Section A01
Week 9
In Santos F. Ramos’ article, Building a Culture of Solidarity: Racial Discourse, Black Lives Matter, and Indigenous Social Justice, he brings to light the Black Lives Matter movement and clarifies the meaning of true solidarity between allies and the Black community. He talks about how Black issues are prevalent in today’s society are silenced and even undermined in the midst of all that they work for. He also portrays his experience as an organizer for protest and resisting the harsh conditions put upon him and confrontation with police. Santos gives more perspective into what solidarity is in hopes that other communities of color understand that this movement is not for them, but to shed light on the injustices done toward the black community.
I extracted a lot from the article because it is on a topic I support so heavily. While analyzing, I felt the power, drive, and genuineness that Santos emits because it is true that the Black community has dealt with so many injustices and as fellow people of color we must stand in solidarity to provide them the support they need to overcome and conquer this issue. The article brings to consciousness the ideals of #BlackLivesMatter, what it stands for, and how we can show solidarity without making it an issue of people of color. I realize that when organizing it takes a lot of people power, that in the process we begin to make it “our” issue. Standing in solidarity means knowing when to speak up and knowing your place. I find the #BlackLivesMatter to be reflective of Asian American studies solely on the fact that as hxstory tells, we as people of color would not have the privilege to be pursuing higher education without the hard work and efforts of the Black community fighting to achieve the right to obtain an education. Their efforts paved the way for communities like ours to obtain the necessary opportunities to get where we are today. I think this article has a lot to say in terms of where we are in American society right now. I do believe that there is more we can do as Asian Americans to support the African American community and giving them to support they need as they have to bring us into our privileges as people of color. Again, this is not a win for us, it’s for them. We must resist to make it happen, and it is only selflessness that can take down the white supremacy that creates injustices for Black people and to do so we must support, stand in solidarity, and work to achieve equality for African Americans.
Image: I took this photo back in Fall Quarter in the midst of the election of Donald Trump. I believe it is necessary to know that in times of uncertainty, it is always necessary to keep resisting and continue to support our fellow African American community in their efforts to reach racial equality in this white government where the odds are against them.
References:
- Ramos, S. F. (2016, April 20). Building a Culture of Solidarity: Racial Discourse, Black Lives Matter, and Indigenous Social Justice. Retrieved from http://enculturation.net/building-a-culture-of-solidarity
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