White activists must reach out to people of color
by Attica Scott
I recently read a text titled "An Open Letter To Activists Concerning Racism In The Anti-War Movement." The letter is from some activists in New York who are involved in the peace movement. In the letter, the writers identify racist practices that have hindered the ability of whites and people of color to work together effectively in this movement.
In Knoxville, and throughout East Tennessee, we need inclusion of people of color on local college campuses and in different localities in the leadership, the program development, and the entire demonstration effort. Unfortunately, what I have observed is that we have peace alliances and coalitions for peace that are all white or predominately white. I have had white people say to me that people of color are not as interested in the war issue because they are focused on more domestic issues.
What an insult! People of color are disproportionately represented in the armed services, particularly in southern states, in relation to our representation in the population of these states. Repression, militarism, and war take their greatest toll on people of color. War opens the floodgates of so-called "compassionate conservatism"—which then distracts our focus from the repression of our civil liberties and from the undoing of affirmative action. Too many of us are now focused on revenge for America and that we should be united as Americans without any real discussion about what it means to be an African in America, a Mexican in America, an Asian in America, an Arab in America or a Cuban in America.
The lack of involvement of people of color in local peace movements has been part of several conversations that I have had recently with my African American and Latino brothers and sisters. Peace efforts in Knoxville are being organized primarily via email, which leaves out a whole host of people who do not have frequent, if any, access to email. Several people of color have commented on the fact that fliers and announcements of peace activities are often circulated at predominately white houses of worship that are located out west, but that houses of worship in East Knoxville seem to always miss those memos.
According to the fantastic open letter from our brothers and sisters in New York, "A persistent dynamic of white supremacy/racism and white privilege within many organizations, and the resultant perpetuation of racist practices, takes various forms: resistance by predominantly white organizations to sharing leadership with—much less following the leadership of—activists and organizations of color; the failure of predominantly white organizations to endorse or participate in anti-war activities sponsored by people of color groups; a discussion climate that excludes or demeans the contributions of activists/org-anizations of color, and disparaging or insensitive remarks by individuals. These practices have alienated individuals and organizations, and they have prevented cooperative bonds from forming as we work to build broad and deep opposition to war."
The movement today is segregated in our community because far too many white people see it as their movement to plan, communicate within their own networks of other white people, and see themselves as the primary face and voice of the movement. People of color are seen as token speakers at white-led-and-planned events, rather than as partners in grassroots efforts to bring about cultural, institutional and systemic change in the movement to stop war.
March 20, 2003 * Vol. 13, No. 12
© 2003 Metro Pulse
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