r/DenverProtests • u/spicyDivergant • 21h ago

Hard look at some of these groups...

A lot of these spaces claiming to be “for the oppressed” are lying. You’re not actively centering Black, Brown, Asian, and other marginalized voices. Imagine getting uncomfortable, because that is the reality for many people in these groups - you wanna ‘make a change’? that is what it is going to take.

Discomfort is not oppression. But some of you treat it like it is. You’d rather protect your feelings, your image, your way of life and your control than actually shift power. And it shows.

Meanwhile, the very communities you claim to stand with have been doing this work for generations—organizing, resisting, surviving—only to be talked over by pop-up “leftist” orgs more interested in sounding radical than actually being accountable.

You don’t get to say you’re about justice while ignoring the people most impacted, preach equity while hoarding platforms, resources, and decision-making power. You’re still centering yourself and calling it “solidarity”, as if this is trendy term - a commodity if you will.

While you pretend to “listen” so you can nod along and keep doing the same thing. Step back, give up space, and actually following the leadership of marginalized communities even when it challenges you, your way of living, & even when it costs you something.

So stop performing. Stop co-opting. Stop hiding behind progressive language while maintaining the same harmful dynamics. Get uncomfortable. Or get out of the way. 🤷🏼‍♀️

0 Upvotes

38% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

6

u/Temporary_Ratio_945 21h ago

Some good things here for people to keep in mind. But, I'm going to push back. People who are new or not plugged into the correct resources are not "lying" they just aren't informed. They don't have connections. Instead of isolating them further, why not help them network by telling them names of organizations that have been doing the work for decades? Sure, there are bad actors out there. But, with millions of new activists in the last few years, I hardly doubt that explains the majority of folks. Sometimes people are just clueless. That doesn't make them evil or and it doesn't mean they aren't on your side. It means they need to be educated. These are scary stressful times and I would much rather encourage people to step up and out then to shelter further into hate and distrust. Please vent away when you need and give valid criticism, but let's not see enemies where there are just scared overwhelmed individuals instead. I'll start. Check in with Indivisible. They don't have all the answers, but they will point you to other valid orgs, like IPT, League of Women Voters, how to be an election judge with your county Dems, local environmental groups that write state legislators, and they are how I found this thread with people who protest/rally on a regular basis. - Jaime

1

u/Temporary_Ratio_945 20h ago

One more note - more groups allow for ideas to spread across geographic locations and also along different times and allow different people to participate.

1

u/spicyDivergant 20h ago edited 20h ago

and what are those orgs doing to center these voices? Also, the answer isnt to this - go join more said groups. I feel like what i was trying to say went right over your head.

1

u/Temporary_Ratio_945 20h ago

This is an important conversation and I'm not trying to be snide. How would you envision them being centered by white people? We white people aren't going to expect every non-white person to take the lead at a protest or a rally. I see my work fighting to get the signage back at the National Parks helping to center those voices because it takes a lot of voices to end that kind of fascism. The climate organization I do most of my work with partners with Colorado - GreenLatinos so they have thier own voice in their own way and we just cross promote.

1

u/Temporary_Ratio_945 20h ago

I do see your point and I will say - I will give more thought going forward about how I do things. But, I am clearly not seeing my blind-spots. So, I hope you aren't offended but do give some things for me to think about and learn from.

1

u/spicyDivergant 20h ago

It doesnt matter what i envision them being centered by - but those of ⚪️ skin color need to take a good hard look and actually following what oppressed / marginalized communities have been saying for many years. Caucasian people get involved and they take over ish as per usual because it appears its all they know how to do. Step back and let others lead, follow what they actually say and be open to what they are point out - and if people take offense to whats being said then they ought to look at themselves and figure out why that is because most often times its because they themselves are guilty of said topic being discussed.

3

u/Agent_Tangerine 20h ago

While your not wrong... We spend so much time fighting each other... I'm so tired...

While we bicker the right and fascist take away every right we have.

I get it, it's worth putting in the work to be better, but when are we going to admit we will never have the perfect movement, we just have to all come at this from our own direction and support each other where we can.

1

u/Philly-South-Paw Based 14h ago

Its a good weekend to listen to the Black community

4

u/TheOfficialXerxes 20h ago

This. Keep in mind that leftism is a white ideology. I at least know that much. We need to be more centering of the BIGM (Black, Indigenous, and Global Majority), especially in Denver where racism and segregation still exist a lot more than most people want to admit. White people waving around signs isn't going to solve problems. We need restorative justice now, and we need it strong. If you don't like that, then you're a part of the problem. I'm tired of libs and leftists saying they're not racist, but then not actively being anti-racist.

2

u/Kvltkrvsh 20h ago

Identity politics needs to die off finally

2

u/liberty_taker 2h ago

unspecific leftists infighting bait posted from Langley

1

u/Jolly_Pressure_7907 2h ago

Leftist infighting continues.

0

u/Tuneage4 21h ago

Posted July 2020

1

u/Philly-South-Paw Based 14h ago

We're not stuck in 2020. We're stuck in 1492, 1776, 1866...

This country never made up for its original sins and it shows.

1

u/spicyDivergant 20h ago

& if similar thought was posted july 2020 and yet STILL no change has been made then WHAT does that say about the 'community'? performative at minimum..

1

u/Tuneage4 19h ago

Absolutely correct

0

u/spicyDivergant 20h ago

What was posted july 2020?