Civil Rights

These two New Yorker articles were quite enlightening, as I have never studied too many specifics about the differences in location in the south and what that meant during this time.  It was made clear that location was absolutely a factor in the treatment and political opportunity structure as well as the repertoire that was safely available to African Americans during this time.  North Carolina, was not as intense as was Selma, Alabama in the way that they were able to work the Civil Rights movement in different, more "ground up" ways in North Carolina that were not safe in Alabama.  In Selma, the movement's actions were based more governmentally and more focused, on law based benefits, such as protection, instead of branching out in the ways that the activists were able to do in Durham.  The fact that some things in the ways of some protection had been done in Durham, so therefore the POS opened up greatly here, compared to Selma- this allowed for African Americans in Durham to push forward with the Civil Rights movement in order for the "deeper south" to hopefully catch on soon enough and follow suit.  Unfortunately, not all of these things have come true, as it is known that racism still exists in the United States.  Just the other day on CNN, I read a report of how Wake County Public Schools- which is Raleigh, North Carolina area is going to be taking away their diversity policy, which many are stating will reinstate segregation... a cut in budget spending is not worth that.

Alinsky's Rule

From the Alinsky article, I would use the rule number seven to help solve a problem in my own community because I this is extremely relevant to the gay marriage, or prop 8 campaign.  Rule number seven states, "Success or Failure is a mighty determinant of ethics."  Conservatives would consider themselves having "won" because they made the LGBTQI population lose- is that ethical? if you're narrow minded, and your winning depends on how concerned you are that a same sex marriage would in some way make your marriage illegitimate.  I recently heard someone say on a television show, "Who cares if gays and lesbians want to be as unhappy as us? No worry to me."  This is a comedic way to look at the questions that rise when gay marriage is brought up in the context that marriage for heterosexual couples would be less than, or heaven forbid equal to that of gay marriage.  What is legitimate about marriage when there are so many cases every day of adultery, divorce and unhappiness that wouldn't allow a population of in love people experience this, in consequence to immoral activities and lack of communication?

If those who saw "winning" qualified as denying other individuals their equal rights were able to shift their lens, they would quickly see that gay marriages in no way affect a heterosexual marriage- therefore it is a win-win for all- we all get state and federal protection and the ability to be at our partner's hospital bedside if they pass.  Is anyone's marriage "legitimacy" enough to deny someone of this and so many other marriage rights and benefits?

parallel

Okay, so the parallel that I can think of to compare to the women's suffrage movement that is definitely not obvious or that I know a lot about would be the movement for home births/ natural births and the rising use of doulas for the birth process.  A doula is a licensed and trained professional "birth expert" I would say, whose role is to be there for not only the expectant mother, but the whole family unit or lack there of throughout the entire pregnancy up until the child is one year old.  This doula gives educational materials, emotional and physical support to the mother and whose main charge is giving the power of choice back to the mother- reminding her that women’s bodies are made for giving birth and that all of the things set up and “highly recommended” in hospitals are not always necessary.  This movement is what I believe may be in a resistance to the medicalization of society- of deviance- which creates everyone, with natural human variations, as “sick” and therefore medicines are created, pushed and profited from, by the healthcare profession and not always the “customer.”

Iron Jawed Angels

Iron Jawed Angels is for sure a very jarring, while theatrical representation of the women's suffrage movement.  Hilary Swank is one of my favorite actresses because I think she's incredibly talented.  Alice Paul's character is one of vivacious determination and this was perceived well in this film.  Alice Paul, and her partner in the movement, Lucy Burns, were able to negotiate themselves according to power, going from militant activists to much more respectable- this was a huge component to making their Political Opportunity Structure in the movement increase.  This was also done by becoming much more conservative and while when black men got the vote before white women, this felt like a kick in the shin to many of the movement's leaders- most continued, with the exception of one in particular that I can recall :)
To be seen as a woman before anything else, such as before your skin color (according to position of Alice Paul, etc) and because of this fact- you are once again denied...something is hard to swallow.

