Occupy Wall Street Silenced John Lewis?

[JustAnotherGen]

Did I miss this?

http://www.salon.com/2011/10/13/the_man_who_blocked_john_lewis_speaks/

The moment where Congressman Lewis wasn’t allowed to speak to Occupy Atlanta has become racially charged. It looks like a predominantly white crowd turning away a black civil rights hero. So I hate to try to put you in a bubble, but how do you characterize your own ethnicity?

No, it’s OK, I think the move to pretend to “color-blindness” is very dangerous. My four grandparents come from Italy, Africa and Spain. I’m a quarter black. In terms of “bubbles,” when I’m filling out forms, I bubble in Latino, black and white. Growing up in Pearl River, my friends were Irish Catholic, and being of mixed race, I was the minority. I’ve never been white enough for the whites, or Latino enough for the Latinos; it’s actually the black community that I’ve felt most at home with. So it’s ironic, the John Lewis thing.

http://www.thesavvysista.com/2011/10/man-who-blocked-congresmen-john-lewis.html

OK, you realize that sounds condescending: “the real black community.” Who’s the real black community? Who decides that?

That might have been crude. I’m talking about the segment of the black community here that feels ignored and disenfranchised. Here in Atlanta, there’s very much a class divide. I think a lot of black leadership, and black church leadership, tends to be separated from the urban poor black community. Politically, things have to be pretty noncontroversial for many in the official black church to get involved, and when they do, their answer is, go out and vote for the Democrats! That’s very unsatisfying to a lot of us

.

John Lewis on Twitter: "You cannot be afraid to speak up ...

https://twitter.com/repjohnlewis/status/489435720130785280

A true hero: @repjohnlewis You cannot be afraid to speak up and speak out for what you believe. You have to have courage, raw courage. 1 retweet 2 favorites.

John Lewis didn't just 'march' - he



And he -


And he also -


Now he says stuff like this -


And wow - he wants us to get on up and get in trouble!


And because of this -


And yeah - this -


This happened

?itok=BoSFy7Rn


A plutocratic 1 percenter oligarchy socialist communist capitalist millionaire who is against he 99% did that.

Who knew?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. He wasn't denied the chance to speak, he just wasn't given preferential treatment.

Edited: NVM, your first link explains exactly what happened in the second paragraph, more exactly than I was going to talk about it.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Funny - the guy who did that?

He was a Sanders supporter and trying to tell folks who the 'real black people are'.

If Lewis can be dismissed for not waiting his turn -

Sanders can be dismissed for not having the same street creds in the Civil Rights movement as John Lewis. He's as much fair game as John Lewis.

If the young ladies had 'spit on him' I would think differently.

Had they called for his death - I would think differently.

That didn't happen.

Also - I do not believe they are paid Koch plants.
I do not believe they serve an oligarch plutocratic master.
I do not believe they are this new brand of 'Storm Troopers Brown Shirts' who are going to engage in some twisted version of Kristallnacht in order to overthrow the Sanders campaign (totally not making this up Erich - not - read the brown shirts nonsense right in GD).

Until any of these things are proven with receipts, cancelled checks, and/or uniforms - I think anyone who writes these things is a liar.

[mcar]

3. K&R

Kicking the thread and JAG's excellent comment.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Thank you!

[brer cat]

4. I rec this post. nt

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Thanks brer

I thought eh? Maybe it's time to get them off the MLK train - there were young, brash, angry people. Down in Louisiana two were jailed for 'criminal anarchy'.

There's so much more to civil rights street cred than marching with MLK.

My grandfather, grandmother and mom did as white people. But - my grandparents also made a point (grandpa was the leader on this) of hiring black and Hispanic men - female architects and engineers, etc. etc. Money talks bullshit just walks.

[jalan48]

8. Why are you so angry with Sanders? What about the other candidates, especially the Republicans?

Just curious.

[JustAnotherGen]

9. I'm not angry with Sanders

I'm a strong - VERY strong O'Malley supporter - who has given to Generation Forward.

What gave you the impression I was angry at Sanders?

This was about showing love to John Lewis - a true Civil Rights here, long time Congress man - and a man who literally 'marched' and sat shoulder to shoulder with MLK.

I think it's time folks get off MLK and get on to this man. He's one of a few left who can help lead young black Americans to justice. He knows how to get it done.

[jalan48]

11. Some posts about why you support O'Malley would be helpful.

Tell us the approach he is taking on the issues that makes him the person that should be President. What does he say about BLM that you think is important for all of to know? All I am seeing are negative comments about someone associated with Sanders.

[JustAnotherGen]

12. This is not the place to campaign

Please take it to GD Primaries. You may also access my posts in the O'Malley group.

This group is not the place to ask people to fetch and step.

