Organize the South

Below is a response to an email about the Bring the Ruckus southern strategy. The strategy makes Atlanta a focal point and the question was, given the recent events, should New Orleans be made the focal point.

We should recognize that we are still in the middle of a response to Katrina. I think we all have had a visceral reaction to the intellectual truth of this government. It's one thing to say the US government will let people die, even encourage it. It's another to see it, and another still when many of those people are friends and colleagues. My feelings of rage are fueling my work right now, but I don't wan them to color my analysis. At least not too much.

That said, I'm unsure if it makes sense to make New Orleans a physical focal point. I do think it has to be a political one. What I mean is, NOLA right now only exists in the minds of people. What it will look like will depend on a battle still to be fought. To my mind, this is a concrete fight against neoliberalism. The US political and economic elite want NOLA to become an R rate Disneyland free of the poor, Black and brown. To defeat this plan will require more than resistance, we will have to present an alternative vision and a build a national power base capable of implementing it. While the leadership for building this vision must come from NOLA residents it can't be left to them.

For the last week or so I've been referring to BtR's project as solidarity work. Joel disagrees with me and I may be convinced of his position, but here's why I've been using the word. Samora Machel defined solidarity as "International solidarity is not an act of charity. It is an act of unity between allies fighting on different terrains toward the same objective. The foremost of these objectives is to aid the development of humanity to the highest level possible." So in my reading, NOLA is a site of struggle against neoliberalism but it's a struggle we are simultaneously waging in our communities. What if, during the same week, communities across the country held meetings, forums, doorknocking, etc. that asked residents what they would like their home to look like? NOLA would be the kick off but since neoliberalism is kicking the ass of the entire countries poor, this visioning session would be linked across the country. In fighting for this vision we can reframe the struggle from what should NOLA look like to what should the US look like. Solidarity with NOLA is not direct aid or charity, but opening multiple fronts in the struggle.

Right now is probably not the time to run with a tactic just because it's proposed. But I do think it's time to think much bigger.