User:Jamarah

How terrifying that other people might actually read my biography. But I guess that nervousness is, in a sense, my biography. More to the point of the assignment however: a factual biography. I'm from California, 20 years old, a product of nearly all white private schools. This, of course, has trained my instincts away from looking towards race or class as a way of explaining historical events and everyday occurences- though I'm learning to do it (intellectually, at least). Please forgive the rest of this post, I just figured my thoughts would be a more useful biography than "major/class/future plans."

I'll say this here, only because it's 4am and I doubt anyone will actually read it. I think it's absolutely ridiculous (yet sadly predictable) that in radical movements we're able to talk about revolutionary action by certain classes, nations or ethnic groups. But how unfair that we don't yet have a language of revolutionary (not radical) feminism. Especially in this class, I feel that students are so receptive towards essentialist racist/classist views. I doubt many would cringe at the mention of some past plan to, for example, blow up an all white or exclusively upper class institution, maybe a social club for example or an office building. But what if that same strategy were suggested in an offensive against sexism? What if a revolutionary feminist group were to target an all male college or a pro-sports team?

I wonder about the ways we (as activists) unconsciously define who exactly is allowed to be revolutionary. Why is it that only workers or people of color are allowed to fight for their independence, and occasionally discuss the inherent (?) moral ineptitude of their oppressors? What if women began to advocate violent struggle as a means of seizing power? My guess: people would either laugh or reinstate hysteria as a valid psychological diagnosis.

Response: Clearly I am a lil off the rocker as well since it is 5:17 and im up. But I definitely think your point about activism rights is interesting… Especially, this sentence:

“I doubt many would cringe at the mention of some past plan to, for example, blow up an all white or exclusively upper class institution, maybe a social club for example or an office building. But what if that same strategy were suggested in an offensive against sexism? What if a revolutionary feminist group were to target an all male college or a pro-sports team?”  

I disagree about the response, though. I don’t know that people would even bother to cringe. I think most people simply ignore the “gender struggle,” complain that this particular set of people “complain too much ” (arguably, the same vibe that King tries to counter in his Birmingham letter) or adopt a very closed-off attitude where their fight is the only fight they will recognize.

I think these problems that stand in the way of movement are also what help make movements a very dynamic force, the reason why they get called the struggle. They are struggling not only with the powers that be but also laziness, distraction, and even the heterogeneity of the community they hope to unite. And out of these particular set of circumstances, the leaders of the movement (even when these leaders are the community members themselves) create a visionary stance. It would be nice if people could step outside of their particular slot and recognize the need to help other people in their struggle but I think the reciprocal interactions of love/hate/dismissal can help build something better than if everyone was being helpful and shooting for the same goal….but hey its 5 in the morning…what kinda valuable thoughts come out then? PK

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