Good day sir!

[jalan48]

13. So this is the place to?

[MADem]

17. This is the African American group. You might take the time to read the SOP before you

continue posting here.

[jalan48]

21. Not a problem. I didn't see the disclaimer.

[JustAnotherGen]

23. You've been at DU since December 11, 2011 - @ 12:28 AM

Until June 30th - you never paid attention to this group. Your activity ramped up with bravenak receiving a time out yesterday.

At this point - I'm blocking you from the group.

I'm not asking you to leave. Number23 received a hide as a group host yesterday for doing so and we have learned we are best to just act - as opposed to being patient and polite.

Besides, I don't want the argument.

[1StrongBlackMan]

30. LOL ...

not fetch and step ... nor, scratch or dance!

[JustAnotherGen]

33. Did someone say - dance? Dance!

[1StrongBlackMan]

34. LOL ...

Prefer:

[JustAnotherGen]

36. He reminds me of my brother - but so does this guy -

[1StrongBlackMan]

37. Go Obi! ... Go Obi! ... Go ... Go Obi! n/t

[Number23]

45. Damn, dog. That's YODA

?w=500&c=1

[1StrongBlackMan]

48. Oops, as you can tell ...

!SBM =/= Star Wars fan!

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

14. I've posted in a number of places

that I don't see any 'plot' behind the Seattle protest. Occam's Razor says you simply had a local BLM leader who had her own specific ideological leanings above and beyond the Black Lives Matter protest itself that informed her choice of venue and methods.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

15. And again, btw, Lewis was not 'dismissed'.

Lewis did not barge onstage and demand the mic, he asked for a turn and was asked to participate in a way that had already been predetermined for the event in question before they even knew he wanted to participate. He was willing to do so, but his schedule ended up precluding his staying around long enough to do so.

Is Sanders 'fair game'? Sure, anyone is fair game for criticism or even protest. But protests and criticism are likewise going to be judged by the context of the facts around them. In the middle of a political campaign, that means that a lot of people are going to judge them in a political context. And when protests appear to target one candidate in particular with criticisms that could be equally be applied to the other candidates running, and those other candidates aren't protested and criticized, people will draw conclusions that may not be correct, but fall in line with past history of political attacks.

We've heard statements that BLM will be protesting and disrupting 'all' campaign events, but so far, protests at events seem somewhat limited. Paranoia will die down when other candidates start drawing their own BLM disruptions.

[MADem]

18. When you refuse to take the opportunity to hear from a civil rights icon, you are dismissing him.

That had nothing to do with "barging" or "demanding" either.

The barging and demanding protesters weren't "dismissed" either--they were accommodated until the rally organizer shut the event down.

[JustAnotherGen]

19. Thank you so much

For not treating Sanders as an untouchable saint.

That goes a LONG way towards being able to listen to what someone has to say.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

22. Oh don't worry, I'll be labeled again as a Democrat hater for attacking the President if he wins.

I have yet to find a President who is perfect either in office or campaigning. They ALL deserve criticism at one time or another.

My criticism of Sanders so far is that he first underestimated his own draw, and began his campaign as if he really was just a protest candidate, that his goal was simply to advance the message, not to win the White House. So he's still playing 'catch up' in terms of creating a competent campaign, and fumbling his interactions with protesters. I want to see his team meeting in advance with BLM reps in every place he's holding a rally. I want to see him not ending up with 'mic seizures', but rather inviting BLM reps to be a scheduled part of the rallies, so that he's not standing off to the side, looking discomfited or sad, or simply taking off to get to his next event on time without having the time to get his own message out. For him to call on his supporters to stand with BLM people, if they aren't already, and to tell those who CONTINUE to harass black people on twitter and other social media in some 'defense' of him to cut it the hell out.

[JustAnotherGen]

24. I suspect

I'll get the same flack! Over my dead body would I vote for a Republican if Sanders wins the nomination! Over my DEAD body Erich!

[bettyellen]

26. Agree, totally. Friends told me he "doesn't do social justice wedge issues" and I said that as a

woman, this made me pretty pissed off. POC have just as much right to be pissed off.
Told them that he was foolish and kind of offensive for thinking he could do that. It had never really occurred to my friends how that would feel if it was them being sidelined.

[Starry Messenger]

31. Unfortunately that leaves a vacuum for privilege to fill.

I'm afraid it's emboldened some of his supporters to assume that they don't have to care about those things either, which would explain a lot recently.

[bettyellen]

35. Yep- I suddenly understood the ven diagram of annoying CT enthusiasts and BS supporters who want

to dismiss SJWs. It's a perfect circle of folks who think it is okay to ignore issues that effect women and POC because the RWers have - supposedly- made them a third rail.
So any talk of SJ is part of a "plot". A plot to alienate racist sexist voters. We had an interesting talk unpacking that and how it looks to POC and women. They had't considered it because they have blind trust in BS.

