TROUBL

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead

One of the greatest fallacies ever spread throughout the hearts and minds of people in our society is the idea that we are powerless to prevent the injustices which keep us enslaved and ignorant. It has become commonplace for those who speak of hope and unity to be considered naïve, blinded by their own idealism. Fear and apathy have permeated every aspect of our cultural existence, regulating our lives to the routine of daily survival. Our cultural expressions of art, music, literature, and dance are harvested by mainstream corporate enterprises for profit its creators will never see. The message behind the form is assimilated, tamed, and finally dropped altogether, leaving all but the hollow legacy of yesteryear. We are the soon-to-be-forgotten, middle children of history whose culture has been bought, sold, and recycled continuously until it is finally parodied in a “reality” television show. Pretty bleak picture: good thing it is all bullshit.

Listen: every revolution starts small. Millions of people do not all-of-a-sudden come to a consensus one day that it would be a great idea to do what the pretty pink flyer says and “March on Wherever.” These movements which grow too large for the mainstream media to ignore are the result of long term community organizing. A few dedicated, imaginative individuals gathering together to discuss local politics in their homes, schools or religious institutions are the apple seeds necessary for change. The holes in the story told by the talking head on the nightly news or the paragraph-long article written by John Q. Supersnoop create a gross misconception about small movements and local actions. The authenticity of one’s resolve is not based upon the size of a crowd, which celebrities showed up or how much money is being thrown around. The wide majority of active people in any community will be ignored. Most activists are not found on t-shirts or in books. It’s a damn good thing we do not do it for the glory of it all. Nevertheless, throughout our history, thousands of groups have come together to change the way in which we live and think about race, class, sex, gender, religion, liberty…etc.

An excellent example of lessons we can take from the past can be found in the famous story of Ms. Rosa Parks. While her act of civil disobedience is said to be the catalyst which sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, (not to mention the entire Civil Rights Movement) her situation was not unique. It is important to remember that the Jim Crow laws of segregation had affected an entire race of people. There were many people who were victims of this vicious, racist treatment under the guise of “separate but equal” rhetoric. Similarly, the actions taken by Dr. King in response were not isolated. While he was the voice leading the people, channeling their outrage into an effective force of non-violent action, he was aided by the church, local organizations and effectively the entire community. The problem of course is that through blatant deception and incomplete information history books and the mainstream media have pigeonholed these figures into heroic strata above the very community of which they were apart. As a matter of fact, the entirety of the Civil Rights era has been veiled in a thin veneer of propaganda which systematically sought to confuse idealism and rebellion. Between the 1950s and 1970s, groups of every conceivable voice in this country were active. Unfortunately, over the course of generations, that message was lost for a more promising one of shiny, new toys and more money.

Before any type of revolution can occur, we must be able to imagine what one would look like. Taking an extra few moments to think about the role we play in our daily lives is a great first step. From the powers of the global communication through the internet and blogging, down to a cup of morning coffee with a friend or neighbor, we can make our voices heard. There are always the traditional methods of being active in politics, such as voting and writing to your congressman. But, also consider the numerous not-for-profit organizations and grassroots movements. Change is a slow, perpetually evolving process. Usually, we do not see it until we step outside of the bubble we use to protect ourselves and take a gander at the past. Rather than slipping into an apathetic coma, we could strive to become socially conscious of our community, learning from one another from moment to moment. A collective of free thinking, creative individuals with a common vision for a better world: that, my friends, is what we call a movement.