Barbara Reynolds:I was a civil rights activist in 1960s. On Black Lives Matter

[jeffk]

She makes some good points imo. Basically she says that the Black Lives Matter movement doesn't respect the tradition of movement led by Martin Luther King Jr.

In some ways the movement is more inclusive since women have more power. In general, the BLM lacks vision and discipline.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...hard-for-me-to-get-behind-black-lives-matter/

Many in my crowd admire the cause and courage of these young activists but fundamentally disagree with their approach. Trained in the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr., we were nonviolent activists who won hearts by conveying respectability and changed laws by delivering a message of love and unity. BLM seems intent on rejecting our proven methods. This movement is ignoring what our history has taught.

 

[Falsedawn]

What, that MLK wasnt shit until the NOI started threatening people? That history?

 

[Devout Pessimist]

"This ain't your grandparents civil rights movement."

 

[Sycho Sid]

First: when have the BLM folks used violence? I do not really keep up on it, but I thought they were just intrusive, not violent.

Second: Most movements (at least in my time) lack an end game. They just try and get the message out there and hope that it inspires change.

 

[jeffk]

A couple more exerts:

at protests today, it is difficult to distinguish legitimate activists from the mob actors who burn and loot. The demonstrations are peppered with hate speech, profanity, and guys with sagging pants that show their underwear. Even if the BLM activists aren’t the ones participating in the boorish language and dress, neither are they condemning it.

The loving, nonviolent approach is what wins allies and mollifies enemies. But what we have seen come out of Black Lives Matter is rage and anger — justifiable emotions, but questionable strategy. For months, it seemed that BLM hadn’t thought beyond that raw emotion, hadn’t questioned where it would all lead.


...

But we should remember the words of King: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The civil rights movement was not exclusively a black movement for black people. It valued all human lives, even those of people who worked against us. I can’t believe that the life of a murdered white police officer, or an Asian child sold into sex slavery, or a hungry family in Appalachia are lives that don’t matter.

In a sense, even the slogan “Black Lives Matter” is too broad because the movement overlooks black-on-black homicides, the leading cause of death for black males between the ages of 15 and 34. That horrific fact remains off the movement’s radar, for fear that it puts black men in a negative light. So which black lives really matter?

 

[nixkid]

The vision seems pretty clear to me:

http://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision

Also, its debatable whether or not its constructive for protesters to put out policy initiatives at all.

 

[Jjunk]

Its like the OWS loons. Placing the majority of the blame on the wrong people

 

[MDWv2]

First: when have the BLM folks used violence? I do not really keep up on it, but I thought they were just intrusive, not violent.

Second: Most movements (at least in my time) lack an end game. They just try and get the message out there and hope that it inspires change.

Are you being serious?

http://news.yahoo.com/two-nypd-officers-shot-in-patrol-car-in-brooklyn-212637751.html

I do believe police brutality is an issue and that discrimination is occurring to the black community, however black lives matters protestors are just hurting their own cause by being acting ignorant and divisive.

For example, the Bernie Sanders incident.

 

[Islam Imamate]

For example, the Bernie Sanders incident.

I'm pretty sure the Sanders campaign released their plan to deal with racial justice afterwards ans did at least one other candidate so in the end it worked.

 

[jaredmc16]

The BLM movement is the worst thing to happen to the black community in a long time.

Blacks have a high crime rate, high poverty rate, and low education. And instead of stepping up and pointing out that they have a high single parent household rate, low graduation rate, and blindly voting for the last 40 years, these people are doing nothing but making excuses and blaming everyone else. What other race blames everyone else for their problems? None, that's why blacks are the only race that haven't progressed in the last 40 years.

BLM supporters are idiots

 

[__Big_D__]

The problem with the BLM movement is the discipline. The group just wants attention no matter the source of it, so they can raise more funds to continue their activist professions.