[Starry Messenger]

38. Someone here told me we'd get to my concerns "after the revolution."

Yeah.

Left-wing politics are starting to be less white, numbers-wise. I also think this is a fight for racial power among some white progressives--I think that is part of the struggle to regain the much-vaunted Joe Lunchbox vote of yore (that has voted Republican for decades now.) From the tenor of the discussion here, I guess some are finding it tough to let go.

[JustAnotherGen]

41. There isn't going to be a revolution at the national level

The revolution already started in my town. And it had nothing to do with throwing over the oligarchs.

[Starry Messenger]

42. At this point I wouldn't trust some of these folks to butter toast

let alone "take care" of me or anyone else not in their camp! I was grimly amused. I told my husband someone said that and he shot wine out of his nose.

[JustAnotherGen]

43. Well!

It's funny! I don't blame him!

[MADem]

50. +10,000! nt

[valerief]

7. Yecch! Political theology?

From the Salon link

Joseph Diaz, 24, is a Ph.D. philosophy student at Emory University looking for a career in political theology.

[JustAnotherGen]

10. This was interesting

All the way around. I'm wondering if it was posted in the old Occupy group so I missed it? Or maybe I just didn't pay it too much attention because I didn't take Occupy seriously at all?

[MADem]

20. It was posted in the main forums.

It didn't get dozens and dozens and dozens of "outraged" threads, though.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x623170

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2208215

[JustAnotherGen]

25. Ahh - I was in Italy with my husband and his family

At that time - that's why I missed it!

I think that's the day I left - because we had a freak snow storm the day before and there were issues with getting my flight out on time with B.A.

[MADem]

27. It was talked about, but it wasn't met with the absolute ire that this protest at a small

rally has engendered here.

[JustAnotherGen]

28. I'm trying to search DU2

There really were NOT a lot of posts about it - were there?

This is probably another reason why it didn't phase Lewis:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/20/AR2010032002556.html

And yet another -
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/20/tea-party-protests-nier-f_n_507116.html

A staffer for Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) had been spat on by a protestor. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a hero of the civil rights movement, was called a 'ni--er.' And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a "faggot," as protestors shouted at him with deliberately lisp-y screams. Frank, approached in the halls after the president's speech, shrugged off the incident.

But Clyburn was downright incredulous, saying he had not witnessed such treatment since he was leading civil rights protests in South Carolina in the 1960s.

"It was absolutely shocking to me," Clyburn said, in response to a question from the Huffington Post. "Last Monday, this past Monday, I stayed home to meet on the campus of Claflin University where fifty years ago as of last Monday... I led the first demonstrations in South Carolina, the sit ins... And quite frankly I heard some things today I have not heard since that day. I heard people saying things that I have not heard since March 15, 1960 when I was marching to try and get off the back of the bus."

These guys have dealt with this b.s. all of their lives. Including former Representative Frank. This is a part of being in the public eye.

Both from your own and the opposition - this is what it means.

[MADem]

51. A couple of videos and a conversation or two in the main forums.

That was back in the "Thou Shalt Not Say ANYTHING Critical About OCCUPY" days, too--you'd get a post hidden if you dared to say they were disorganized, that they were shitting away goodwill, that a lack of leadership would doom them, that they were infiltrated by anarchists and libertarians who were motivated to cause trouble and chaos, and that the only good protests they managed to put on were actually run by unions!

Make no mistake--they'd beat you to death with a talking stick and twinkle fingers with glee if you dared buck that tide!

[JustAnotherGen]

54. I think I put the group

In Trash and a lot of folks on ignore. I didn't agree with the strategy of not running for office or interrupting at town halls. Agitating up in the oppositions grill was necessary.

As a result - The TEA party has people like Joni Ernst and Ted Cruz in office. They won.

I must be the only person who remembers the TEA party interrupting Town Hall meetings and candidate speeches around the country . . .

[Number23]

47. "It didn't get dozens and dozens and dozens of "outraged" threads, though."

Gee, I wonder why that is???????????

[MADem]

49. "The DU" liked the protesters more than they liked the guy who wanted to address them, perhaps?

Fight the POWER--with a tent on the SIDEWALK, man!

[Number23]

55. BumRush just linked to a love-in for the TPP protesters

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026143878

Wonder how come there was not a SINGLE, SOLITARY "stop it!!1 You're hurting your cause!1one1" comment within that thread??? And from soooooooo many of the same crowd wailing about how terrible awful #BLM's tactics are???

[OilemFirchen]

56. THIS Occupy Movement?

Beyond reproach.

