Community Voices Reflect on the 2022 Civil Rights Agenda: The Intersectionality of Civil Rights and Democracy
Editor’s Note – Throughout this country’s history, minority groups — be they racial, ethnic or religious — have relied upon the U.S. Constitution to protect them from the tyranny of the majority. The U.S. Constitution is the foundation of American Democracy. For the past 1-2 years, this foundation has been under stack as far-right forces — perceiving their diminished capacity to rule under democracy threatened — have sought to institute institutional changes coupled with White supremacy and the threat of violence to create the ability of a minority to once again rule the majority. Thirteen members of our community have weighed in on the intersectionality of civil rights and democracy and other topics in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.
Dr, CharlesTaylor, Retired Edgewood College Professor and President of ROAR Enterprises
White Supremacy and Democracy are Incompatible
Historically, when this country was faced with the choice of integrating Blacks into the political, cultural, and economic mainstream (during reconstruction for example), or maintaining the system of White power, White supremacy won hands down.
When the Supreme Court finally overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson (the separate but equal doctrine) in the Brown vs. Board of Education court decision in 1954, Blacks thought that surely racial justice would gain traction and this country would begin to live out its democratic ideals.
But history has shown us that whenever there has been Black progress, a White backlash soon follows. Professor Carol Anderson calls it: White Rage in her resplendent book with the same title.
It didn’t take long for Richard Nixon to launch his war on drugs, which author Michelle Alexander documents in her book, the New Jim Crow. That war has wrecked devastation on the Black family and resulted in the U.S. imprisoning more Blacks than any other country in history.
The idea of shared-democracy that was envisioned in the 60s when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the Civil Rights Movement, was once again denied — as it had been after the Indentured Servant period, after Reconstruction and after the nadir (Jim Crow era) because it seems that White supremacy trumps everything else in this country, including democracy.
When we felt we were making great strides with the election of Obama, our optimism was shattered as the country subsequently elected Trump, who unabashedly promotes White supremacy and racist dogma. Trump’s Republican Party callously embraced his big lie about a stolen election. Their anti-democratic movement, similar to the period before and after the civil war, is forcing this country to decide whether democracy itself will be saved.
The far right have done a very skillful, but extremely damaging job of depicting civil rights and the Black Lives Matter movement as somehow threatening to Whites. When you have so many Whites accepting this premise, it guarantees that equity and justice will always remain elusive for Blacks and other nonwhites. Each generation seems to come up with new ways to flout democracy and deny its full benefits to Blacks. In 2021, anti-Black rhetoric is spoken openly, crassly and people can no longer say they aren’t “woke.” The only way Trump’s Republicans can stay in power is to oppose democracy. They have to suppress the Black vote because they know if pro-democratic Whites and people of color unite and vote their political and economic interests, there could be real change in America.
Before that can happen those who are really concerned about this country must quickly decide if democracy is worth fighting for; and if it is, must find a way to come together and dismantle the racist institutions that buttress White supremacy in this nation. Systemic racism keeps us divided and distracted and limits our ability to use our collective power to make democracy meaningful.
Democrats have the opportunity to secure voting rights, justice for immigrants, choice for women and a better life for everyone. If Democrats fail to exercise their power, they’re not only failing the country, they are also failing the democratic ideas this republic professes to represent. This struggle is bigger than any political party and needs to be fought with the urgency that is required and with every resource pro-democracy advocates can muster.
We are fighting for a country that lives out the true meaning of its creed that all men and women are created equal. There has to be a place at the table for all of us, regardless of our race, religious beliefs, or whom we love. The bridge to Dr. King’s dream is not yet complete and in fact is in a bad state of disrepair. The best thing we can do in Dr. Martin Luther King’s memory is work to save this democracy and continue to strive for a more perfect union.
How do we help people re-envision America from its White supremacist past to its multicultural future, when so many are stuck in its past? The irony is that many Americans don’t even want us to know the true history of our past, but only that false version they so cunningly defend.
It is our duty to critically examine U.S. history and learn its many lessons. We can’t continue to lie about our history generation after generation and expect things to improve. Until we’ve repaired the past in a way that restores the dignity and humanity of all Americans, we can’t heal or unite as a nation. Until the power, resources and culture are co-shared, there will only be the promise of democracy, because White supremacy and democracy are incompatible.