I lost all respect for the movement after they inexplicably targeted Bernie Sanders and after seeing protesters block off entire highways. It's sad watching them go to extremes for attention

 

[roller]

I'm pretty sure the Sanders campaign released their plan to deal with racial justice afterwards ans did at least one other candidate so in the end it worked.

Because politicians would never say they are gonna do something just to appease voters....

 

[Islam Imamate]

Because politicians would never say they are gonna do something just to appease voters....

Of course they do but that's how you get stuff done in a democracy. You assemble and you get heard however you can without breaking the laws. They used a controversial but clearly effective way to get Sanders' attention and it worked because they got his campaign to react on the issue

 

[speakhandsforme]

BLM is a meaningful movement with very real grievances. However, with a unorganized grassroots movement, you really can't control the weirdos who want to act on behalf of your ranks.

It's not like politics: there's no extensive hierarchy.

I mean, for poor, everyday protestors, are these wackos really that awful compared to, say, the worst politicians relative to their group's norm?

 

[Islam Imamate]

The problem with the BLM movement is the discipline. The group just wants attention no matter the source of it, so they can raise more funds to continue their activist professions.

I lost all respect for the movement after they inexplicably targeted Bernie Sanders and after seeing protesters block off entire highways. It's sad watching them go to extremes for attention

I'm not a huge fan of them either but I have to agree with them when they say that to get attention sometimes you have to rustle some feathers. I don't think blocking off highways was the best idea but, as much as I like Sanders, I think they succeeded when targeted him. Why Sanders? Well, because he's the one most likely to listen and it worked because shortly after his campaign outlined their policy on racial justice.

I think they do have a problem though and its a lack of organization. Its not as much a mess as OWS as they have released policy suggestions but they suffer from a lot of the same issues other social movements by millennials do. Namely that these movements can sprout up incredibly quickly due to social media but because they don't have to do the leg work of organizing through institutions like churches they're also more liable to splinter and fizzle out. That risk is increased by the fact that they move onto the strets before forming a unified voice and message. Given how democratized social media and the internet has made this sort of thing and their focus, or rather more generally young leftists' focus, on internationality and diversity means you can have a plethora of competing voices within one movement drowning one another out before you get anything meaningful done.

 

[roller]

Of course they do but that's how you get stuff done in a democracy. You assemble and you get heard however you can without breaking the laws. They used a controversial but clearly effective way to get Sanders' attention and it worked because they got his campaign to react on the issue

What worked?

If their goal was to get somebody to talk about it and consider making changes then sure victory won. Otherwise they haven't actually accomplished anything yet.

 

[Islam Imamate]

What worked?

If their goal was to get somebody to talk about it and consider making changes then sure victory won. Otherwise they haven't actually accomplished anything yet.

Well that's the first step. I imagine they're not happy with just that and it still remains to be seen whether or not they'll ultimately get what they want but that specific maneuver, crashing Sanders speech to force his campaign to react to their message, was effective.

 

[Bald1]

Ever since Bernie Sanders got shat on for daring to say all lives matter I can't help but think of the BLM movement as a supremacist movement.

Their public "front" is the same as white supremacist groups in that they say they're not necessarily against any other race, but prefer to put their own first. Seems like a divisive and dangerous way of thinking. It promotes an us against them mentality.

They're not out to win hearts and minds and gather support. Venting and getting rid of frustrations seems like their primary goal. Like someone else said they remind me of the OWS movement. Lots of anger but no focus, or any plans implement change.

 

[Social Distance Warrior]

Fantastic article....especially the most glaringly ignored, dismissed fact by blm activists and dipshit white guilt liberals...

The leading cause of young black male deaths is from other young black males..

Which black lives matter? Great question.

Oh, and in before this author is called an Uncle Tom.

 

[7437]

What worked?

If their goal was to get somebody to talk about it and consider making changes then sure victory won. Otherwise they haven't actually accomplished anything yet.

Gonna be pretty hard to do anything until you get people to consider changes. I'd call that a win.