[Starry Messenger]

16. I heard about this when it happened.

I was following Occupy on Twitter and attended a few marches in Oakland. Occupy was cooped by white anarchists. They formed secret FB groups where they planned how to run meetings and assemblies.

People who recognized how white the voices were dominating the events attempted to have a stacked speakers order, where women, Blacks, Latinos, etc. could speak closer to the top of the list. White people were outraged and said "identity politics" weren't about of the movement for the 99%. The hatred on Twitter and some other things turned me off of Occupy.

[JI7]

40. there were some threads about it and concerns dismissed

[Starry Messenger]

44. Ugh.

It was a terrible misstep. It was obvious after a few months that the "leaderless" movement had people who were really controlling it, which turned out to be fatal. It would have cost them nothing to have Rep. Lewis on to speak, and the goodwill for the movement would have been immense. Plus, they would have learned something from a veteran movement worker.

[MrScorpio]

29. Excellent post! nt

[JustAnotherGen]

32. Thanks

Not quite the OP you, or H2O, or 1strong, or Nance, or fresh, or bainsbane etc. etc. would write -

But it needed to be written.

[JI7]

39. the difference in reaction stands out and it's not good

Especially since many of those so outraged over blm have been the biggest supporters of these other things.

[Number23]

46. Tarheel_Dem has been talking about this FOREVER. Like literally, FOREVER

I think this episode completely soured her on OWS and anyone that downplayed this and is now screaming over #BLM -- and that's a HELL of alot of people -- is completely full of shit.

[JustAnotherGen]

53. To African American Group Members - Please Stop And Read

Im respectfully requesting that you don't respond to this post. Manny was blocked from the Group this afternoon and it's poor form when he can't respond.

Thanks,

The Group Host known as The Real Management aka JAG

[Cha]

57. "Ummm....I really don't know how to respond to this interview. He probably would have been better

off just keeping quiet."

I agree, Gen..

snip from your link//

"OK, you realize that sounds condescending: “the real black community.” Who’s the real black community? Who decides that?"

Another missed opportunity by someone who didn't get it.

Mahalo for your OP, Gen.. it's Brilliant.. The pics of John Lewis are essential! And, look how long and hard he fought.. to come to the last one.. and the struggle continues..



Love who played John Lewis' role in Selma..

"John Lewis: Seeing Myself Being Portrayed In 'Selma' Is 'Almost Too Much'"

snip//

"Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a civil rights icon, said it was "almost too much" to see himself being portrayed by an actor in the new movie "Selma," which tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s battle to get equal voting rights for all citizens in 1965.

“I grew up not far from Selma,” Lewis told The Washington Post. “When we would go to the theater as young black children, we had to go upstairs to the balcony and all the little white children went downstairs to the first floor.”

Actor Stephan James portrays Lewis in the film, which the congressman said is "long overdue."

“The movie is good timing with what is going on in Ferguson, and I was so pleased to see in the movie there was a mention of Ferguson,” Lewis said in an interview on Variety's “PopPolitics” on SiriusXM, likely referring to a song from the film called "Glory" by John Legend and Common. In the song, Common says: "That's why Rosa sat on the bus / That's why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/29/john-lewis-selma_n_6390104.html

Me? I cried all the way through..

Yes, "..Get in Trouble.. GOOD TROUBLE, NECESSARY TROUBLE.." John Lewis ..

[JustAnotherGen]

58. We can't give any ground

We have to keep pushing on.

It is too important for:

The GLBT community - as Lewis pointed out in that one gif.
It is too important for Hispanics//Latinos, Asians, Asian Indians
It's waaaaaay too important for Native Americans
It's too important for Americans who practice Judaism and Islam
And it is way way waaaaay too important for women who fall into all of these categories.

The black civil rights movement "wrote" the play book.

From that - so many good things can come. Not just for us (black Americans) - but for all of those groups I mentioned.

I'm not going to retreat - its time to . . .

These "little pups" serve to remind us of that.

[Cha]

59. I just listened to this radio interview with Marissa Johnson on what actually happened

in Seattle .. Speaking of the little pups.. quite different than the way a lot on DU is trying to portray it. I hadn't seen any video or anything.. just DU's version.. I knew it couldn't be that bad though.

The interview plays clips of the vicious crowd background too.

Bains Bane

Excellent points, Gen.. Absolutely Vital for ..

"The GLBT community - as Lewis pointed out in that one gif.
It is too important for Hispanics//Latinos, Asians, Asian Indians
It's waaaaaay too important for Native Americans
It's too important for Americans who practice Judaism and Islam
And it is way way waaaaay too important for women who fall into all of these categories.

The black civil rights movement "wrote" the play book."

Mahalo, Gen~