One piece of this film that I think is incredibly important to add, was the composite of the senator's wife, because there were and still are so many women in positions of high status and very much attached to tradition and "morals" that their marriages may be modeled after these very same dominating characteristics- robbing women of their voice and their movement to action. Men need to get over the fact that they CAN be feminists... and just make the MOVEEE--- geezzz.

The strengths of this movement in accordance to the film, were the women's unswerving determination - through being jailed and the hunger strike and the abuse going on there, and their willingness to push forward, despite arrests, their parade being dissolved.. violently and quite a large lack of support from the government. Also, when the movement shifted because of the war, instead of allowing it to take a back burner with the president, they created a way to incorporate the importance of this amendment to the nation and the future of the country... good strategy.

American Indian Movement- NCLC 304

The American Indian Movement jolted ahead in its actions after approaching the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington DC in 1972-3.  This decided ended up resulting in a competition at Wounded Knee, South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.  This movement was started by Dennis Banks in the late 1960s (1968) and the group was meant to bring awareness to the very issues concerning the Native American population in the United States of America.  It is known that American Indians do not have it "so well," and when I was younger, my family and I would go to a Cherokee reservation in NC to see one of my dad's friends who participates in all of their activities put on once a year as a celebration.  This is as far as my knowledge of the subject really was until I began to research a little more for this assignment in particular.  

AIM has participated and facilitated several protests asking for cultural renewal, an organized job office and heightened police activity in the area.  

This movement is definitely one that many people are not actively aware of, and I see this on campus and in social situations all the time.  The different Native American Indian's diverse backgrounds are what make their political opportunity structure very dynamic.  There are national awareness groups and initiatives, there are some college programs and there are media outlets; all of which are very effective in my opinion, and their lack of extensive internet focused work give them an authenticity that not all other groups at the Kiosks in the JC can offer.

9.15.10 Question #2 NCLC 304

In your opinion, what is the political opportunity structure for current contemporary movements in the US? In what ways do they have more opportunity?  In what ways do they have less?  What movements do you think have the best chance of being successful on the basis of your analysis?  Which have the worst?


I would say that the political opportunity structure for current movements in the US would be extremely varied, however I think that the majority focus on multifaceted approaches, including technology, physical activities, such as a marathon, rallies, as well as one to one contact.  This has changed quite a bit from back in the Civil Rights for African Americans era, when not all forms of communication and expression were open and free for use by groups as dedicated as the individuals in this movement, for instance.  It's hard for me to even compare the two now, just because of the fact that we know that there is no way to really predict the outcome of a movement, or know after the fact whether or not it was indeed your involvement or the activists as a whole.  In some ways, I can definitely see how back before internet was invented, etc that the protests and movements would have been much more solidified and have more concentrated voices, whereas today, just by signing onto Facebook, you are able to join an infinite number of "causes" or links to organizations or even the public figures heading some of these movements.  I personally wonder if this is making things so easy, that the dedication is waning and while there may be more numbers of the involved- there is something to be said about quality vs. quantity here as well.  


The movements that I think have the best chance of "succeeding" would be the ones that did not start with information technology per se, but rather with an individual making a personal commitment and from their actions- people are educated and become interested in following and having a hand in this. This way, maybe there is more ownership of one's causes and benefits and from this be able to sustain a long term dedication to the said cause.  The movements that I do not think have a good chance of following through with their intentions would be the ones started on a whim, by individuals going into this type of justice work with only their own interests in mind, instead of the humble reasons non profit organizations and governmental initiatives were founded.  

