Movement Memos Awareness-Raising Protests Won’t Threaten the Richest, Most Well-Armed People on Earth
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May 29, 2025 Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, an associate professor of philosophy at Georgetown University and author of Elite Capture, dives deep into the complexities of protests. He critiques large, awareness-raising events and stresses that strategic organization is vital for achieving real change. The conversation highlights the importance of coalition-building and actionable goals over mere participation. Olúfẹ́mi also emphasizes the significance of supporting independent media and creating community spaces for effective activism in today's challenging political climate.
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Protests Need Leverage, Not Just Awareness
- Protests work by organizing collective action that can meaningfully disrupt the powerful, not just raising awareness.
- Sustained withholding and strikes create leverage essential for systemic change, beyond mass marching alone.
Go Beyond Permitted Marches
- Do not mistake permitted marches alone for winning political leverage.
- Build sustainable organizational power with strategic campaigns beyond symbolic actions.
Small Protest, Big Impact
- A protest of just five union members at UCLA successfully pressured for all-gender restrooms.
- Knowing exactly who to pressure and the threat of scaling up made this small protest effective.
