Talking Shit with Cedric Johnson: After Black Lives Matter
Oct 26, 2023
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Dr. Cedric G. Johnson discusses his book 'After Black Lives Matter' and highlights the origins of prison expansion and mass incarceration. The podcast explores the impact of police violence, privatization, and the erosion of the welfare state on black populations. It emphasizes the importance of solidarity, universal public works, and discusses the book 'Ministry for the Future' and its portrayal of rewilding and meaningful work. The episode also touches on the speaker's work in Los Angeles and a potential oral history project on the 1984 Olympics.
Recognizing and addressing conflicts within movements is crucial for fostering genuine grassroots movements and empowering local communities.
Moving beyond ethnic politics and acknowledging diverse perspectives within ethnic communities fosters greater inclusivity and effectiveness in social and political movements.
Shifting our focus towards common interests and fostering solidarity across differences can create a more transformative form of political organizing.
Deep dives
The Limits of Ethnic Politics
Ethnic politics assumes that identity and constituency are synonymous, which is not true. It overlooks the diverse interests and perspectives within the black population. Identity politics cannot deliver a more just social order as its focus on representation and constituency runs counter to building broad social power. This form of politics tends to flatten the complexities and class differences within the black community, hindering honest discussions and understanding. It is important to go beyond identity politics and recognize the nuances and divergent interests within the black population in order to build more inclusive and effective movements for social change.
The Outsider Influence on Local Movements
The Ferguson protests against the killing of Michael Brown highlighted the conflict between local activists and the Black Lives Matter movement, which originated from online and had external influences. The presence of outsider activists disrupted the focus and priorities of the local community. Similar conflicts arise in other movements such as school reform, decarceration, and political polarization. Recognizing and addressing these conflicts is crucial for fostering genuine grassroots movements and empowering local communities.
The Problem with Ethnic Politics
Ethnic politics assumes that the interests of a specific ethnic group are uniform and neglects the diverse perspectives and class differences within that group. It fails to acknowledge that identity and constituency are not synonymous. This oversimplification impedes comprehensive discussions and understanding of the complex issues faced by different communities. By moving beyond ethnic politics, it becomes possible to address the nuances and diverse interests within ethnic communities, fostering greater inclusivity and effectiveness in social and political movements.
Importance of Common Interest in Building a Workable Politics
The podcast episode emphasizes the need to shift our focus from identity and constituency towards common interest. The speaker shares an example of a campaign in Rochester, New York, to address lead paint poisoning. The coalition of people involved in the campaign included individuals from diverse backgrounds, such as students, faculty members, social workers, and teachers. Despite different perspectives, everyone joined forces as comrades to combat the issue. The podcast argues that we should move away from hierarchical thinking and engage in more inclusive and productive politics based on shared interests rather than preconceived group labels.
Solidarity Over Allyship for Effective Organizing
The podcast challenges the concept of allyship and advocates for solidarity and finding common ground. It argues that successful left projects require mass numbers and working with people who may be different from ourselves. The speaker criticizes the allyship model that often expects individuals to defer to the needs of others, even if it means neglecting their own needs. Instead, the podcast encourages working people, including those struggling financially, to unite and focus on collective interests. By fostering solidarity across differences and challenging patronizing attitudes, the podcast suggests that we can create a more transformative and genuine form of political organizing.
In Episode 57, we are joined by Dr. Cedric G. Johnson, Professor of Black Studies and Political Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, to discuss his book After Black Lives Matter: Policing and Anti-Capitalist Struggle. We discuss the origins of modern policing, the classed reality of Black life in the US, and how neoliberalism dooms us all to poverty and catastrophe unless we act -- together -- to stop it. We were so excited to hear Cedric talk about this important book, and we know you will be too.
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