WUNC Display

These are some of the photos that I took while at the Capital Pride Rally/March in Summer of last year, 2009.  I think that these are examples of WUNC displays because of precisely what WUNC stands for- Worthiness: as I can only speak for myself, as a lesbian and a part of the LGBTQI community, the feelings of lack of self worth can be ever-present, depending on your support system and in these signs, symbols of worth are shown in each: love, "we are," "all," and "gay rights are civil rights."  Seeing these signs made an impact on my life, as it was the first time that I had seen a display of approval or acceptance from a parents of a gay child.  Unity is seen throughout as well- more obviously with the rainbows, triangles and screams for drag queens, just kidding- kind of; but also in the march itself, the fact that this huge crowd of people got together, clear of other duties or schedules to be another person in this walking, shouting, cheering, smiling force for equality amongst LGBTQI persons.  Numbers- again, in the march itself, in the donations people and companies and *cough* politicians gave for this cause and lastly, Commitment- on that extremely hot day, in DC where there is little to no shade and also commitment of allies- a part of this community that I feel is left out way too much, but is a huge- majority- driving force.  Just as men are extremely necessary in the movements towards equality for women, straight allies are vital in the push for LGBTQI rights.

These kinds of displays are going to absolutely help this community reach their goals, through action, visibility, relentless commitment and the number of people affected by the decisions of officials and overall populous feeling toward LGBTQI persons.

Introduction

Hey, my name is Logan Greenwood and I am a senior with a concentration in International Studies with a focus on Gender and Educational Justice and a minor in Women and Gender Studies.  My participation in social movements or community activism surrounds issues surrounding gender(s) (could you have guessed?) and the LGBTQIA community as a whole.  I have participated in a few "gay rights" marches in DC, HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, I worked with the Fund for Public Interest Research one summer going door to door, speaking with people about the importance of environmental responsibility- things like overfishing, energy and the same old climate change speech everyone has already heard.  that wasn't necessarily my cup of tea, i guess. My most invested interest or passion is with women's education, as a global issue, and I say issue because way too many women and girls are denied education, by their government, communities and families alike.  I don't always mean formal, classroom education, but also education about healthcare, their political rights, literacy training, family planning, and their birthrights to happiness, dignity and a life of self sustainability.  This is the one issue that I would absolutely die for, if my death meant that every woman and girl in this world got an EQUAL opportunity for the SAME education and chances to participate in the livelihood of their choosing- I would be gone ten minutes ago.  really.  I am very interested in how gender plays out in post traumatic or post conflict situations, particularly with forced migration, civilian armed forces and urban poverty.
This summer, I spent six weeks in the Philippines and all of the work we did surrounded issues of human rights, particularly trafficking of women and girls, urban poverty, environmental injustice, and corruption of government, particularly Oplan Bantay Laya, which is the counterinsurgency initiative from former President Gloria Arroyo, which led to countless extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, hostage and kidnapping situations and paranoia to an entire community of human rights workers.  We worked with the organization KARAPATAN, which is the most well known human rights org in the Philippines, these are the people who go missing and are killed for doing the work they do. I could go on about the specifics, but they are a social movement that I was able to see a piece of while I was there.
Grassroots peacebuilding, activism and mobilization are many times the only ways to spark a flame when it comes to a cause like any of the ones i've mentioned.  I am setting my life up to hopefully work with an organization that promotes, humbly assists and facilitates opportunities for women to be a part of the global movement for gender equality- whether this is with education, an income generating skill(s), or community building and solidarity- but only if this is all done so in a NON giver-receiver model.  I am determined to not be a part of a movement that covers basic needs for the time being, while also perpetuates dependency, victimization and generational shame on communities.

I am very excited for this course as I hope it's going to give me some background on the concept of community activism and social movements, but also the logistics and most importantly the self-proclaimed failures of those before me.  I think that a life of justice work is a life of failures- and that's really not fatalistic as it sounds, but rather the ability to make a mistake, see it, reflect on what that means for you and your future work, make changes and move on. this is impossible to avoid and I think that this weeds out a lot of people that are in justice work for the wrong reasons anyways :) the end.