The Militant?

As I continue to write about black lives and our struggle, I feel a kinship with men and women who would be considered militant: Assata Shakur, Angela Davis, H. Rap Brown, Malcolm X, and Huey Newton. After deeper consideration, I refuse to identify or allow people to label me as militant. The militant label is inextricably tied with the word violent. Militant black people evoke images of armed black men and women marching in rank and file. This image is likely to increase the heartrate of most Americans.

Militancy as a label is inaccurate. To borrow archiac language, militant negroes existed in a time of widespread white extremism. Terrorism perpetrated by white families upon negroes is a common feature of my older relatives memories. What is worse, the police at times engaged in domestic terrorism. The Ku Kulx Klan, and other forms of organized white violence, had members who served in law enforcement. The police attacked and bludgeoned unarmed civilians for exercising their Constitutional rights. This violent behavior, sanctioned and embraced by white Americans, is militant. The modus operandi of black Americans to protect themselves and share their frustration is not a militant action. Their measures were an act of self-preservation, not militancy. White Americans and the United States government demonstrated militancy, by using armed forces to exile Native Americans and subject negroes to slavery. The false narrative of white Americans labeling black leadersas militant is an example of the pot calling the kettle black (pun intended). It is White Americans and the federal government who consistently demonstrated militancy towards every non-white individual.

There is great danger in the militant designation. Those whom are deemed as such become enemies to peace, trouble-makers, agitators, or threats. In this country, we eliminate threats. It is acceptable to kill militant people. Militant people are a threat to security and order. By labeling black leaders as militant, it allows the establishment to murder them. There is a reason why most of the black leaders I initially listed did not live to see old age, or live abroad. Few militant leaders, or revolutionaries, live to see their dreams come true in this nation. Instead of the establishment working to understand and address their legitimate grievances, the forces of white supremacy judge and execute them without due process. The amount of mystery and intrigue which shrouds several of the most prominent assasinations in the 1960s is both cause for concern, with regard to our criminal justice system, and a warning to all men and women who dare to reject injustice and bring about restoration for wrongs.

Here we are in 2017 and I almost fell for it! I almost embraced the militant label. This simple label is used to remove the legitimacy of an opinion. Militant people have subjective opinions, and in turn cannot be trusted. In a society which overvalues empiricism, and and thus objectivity, the militant or subjective individual cannot and will not be trusted. The militant label stole the influence from some of our greatest leaders, and for others it stole their life. In a brilliant and wicked move the oppressor casts their label onto the oppressed, further discrediting their cause. The duplicity and efficacy of this tactic, makes my stomach sick and also makes me want to applaud my enemy for their strategic brilliance. I am not militant, I am honest. I pray we would all have the courage to be honest, otherwise it will be difficult to address and remedy the evils of our past.