After January 6th: Critical and Grassroots Perspectives
On January 22, Weave News hosted a live panel discussion focusing on the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and its implications for struggles for justice in the United States. The event was held on Zoom and broadcast to Facebook live. Scroll down to view the full video and to learn more about the panelists and their suggested action steps.
The panelists
What is to be done?
Toward the end of the discussion, we asked the panelists to recommend actions that audience members could take, right now, to help contribute to the kinds of justice work that are needed today. Here are some of their main suggestions:
Don’t be complacent after the election. Talk to your friends, family, and colleagues about white supremacy and fascism. Pay attention to those in your community who are most vulnerable and most affected. (Nicole Eigbrett)
Invest in Black and Brown organizations that have an explicitly anti-fascist or abolitionist orientation and that are working actively to dismantle state violence. Examples in the Boston area: Muslim Justice League, Families for Justice As Healing, Black & Pink Massachusetts. (Nicole Eigbrett)
Join community defense efforts that are mobilizing against white supremacy. Show up in the streets. (Nicole Eigbrett)
Look local. Get in touch with your local officials and insist that they speak out forcefully against white supremacy. (Nicole Eigbrett)
Listen – a lot. Listen to those who are involved in grassroots work. Hear their stories and their demands. Then take on the ethical obligation to put yourself at risk. (Damon Berry)
Talk to your kids, your kids’ friends, and young people in general. Listen to them and work with them to create a vision of the world that we want. (Steve Peraza)
Support socialist candidates who will push for a truly democratic, people’s approach to budgeting. Budgets are moral documents. (Thahitun Mariam)
Support mutual aid efforts in your community in order to help build radical empathy. Example: Bronx Mutual Aid Network. (Thahitun Mariam)
Don’t just throw money at problems. Create spaces for conversations. Hold governments, police, and the military accountable. Support the Movement for Black Lives as well as smaller, local organizations that are doing the work. (Thahitun Mariam)
Don’t forget to focus on self-care! (Thahitun Mariam)