suffer under whiteness and white supremacy. ALL. Fight like you know that. Be at my side, not my back.
If you go to an action and you feel unprepared and you& #39;re also a part of an org - that& #39;s on your leadership. If you& #39;re feeling unprepared then probably many of your members are as well. And it& #39;s no one& #39;s fault - most of us weren& #39;t ready for this moment.
But it& #39;s on your leadership to begin preparing you. Every org that is involved in direct actions should have everyone trained up to be a part of direct actions (hopefully trained in multiple roles).
