Why Wall Street Protests don’t Speak to African Americans

Is there a chance that the movement can become more diverse? Leslie Wilson, a professor of African-American history at Montclair State University, is not optimistic. “Occupy Wall Street cannot produce enough change to encourage certain types of black participation,” Wilson said in an interview. “The church cannot get enough blacks out on the streets. Some students will go, but not the masses. Black folks, particularly older ones, do not think that this is going to lead to change. … This generation has already been beaten down and is hurting. They are not willing to risk what little they have for change. Those who are wealthier are not willing to risk and lose.”

Black America’s fight for income equality is not on Wall Street, but is a matter of day-to-day survival. The more pressing battles are against tenant evictions, police brutality and street crime. This group doesn’t see a reason to join the amorphous Occupiers. But if the Occupy movement does not grow in solidarity with other constituencies of exploited and oppressed people, and if black America does not devise new leadership strategies to deal with today’s problems, the truth of Frederick Douglass’ wisdom will hold — the powerful undertow of race and class in America will keep both blacks and whites from being free.

Stacey Patton is the author of the memoir “That Mean Old Yesterday.” This column ran first in The Washington Post. and was reprinted courtesy of madison.com 2011

Image via bing.com

This Article Appeared in The Black Truth News Volume 2 Issue 12 December 2011

 

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