By Chris Crass (November 6, 2015)
My goal isn’t to be a great ally. My goal is the abolition of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy and the building up of multiracial democracy, economic, gender and racial justice for all and a world where the inherent worth and dignity of all people and the interconnection of life are at the heart of our cultures, institutions, and policies.
If being an ally is useful, at times, to further this shared movement vision, then be an ally and be effective. If bringing leadership is helpful, at times, bring it, and rock it. But overall, the underlying goal of this vision is to be a good comrade giving what I/we can to the larger movement and to team liberation, of which we are part of. Strive to be a comrade with a political framework, committed to building up other people’s leadership, building up collective power, being able to read situations and act for the best of our goals, rather then feeling like there is a formula to follow, and being able to love ourselves and our people. Let guidelines and politics guide us, rather then narrow and trap us.
Let us continue to grow and learn through lessons from theory applied to practice, in the messy, beautiful and nuanced reality of life. Let us be expansive while also being grounded. Eyes on the prize, hearts on fire, lead with values, compassion, and a fundamental belief, grounded in history, of everyday people’s movements’ ability to bend the arc of the universe towards justice and change what’s politically possible, to make collective liberation a reality, step by step.
At the end of the day, what we call ourselves is less important then how we treat people, the values we practice, the goals and vision that guide us, and the beloved community we are building on the journey to all get free.
Not sure why, but I have trouble with the “ally” model. I still have not gotten over the death of Trayvon Martin and I sometimes find myself completely overwhelmed by yet another black body and soul getting killed by unpunished white authority.
So all I do is read, remain open, listen, question myself and extend love where it seems to be needed. Sometimes I can tell that my naivete makes people cringe, but also makes some people laugh.
And more often than not, despite it all, a black brother will unexpectedly call me brother, a black sister will call me love, ask me if I had enough fruit for breakfast, another will enthusiastically show me HIS history.
I hold on to those moments and dream of what a the future can be.