Rednecks For Black Lives' Urges Southerners To Fight For Racial Justice
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/07/27/rednecks-for-black-lives
On the attempt to divide poor white people from minorities in order to weaken their potential strength if they worked together
Howard: “That's the purpose of our organization, Southern Crossroads. We are suffering poor white people and it's been going on for a long time. And we're told to blame Black people and people of color for that suffering. And what that does — and what it has always done — is divert us away from the real villains who are billionaires, crooked politicians, big businesses who make money while we blame each other.
“And so we really want to interrupt these false narratives, but we know we can make a different choice. And many of us have. And that path is one where white people can join with Black people and people of color to work together to win dignity and respect for everyone in the South. There were so many rural protests and prayer vigils and acts of solidarity in defense of Black lives over the past few months.
“We get a lot of blame for racism in the country. We get a lot of blame for, you know, the rise of Trump or Mitch McConnell. And I really want to point out that rich white people are the ones who are responsible for Trump and Mitch McConnell. But what I think is so important about organizing poor white people and poor white people in the South is that the South has been overlooked for so long that the right has just laid claim to it. And often the white left has written us off. And in order to win that, you know, kind of justice that we need in order to show up in defense of Black lives and to create health care and jobs for people and access to safe housing, we have to win over more white people. And to me, when we're working together with Black people and people of color, that means we get health care. That means we are safe from the police. We have safer communities. We have housing. We have access to food and shelter and things we need.”
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/07/27/rednecks-for-black-lives
On the attempt to divide poor white people from minorities in order to weaken their potential strength if they worked together
Howard: “That's the purpose of our organization, Southern Crossroads. We are suffering poor white people and it's been going on for a long time. And we're told to blame Black people and people of color for that suffering. And what that does — and what it has always done — is divert us away from the real villains who are billionaires, crooked politicians, big businesses who make money while we blame each other.
“And so we really want to interrupt these false narratives, but we know we can make a different choice. And many of us have. And that path is one where white people can join with Black people and people of color to work together to win dignity and respect for everyone in the South. There were so many rural protests and prayer vigils and acts of solidarity in defense of Black lives over the past few months.
“We get a lot of blame for racism in the country. We get a lot of blame for, you know, the rise of Trump or Mitch McConnell. And I really want to point out that rich white people are the ones who are responsible for Trump and Mitch McConnell. But what I think is so important about organizing poor white people and poor white people in the South is that the South has been overlooked for so long that the right has just laid claim to it. And often the white left has written us off. And in order to win that, you know, kind of justice that we need in order to show up in defense of Black lives and to create health care and jobs for people and access to safe housing, we have to win over more white people. And to me, when we're working together with Black people and people of color, that means we get health care. That means we are safe from the police. We have safer communities. We have housing. We have access to food and shelter and things we need.”