You might remember civil rights activist Alicia Garza as the co-founder of Black Lives Matter. This is true, but Garza has branched into other exciting and impactful projects as a progressive leader, too. For example, she is currently the director of strategy and partnerships for the National Domestic Workers Alliance and founder of the Black Futures Lab. (Yes, she’s that busy!) Black Futures Lab aims to empower black people in politics, while the National Domestic Workers Alliance puts domestic workers at the front of the movement for fair protection and wages.
“It’s time for us to reckon with our history,” Garza told Daily Kos behind the scenes at this year’s Netroots Nation conference, where progressive activists, organizers, and politicians gathered to talk about making change for a better tomorrow, “so that we can change the present and inform the future.” Garza spoke to Daily Kos here about why Americans really do still need to talk about reparations for slavery, but her sentiments apply to all of the wisdom she imparted.
When we talk about state violence, for example, we have to reckon with the fact that black trans women are particularly vulnerable—and why. And when we talk about the “right” or “appropriate” way to protest or gather, are we really just talking about what the status quo has deemed acceptable?
Garza tackles these ideas and more below as part of our Making Progress interview series. The video (embedded below) is captioned, and a transcript is available below, too.
Question 1: How can we all help dispel the notion that only cisgender black men encounter police and state violence?
AG: I think we can all counter the notion that only cisgender black men encounter state violence by educating ourselves about the cisgender women and transgender people who are black who are also being endangered by state violence. We know that we can do the litany of names, and I have often done this litany, where we talk about people like Sandra Bland, who was found hung in a jail cell after a traffic stop. We talk about people like Renisha McBride, who was shot in the face when she approached a door in Dearborn, Michigan, asking for help in the middle of the night. We can talk about any number of trans women who have been murdered in the last few years, but certainly over 10 in the last few months. And then we can start to connect the dots about why.
For example, with black trans women, the reason that black trans women are not tending to live beyond the age of 35 is also a form of state violence. It’s the ways in which black trans women are being denied the basic things that that community needs to live with dignity.
When you don’t have access to health care, when you don’t have access to stable and above-ground employment, when you are encountering discrimination in every aspect of your life, and your government won’t stand behind you to protect you, that is state violence. So we can learn about those things and connect the dots so that it’s not just about what other people are experiencing, but we learn about how those issues impact our lives as well.
Question 2: What is the best move for an ally (for any community) when you agree with the goal, but not with the tactics?
AG: If you’re an ally in any community, and you agree with the goal of a movement or an activity, but you don’t agree with the tactics, the first thing you can do is listen. Sometimes we should remind ourselves that we have been taught things about tactics that may or may not be true. But even if it’s true for you, you can do a lot of listening.
Find out: Why did you choose to use this tactic? What is it that you hope to accomplish? Are there other ways that I can stand with you besides participating in that tactic? Remember that solidarity can look a number of different ways. But what solidarity doesn’t look like is throwing other people under the bus.
Question 3: Why is the conversation about reparations so important for Americans to have?
AG: I think the conversation around reparations is important for America to have because we still have not reckoned with our history and how our history informs our present. We still have not reckoned with the fact that treating human beings as property continues today, whether it be in detention camps or whether it be in prisons and jails across the nation. It’s time for us to reckon with our history so that we can change the present and inform the future.
Bonus Question: If you could give advice to your teenage self, what would it be?
AG: Ohh, I love this question. If I could give advice to my teenage self, I would say, “You’re perfect just the way you are.”
Playing catch-up? Don’t miss interviews with Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Julián Castro, and Jay Inslee. And don’t forget to check back every Tuesday for another exclusive interview with an activist, organizer, or progressive leader. You can also find these videos on our YouTube page.
