On February 15th I was fortunate
enough to have attended a Rhodes College BSA event that screened the documentary
of the Invaders. The Invaders were a group of militant black youth in Memphis,
Tennessee that were inspired by the Black Power movement. The Invaders
participated in both violent and non-violent action. Leaders of the Invaders
consisted of Coby Smith who integrated Rhodes College, Charles Cabbage, and
other that were present the night of the screening. Before this event, I had
never heard of the Invaders, yet they had left such a lasting impact in Memphis’s
Civil Rights history. Most notable the Invaders were important to the Memphis Sanitation
Strike. This militant group more strongly aligned themselves with the ideas of
Malcom X, than with Dr. Martin Luther King’s non-violent ideology. Therefore, through
the words Chris Shaw in the article “Pushed Too Far,”
Around the time Martin Luther King
agreed to come to the sanitation workers' strike of 1968, the Invaders were
having disagreements with the local leaders in the black community over
tactics, such as daily marches and boycotting, they were using. The Invaders
believed those weren't working to create social change.
When riot
broke out during the march of the Memphis Sanitation Strike, the Invaders were
blamed for the chaos. From the film Coby Smith discussed with Dr. King the
outbreak of violence was to be expected in Memphis and not the fault of the
Invaders violent tactics. Although, the Invaders were a small and local group during
the Civil Rights Movement, its important to recognized those who go undetected
as leaders in the work for justice. One invader, Juanita Thornton, who had
joined the discussion at the end of the screen talked about the role of the woman
in this activist group. They had started a breakfast program, feeding the
children in Memphis that she says still continues today. Her encouragement of
black women in the Invaders was inspirational. The Invaders played a large role
in Civil Rights in Memphis that often go unnoticed.
When thinking about the master
narrative, I believe that the Invaders are essential to disrupting this manipulated
perception of the Civil Rights Movement. There were groups and organizations
that were working to fight against racism and discrimination in Memphis. The Invaders
displayed the breakdown of activism between both the older generation and the
youth during the 1960s. Groups within the Invaders, such as black Vietnam veterans,
women and youth, show the significance of the black people working in front and
behind the scenes of activism.
Source: Shaw, Chris. “Pushed Too Far.” Memphis Flyer, Memphis Flyer, 16 Feb. 2018, www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/pushed-too-far/Content?oid=3543660.
I love reading about all these stories from groups who are subverting oppressive regimes. However, it also frustrates me to hear about the similarities between these stories and the ones playing out today. I've been following the #Takeemdown movements pretty closely, and felt relieved and overjoyed when the Memphis Flyer reported that the city found a way to remove the statues, even though it wasn't as *ahem* destructive as I would've liked. Two weeks ago, the Flyer reported that the Tennessee state board was called to reevaluate the legality of this decision by two republican representatives. My heart dropped. I didn't know why I was so surprised, after all, those with power will never willingly give it up. I can;t put my feelings into words when it was deemed a legal transaction. This is, however, not nearly enough. Relying on the system that continues to oppress people to relieve that oppression is never enough. It wasn't for the Invaders, and it won't be for us.
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ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the specific example of Juanita Thornton in your piece. I think the inclusion of her role as an Invader, a group associated with militancy, and also her role of starting a breakfast program to feed black children, demonstrates the complexity of the individuals in movements and the movements themselves. Master narratives obscure the multifaceted elements of groups and portrays activism in the Civil Rights Movement in either a "violent" or "non-violent" dichotomy. Moral absolutism clouds to complexity and agency of activists like Juanita Thornton.
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