movement

As I continue to go through all of my old files, folders, and possessions, I have come across an entire box dedicated to the early-to-mid 90's fight to defend affirmative action. A fight largely lost in legislation, academia, as well as the public consciousness.

This was a fight before endless wars, before 9/11 as they say.

There was such mass mobilization. There was such strength. There was such numbers. Maybe most importantly, there was such optimism.

(It was a different day when major hip hop magazines ran articles about sellout Blacks and over 2,000 students took over the suburban streets of Concord, CA.)

It was the struggle to save affirmative action (to maintain race and gender as a factor in University admissions and then later against the so-called "CA Civil Rights Initiative") as a survival tool that 'turned' me into a radical. I may have known the bankcruptcy of this system before but it became crystal clear after.
During this struggle I witnessed blatant lies in news broadcasts and saw why the masses were never won over. It had not to do with our efforts or the actual facts/ideals. The cards were stacked against us before we even began.

Imperialism learns its lessons well. Imperialism has perfected adaptation.

It seems any movement now is too locked in its own defeatism or avoidance of confrontation due to increased consequence (at least it would seem so here in the belly of the beast).
I hope we see another upsurge of action combined with optimism soon.