From a reader:
“I very much like the idea of something beautiful to rise out of all of today’s ugliness…”
September 9, 2015 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
On the first day of an English class last week, an instructor at a Midwestern community college gave out the palm cards of BA’s new statement. He asked the class to write their thoughts on the quote from BA. Here are a few samples of their responses.
A white woman wrote: “Despite its ostensible foundation of freedom and equality, the United States was built on subjugation and domination—from creating a ‘new world’ by wresting land from the indigenous people to growing their new nation by kidnapping and enslaving Africans. The legacy of slavery still taints our nation today, and the essence of that exploitation persists. Bob Avakian posits that from this ugliness beauty can arise: Black people being a force in emancipating all people. The systemic oppression of Black people in the U.S. has recently become widely discussed and acknowledged. Activists—Black activists—are demanding justice, demanding an end to police brutality, demanding an end to exploitation and dehumanization. And they are heard. Black voices are carrying on a tide of anger and sadness that crosses race and creed. In an increasingly connected world, censored voices are now audible. Tamir Rice is no longer an un-named Black youth, who may not have received coverage at all. He is known as a child, as someone’s son, as a human being. The dead are now acknowledged. Too late, undoubtedly, but it is a start. Beyond the effort to end the continued subjugation of Blacks in America, the real beauty lies in its connectedness to the dehumanization of any people across the globe. In fighting for themselves, Blacks can come from a place of forced subjugation to a force of change for all.”
A Black high school student who is taking college courses wrote: “I very much like the idea of something beautiful to rise out of all of today’s ugliness. I think it’s about time for several changes to be made in today’s society. If revolution is the way to achieve those changes then it must happen. Black people as a community have had unspeakable atrocities committed against us for far too long. Still in today’s society things like police shootings, the KKK and killing of Black people plagues the nation. … I think this revolution idea is an idea that needs to happen for the Sandra Blands and the Tamir Rices of the world. We have to hold those at fault accountable and not let their deaths be in vain.”
A Black man in his early 20s wrote: “There is potential for something of unprecedented beauty to arise out of unspeakable ugliness.” I like when this is said. It shows the author/writer has hope for a beautiful change when it comes down to Black people and the system. I believe this article is completely correct. As a Black man, I know the discrimination brought up against us. So when this author/writer says, ‘Black people play a crucial role in putting an end to it,’ I think he’s right. Nothing can be changed, until you do something to change it. A wise person once said, ‘Faith without works is dead.’ So therefore we need to come together using faith and action to somehow make a change. As a race that had been tormented and discriminated since our ancestors, we definitely deserve change. Some things won’t come easy, but given our strong, hardworking background this should be something very achievable for us. This article is very meaningful and detailed. It uses strong text and makes a clear point. I think it’s great.”
A young Black woman wrote: “I feel that it is wrong for white people to take the role of masters over Black people. Everyone should be treated the same no matter what color skin they have. White people hurt Black people in any way possible for nothing. By Black people ‘fighting to emancipate humanity’ they could become free.”
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