The Fierce Urgency of Now — Reflections on Civil Rights and Democracy -- Freedom. Democracy. Opportunity.
As a Somali-immigrant, these were the words that I would use to describe America when I first arrived. A country that had healed from its painful chapters and promised a brighter future and rights for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or gender. The most powerful country in the world, the land of opportunity and equality, where dreams and hard work are rewarded. This idealistic view of America is what draws so many immigrants, like myself, to pursue a new life in a country so far away from our own.
Now, more than three decades later, these same words seem contradictory. Experiencing the attacks on the civil rights of Muslim-Americans post 9/11, witnessing the continued systematic oppression of Black people in almost every facet of society, it became harder to see how the promised democracy reconciled with the reality on the ground. It forced me to break this concept that being successful in this country relies on just merit or hard work. With each injustice, summarized in headline after headline, it has become clearer that the systems and foundations of this country work hard to maintain power and the status quo. These systems are often referred to as systems in need of fixing, but it has become clearer that these systems function in the way they were intended.
Nothing depicts this paradox we live in more than the recent anniversary of the 2021 United States Capitol Attack. The harrowing images of thousands of armed rioters storming the Capitol in the name of freedom and democracy not only were disturbing but also a clear sign of how broken of a country we live in. Where armed white rioters were almost welcomed, while in the same country, young unarmed Black boys are killed for simply wearing a hood. When armed rioters use the American flag and signs bearing “Keep America Great,” what does this say about the state of our democracy?
We reflect on the civil rights movement yearly, often removing present day from the historical timeline, and therefore asserting that we live in a post-civil rights movement era. Students see the old black and white photos of the civil rights movement in history class, depicting this period as a time long ago, when in reality, this era was less than 60 years ago. The effects of the inequalities and inequities are still very much present, and this historical separation undermines the dire need for change in present day and allows for complacency. We have a long way to go to fully heal from the pain of the past and the ongoing injustices happening today.
Nasra Wehelie, Alder, Madison District 7 and CEO of Empathy 4 Equity LLC
As an elected Alderwoman and a community leader here in Madison, I have been exposed to the countless systemic issues that our Madison communities face. From unemployment and housing to mass incarceration and healthcare disparities, marginalized communities in our city and country face an alarming number of barriers. As I launch my consulting business, Empathy 4 Equity LLC, it has become clear that in order to effect change in organizations and systems, we need to start transforming our individual social justice lenses. We need to believe that institutional and systemic transformation is possible when individuals are willing to build the essential will, consciousness and the skills to change the status quo. This means not looking at change on a superficial level but also truly becoming proximate to the issue and empathizing with the experiences of those affected by injustice.
As Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy, stated: “If you are willing to get closer to people who are suffering, you will find the power to change the world.” Proximity is crucial to understanding the systemic issues that marginalized individuals face. It breaks down that misconception that those who face injustice “just don’t work as hard as everyone else.” It allows us to reflect on our own privileges and our duty to eliminate the barriers that exist for others.
Martin Luther King Jr. powerfully proclaimed in his famous 1963 ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech: “We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.”
In memory of Dr. King, these words are extremely relevant and powerful for me today. In a time where we are facing an ongoing pandemic and racial disparities, it is important to remember the dangers of complacency and the fierce urgency of now. To remind those of us who are privileged in whatever capacity, of our responsibility to fight injustice and to make real the promises of freedom and democracy for all people.
Brandi Greyson, Founder & CEO, Urban Triage
Social Justice Intersectionality & Democracy
The classic civil rights movement of 1954-1968 provides valuable lessons in social justice intersectionality. The traditional civil rights movement represented a powerful expression of mass action and a defining moment in U.S. history that reinforced the core American ideals of justice, democracy, and equal rights.
The term “intersectionality” was coined by Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, a renowned legal scholar, and civil rights advocate. Professor Crenshaw devised the term to describe the overlapping systems of bias and discrimination oppressing Black women.
