Sacrifices

A common theme that has been prevalent when studying the history of civil rights throughout the years is the amount of sacrifice, both expected and unexpected, that comes with demanding liberation and fighting the system. I follow Wendi Thomas on Twitter (as everyone should: @wendi_c_thomas), noticing that her tweets are not only BRILLIANT but also honest. She recently spoke on what often goes unnoticed when talking about being an activist and that is the risk that is being taken. 

Her honesty and realness deserves much more appreciation because it is easy to forget how being an activist and calling out problematic people and companies comes with a risk. The racist people that exist in this world are the ones that are determined to make life for activists harder than it already it is. Thomas touches on that in her tweets, even adding that she had to get a bodyguard. Thomas is both black and proud, using her platform to fight for justice which is a racist's worse fear. This results in the abuse and threats that Thomas is unfortunately used to. 

Another example of this can be seen in Manuel Duran's story. Duran is a Latino journalist that was recently detained while covering a protest on immigration detention outside of 201 Poplar. He was allegedly "blocking a street and engaging in disorderly conduct". Duran is an extremely dedicated journalist and activist in the Latino community that is often not represented in the media. He plays an important role in disrupting the racist politics that persist in Memphis. He, too, sacrifices his safety when doing the difficult work that he does. The unjust arrest of Duran is not only affecting him, but is bringing terrible sadness to his loved ones and those that support him. It is important to not forget about the many sacrifices that activists are making on a daily basis by taking part in risky work that deals with hateful people. We see this back in the 1960s with Dr. King and it is only reverberating to now.