Zahra Gordon

This piece was orginally published on August 8, 2010 but was written in 2007! Since then, I’ve read a few more books and seen a few more places in the world so my opinions have changed slightly but I still think this discussion is relevant.

As the injustice of the Jena 6 carries on in Louisiana, there has been an uprising in political consciousness among the black community, especially its youth. On Howard University’s campus many students can be seen sporting “Free the Jena 6” t-shirts, which were given to students who volunteered to hand out fliers previous to the rally held to bring about awareness of the case. But as I watched the media coverage of the protest on Sept 20th, and saw my fellow classmates again donning t-shirts and black clothes in the support of the Jena 6, I couldn’t help but feel skeptical. Coverage of the protest showed a Louisiana State University student who was said to have been instrumental in the organization of the protest, blogging on the issue and raising awareness of the case, etc, donning what looked like some designer sunglasses to me. Yes, she was protesting but she made sure she was camera ready. When a news reporter asked her a few questions, she was quoted saying something to the effect of, “We’ll miss class, work, whatever we have to, to protest.” She didn’t really focus on the issue but more on what was given up in support of the issue. It sounded as if the demonstration was a get of jail free card so that she could put aside responsibilities and become activist for a day.

And there it was – high-school all over again. In my 9th grade year, with the onset of the Iraq war, there was a walk-out organized at my school. During the last class of the day students were allowed to leave without consequence to participate in the anti-war protest at the front of the school. Not surprisingly many students just left and went to the mall or home as the case may be as long as they weren’t in class. Others thought having a protest was “fun” or “cool.” I can’t help but get the same vibe from the current Jena 6 movement.

The fact of the matter is, issues like this come about ever so often, there’s a surge of political fervor for as long as the TV cameras will attend, and then people go back to their normal lives until another unjust or racist incident makes its way to the headlines. I thought the purpose of civil disobedience was so that unjust and racist incidents would cease? When was the last time the Sean Bell tragedy was given major coverage? Is the reason we don’t hear about him because his murderers have been necessarily punished or did his case simply go out of style? How is it that the NYPD continues to brutalize and murder black men unscathed? Bell’s case is not new. Remember Abner Louima (’97), Amadou Diallo (’99), Clifford Glover (’73)?

The fight for the justice of the Jena 6 has become even more publicized through Facebook groups and blogs dedicated to this cause, but it does not feel genuine to me. It seems as if many students are motivated to participate actively because “organized Jena 6 protest” looks good on a resume. Showing interest has become fashionable these days; just as the Che Guevara, I HEART my people, Marcus Garvey, and other shirts along those lines sold at trendy clothing stores. Social consciousness is all the rage this season. But in this desensitized reality TV era where superficiality reigns supreme, maybe this generation of protesters aren’t to be blamed for some of their shallow interests.

Even as I question the motives of these young activists, I can’t say that I have made any considerable contributions to the “cause.” I didn’t attend any the rally on campus, or wear black on Sept 20th, so some might say I have no right to pass judgment on the people who are actively involved. But another question comes to mind: is it better to pretend to do something than to do nothing? Maybe the pretenders are doing better than me because as opposed to my apathy and skepticism, their actions may actually have a positive impact for the six young men who are being unfairly prosecuted. However, I’d rather not get caught up in the hype but turn my energies towards some form of long term action (whatever that may be). I want to get involved and stay involved until there’s a significant change.

I think that part of the reason why blacks aren’t as politically active is because unlike the Civil Rights era, racism today is less tangible or more complex. Racism of the past affected the everyday lives of black people – they were subjected to worse living conditions, worse education, segregation, humiliation, denial of rights guaranteed to them as citizens – racism affected all five senses and maybe even a sixth one. They could see, hear, smell, taste and feel what they were fighting for. It might be that youth of today feel that they don’t have anything to fight for because achievements of the past were so triumphant. That is to say that pre-Civil Rights blacks weren’t allowed to vote, post-Civil Rights they were and other achievements as such. Without racism having a direct impact on their everyday lives, it may be believed that racism is close to non-existent and only occurs as a rarity.

What fails to be realized is that racism exists, though it is no longer overt but subtle, and the impact may seem indirect to the individual, it is direct on black people as whole. We are not yet completely equal even though so much has been achieved. We must not forget that the civil rights era was not as long ago as it may seem; change takes time and effort. We should be fighting everyday making it a part of our lives, not just in season.