The term intersectionality has increasingly been used in law and social sciences to describe the notion that all injustice and oppression (including racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ableism, transphobia, speciesism, among others) is interconnected. The concept moves beyond traditional frameworks that separate social injustice into discrete challenges facing distinct groups and facilitates holistic, creative, and inclusive remedies and greater collaboration across social movements and systems. The classic civil rights movement utilized social justice intersectionality before it became a buzzword; specifically, it engaged in collaborations with women’s rights and labor rights movements at pivotal moments. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. espoused the interconnected nature of racial, economic, and military/imperialist/colonial injustices. He often referred to the American civil rights movement as simply one expression of a global social justice revolution that impacts all people. He proclaimed: “It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”
Democracy is a system of government in which laws, policies, leadership, and major undertakings of a state or other polity are directly or indirectly decided by the “people." By the "people'' implies collaboration and cooperation. And, most importantly — it means all persons.
As a country, as a "democratic" society, as a community, do we get the idea of true democracy and intersectionality? I would say no, we do not. True democracy implies that we practice oneness, the idea of oneness that has been articulated over time by many of our leaders and spiritual guides. It implies that we work together and collaboratively. Yet, we consistently work against one another. Until we get it; until we understand that to center self, personal agendas, and interpersonal relationships — is to work against democracy and is rooted in individualism —which by design is incongruent with democracy and social justice — we’ll continue to experience chaos.
To be rooted in true intersectionality and collaborative work, one must go down and in. As a person, as a leader and CEO of a dynamic, revolutionary organization, Urban Triage, Inc. (to work for us is to work on self while serving others), I’ve discovered the imperative practice of going down and in. The practice of centering feminine energy and power — creating space for me to hold space for people despite where they’re at and my personal opinions and feelings. Without going into too many details of feminine and masculine energy — we live in a world rooted in patriarchy and thus rooted in masculine energy. We’re conditioned to go outside of ourselves. To look to others and a savior when all we need, we have. We have the knowledge within; we have the power. We are enough. However, we’re unbalanced as a society. We focus on going outside ourselves for answers, looking for an authority, AKA an expert on what needs to happen in our community and our lives. When in actuality — we know what we need. To retrieve the answer to our most perplexing challenges, we must go down and in. To obtain homeostasis in our communities, we must start with ourselves; we must go down and in. I know — it sounds cliché, and yet it’s the truth. The design of the either-or construct is creating a distance between "us" as individuals, regardless of whether we're discussing vaccinations vs. unvaccinated or affordable housing vs. large developments and/or government bailouts. As a result, we’re objectifying one another. Objectification is the insidious nature of living in a capitalist society devoted to individualism. Which by design opposes true democracy though we claim to be democratic.
Our society doesn’t leave room for “whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Instead, “survival of the fittest” becomes our framework, the hallmark of a white supremacist society. Intersectionality and democracy imply we do the work. It implies we hold space for differences without judgment. Without statements of, “why are you always pulling the race card? Or why do I have to give up my quality-of-life standards because they’re poor? Why should I care if they're developing huge high rises across the country and in my community when I’m a homeowner and/or well off? Why should I care that we continue to invest in .
organizations and programs that look good but do NOTHING to address the ills in our communities? The answers to the questions in a community rooted in intersectionality and democracy — would be congruent with — "If it affects others, it will eventually affect me. And the issue at hand currently affects me because we’re all connected. The people directly affected — matter. And I matter”— holding space for others. Generally, that’s not our collective response. Instead, we cling to what we think we have. And we demand that no one infringes on our life, privileges, and/or our resources. I would argue we're not connecting the dots of democracy.
For example: if global warming continues, we all die, including our grandchildren. Why would we choose that kind of future? Why would we choose F35s over our environment? Over people? For Money? For Jobs? Solutions in a genuinely democratic society wouldn't only be about what benefits us right now but what benefits us now and into the future. Rooted in the premise all people matter, including those unborn.
When vulnerable people cannot meet their basic needs — crime increases and with-it hopelessness. And as “experts” in sociology and psychology have demonstrated, hopelessness is devastating for individuals and communities. Why would we choose for our communities to be more devastated into the future? By failing to invest in people (allocating resources), to invest in the police, for a false sense of security today?
As we enter our status quo version of celebrating the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, may we all be reminded how far we “think” we’ve come vs. what the work is. May we all contemplate true democracy and the importance of intersectionality, including the work of going down and in. Per Marcus Garvey, “You can’t change the world without first changing the minds of men.” We have to go down and in, to change the minds of men
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