Fighting for Social Justice – Two Sides of the Same Coin

Fighting for Social Justice – Two Sides of the Same Coin November 11, 2015

Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons, Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rprathap/5501676404/in/photolist-9oawHJ-9oaumq-9o7scr-9oawPQ-9o7sEX-9o7s76-9o7sBT-9o7tMg-9oawwE-9o7sPc-9o7sfH-9oauKw-9oaugs-9o7uVD-9oawCw-9oavLJ-9o7sHr-9o7tJ2-9oawn3-9o7t36-9o7svK-9oawdS-9oaue9-9oax5b-9oavyE-9o7tBv-9oavSU-9o7t9r-9o7u8Z-9o7rZR-9oawq3-9oawaU-9o7sYM-9o7t6e-9o7tyV-9o7uQ2-9o7tip-9o7tEx-9o7tsc-9oax2s-9oavah-9o7tfB-9oawF5-9oavgd-9oauRA-9o7syV-9oawLL-9oawjm-9oauiC-9o7sVT
Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons, Source: Prathap Ramamurthy

By Saif Inam

The LA Times published an article last week looking at a growing rift among African-American civil rights advocates. On one end were the veterans from the Civil Rights movement — those who had been influenced by Martin Luther King, Jr. — and on the other were recent activists from the Black Lives Matters movement. Their approaches are markedly different.

According to the article, the older group was more willing to engage the powers that be by joining government agencies or working with government officials, while the younger group prefers to have their voice heard through civil disobedience, employing some of the tactics the older generation used.

The article puts a spotlight on the growing tactic employed by the millennials as a result of being frustrated by the lack of progress they see in social justice issues. They, like many, are impatient with our leaders not listening to their issues and instead pandering to the base that already agrees with them. They are well aware that our democracy is at stake, with power in America resting with a few. Coupled with Supreme Court rulings that have increased the power of corporate lobbying, these millennial activists have understandably lost confidence in engaging their leaders.

The perception that leaders will not listen informs their strategies: Acts of civil disobedience, disruptions and protests mark the primary tools of this generation. Reminiscent, and even inspired by the non-violent demonstrations of the Civil Rights Era, the millennials seek to force government and the public to take notice.

Are these tactic effective? Is it needed?

It is rare that one approach is successful on its own. Even Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who called for the boycott of buses in Montgomery met with the President of the United States to encourage him to pass a federal law. Protests and disruptions can highlight an injustice, bring it attention and even bring an end to certain situations. However, after that attention, government leaders need to be able to sit down and engage with people.

The protesters provide the necessity of having civil society be disharmonious until a problem is addressed. However, that is only half the equation, since solutions require cooperation and engagement.

At the University of Missouri, for example, students waged a protest against the mismanagement of several racial slurs and other incidences, calling for the resignation of the university’s president. Protests included a hunger strike by one student, the refusal of the football team to practice or play, student sit-in protests and a proposed faculty teach-in. On Monday, university President Tim Wolfe did resign.

So the protests worked. But now as the students and university move forward to bring about affective change on campus, they will need to engage with each other.

As civil rights groups mature and as times evolve, whether engagement or protests takes the lead will change. However, both are needed to effectively reform policies and opinions. Instead of being diametrically opposed to each other, both should instead work in unison to achieve their similar goals.

Saif Inam is a policy analyst with the Muslim Public Affairs Council.


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