Bandwagoning In An Era Of Resistance
There’s more you can do than disapprove of Trump’s policies.
2017 has barely begun and people are literally up in arms over the social and political climate of the world (and rightly so). It was on display during the Women’s March On Washington, and we are seeing it more as the #NoMuslimBan movement is growing rapidly around the globe.
Donald Trump’s effect has trickled down to individuals worldwide, as his neoliberal, divisive rhetoric has come to fruition since his inauguration as President.
As is now well known, Trump signed several executive orders shortly after being inaugurated. These include: banning federal money from going into international groups that perform abortion, banning refugees and dual citizens from seven Muslim majority countries re-entry into the States, and oh yeah, he still is promising to build a wall between Mexico and the United States.
We can say that the resistance has built up since Trump’s days campaigning, but the reality of him being commander-in-chief and acting upon his racist, misogynistic and Islamophobic views have changed the way in which individuals are responding.
It seems like the days of passive tweeting and ego-centric Facebook posts/commentary are long gone and, alas, we are in a time of resistance. Hashtags have become signs on protest posters, and social movements are slowly brewing, if not making a comeback.
Although I find it comforting knowing that the world isn’t so bleak and that some people have some basic humanity in them to stand up for marginalized and oppressed groups, some questions still haunt me.
What happens now after the Women’s March?
What should we be doing to support the #NoMuslimBan protests everyday?
Did we really need Donald Trump to reveal all that is wrong in the world?
Are we really showing up for the most vulnerable? Or have we done our due diligence by carrying posters and marching in the streets to only return to privileged lives?
Some may not want to rock the boat as we have merely scratched the surface of what resistance looks like, but I think more can be done, everyday.
The women’s march was successful in numbers and diversity, and we shouldn’t forget that each woman has a different definition of what their own womanhood looks like and means. The #NoMuslimBan has brought forward the validity of refugees and muslim lives, but Islamophobia is very much still alive everyday.
Intersectionality and solidarity are different things. The march showed a lot of solidarity. White women, black, asian, latino, trans, lesbian, queer and non-binary women, and even men all marched side-by-side, honouring the rights to womanhood. But to honour intersectionality is a white woman passing the microphone of privilege to a black woman, latino woman or Muslim woman and allowing them to share their experiences not only as women but also as immigrant women, black women, or women with disabilities. Intersectionality would be white women acknowledging that women’s issues regarded as important enough are often those of white, middle-class women.
Yet women’s issues, Muslim issues, Indigenous issues and issues faced by black individuals are complex and intertwined. Unravelling this complexity requires us to do more than just be responsive to Trump. We need to allow spaces for the most marginalized people to lead the movements in response to him.
So, what should we do to create safe spaces for marginalized people during this time?
1. Constantly evaluate your privilege.
If you are white it’s obviously extremely important to acknowledge your privilege. But what is often overlooked is the marginalized person who has internalized racism, misogyny, islamophobia. It’s even increasingly more important to evaluate your privilege as an activist. Is your activism/social justice inclusive? Is your language accessible?
2. If you are a white, cis-gendered, able bodied, or male/female with privilege, ask marginalized folk what they need from you.
White privilege often warrants white guilt, which leads to involuntary, often oppressive ways of “helping”. Before speaking out (or tweeting), talk to marginalized individuals to ensure you understand their experiences. And before you speak or advocate, ask if you can. Most of the time you allow marginalized people’s voices to be amplified, and you decentre yourself from the conversation.
3. Listen to marginalized folk.
Gaslighting and tone policing are acts of oppression that seek to silence marginalized people and instruct them how to frame their realities. Categorizing black individuals as “aggressive” when speaking about their oppression, or calling a BLM protest a riot, are prime example of this. White privilege allows white individuals to assume a place of innocence when confronted with racism. Avoid this by listening and validating the experiences of marginalized individuals without asking them to state their voices and experiences in a way palatable to you
4. Read about intersectionality and systematic oppression.
Oppression intersects in different ways: race, class, disability, sexuality and immigration status can exist in one single body. Marginalized folk are under no obligation to explain their oppression to you. It’s important for a person with privilege to understand the social, political and economic contexts of systematic oppression, on your own.
5. Attend protests and marches led and organized by marginalized individuals.
Supporting distinct marches for black, Muslim, refugee and/or Indigenous rights are key ways to avoid categorizing social justice issues as just “black issues” or “Muslim issues”. Participating allows you to step outside your privilege and witness why resistance is central to the marginalized individual.
6. Accept that each struggle is distinct in history and its contemporary contexts.
Lastly but perhaps the most important to remember, the struggles of marginalized people will always be rooted in history. Black, Indigenous, and Muslim people all have distinct histories. It’s important not to compare each struggle or conflate them. Just as how you have to name a country when saying you’re going to Africa, give groups the respect and honour to name their struggles.
Of course this list does not assume that there is solidarity amongst marginalized people. However, it makes it easier for marginalized people to support each other when whiteness/white supremacy in society is explicitly named.
There’s a war on marginalized people, which means that there’s a war on ignorance as well.
In the famous words of James Baldwin: “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have”
For further review on topics discussed, here are some books that can help:
Women, Race and Class — Angela Davis
Assata — Assata Shakur
The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions — Paula Gunn Allen
The Autobiography of Malcolm X — Malcolm X
Between The World and Me — Ta-Nehisi Coates
Culture and Imperialism — Edward Said
