White Supremacy Culture slows our movement down

Democracy Spring has ignored the writing on the wall for long enough, limiting it’s potential to build momentum and influence

brendan orsinger
Aug 28, 2017 · 9 min read
From Democracy Spring’s April action at the US Capitol. Photo Credit: Alejandro Alvarez

I will always preface any piece critical of Democracy Spring by saying I love the people I’ve organized with, marched with, and sat in with. I’ve learned so much from them. They are really great people that care deeply and are passionate about getting money out of politics.

Even the greatest people can unintentionally do serious harm. If you are carrying the 10-foot long 2x4 board of white supremacy culture, when you turn around, you are bound to unintentionally hurt someone or break something if you’re not aware of the space around you.

That’s why I can’t organize with Democracy Spring anymore. At least not until they take steps towards full awareness of their organizing space and structure — then take bold steps to dismantle the parts of their culture which are currently oppressive and unwelcoming to people of color and all who are not cis white males.

It’s not only wrong that Democracy Spring has pushed forward with their National & Local trainings before addressing these issues, but they have limited their ability to appeal to the most broad audience and recruit, absorb, and retain some amazing organizers because of their current head-in-the-sand approach to oppression and white supremacy culture.

(I know I’ve used the term “white supremacy” few times already, and will use it more in this article. I recognize it can shut folks down from reading or really hearing the message, so please check out the definition and origins of white supremacy presented here. I hope you’ll continue.)

Let’s start here: There is a difference between being “non-racist” and being “anti-racist”. If you don’t know what that difference is, here’s a short video to help.

In recent years I’ve watched as organizing spaces have become more aware of the voices they are leaving out. I have observed leaders who look at diversity and inclusion problems as nothing more than an image issue, but not a systemic issue. So they respond with tokenism while continuing to marginalize and disregard those voices. Those very voices could greatly benefit their organization.

On the other hand, the best leaders I’ve seen have responded with an unequivocal intolerance of white supremacy culture. Over time this becomes so apparent and affirmed with their organization’s success and continued engagement of all demographics and backgrounds. They see it not as a box to check, but as an ongoing learning process of building awareness, holding trainings, and creating safe spaces. These leaders prioritize ensuring their teams are aware and practicing a radical inclusion and integration of all persons, backgrounds, and perspectives, because they know it will help them win — and win bigger and more quickly.


Personally, as a white man, I am certain that I have been kept from spaces or from leadership for merely being a white male — which can feel pretty shitty for me — but probably best for the teams. I found this out first hand very recently at an organizing event (for a different cause) when the vestiges of my learned toxic male/whiteness manifested in a very disruptive way. I felt awful. It was a good reminder for me how important giving space for all can be. None of us are perfect at this, a very wise fellow organizer told me after my incident, but we can strive to prioritize our vigilance and building of awareness and minimizing our impact personally and organizationally.

There is a place for all of us in these movements. However, it is now my belief that in today’s organizing environment, that a white male’s place is no longer ever at the top of an organization. Inevitably, when a white male is at the top of the power structure, it will symbolically and in practice perpetuate white supremacy within the organization, and regardless of how woke or aware he might be (or believe himself to be) it will signal only to men (mostly white men) that they are welcome in the space, and simultaneously will be a missed opportunity to signal to people of color and all who are not cis white males that they welcome.

Some stubborn or unconvinced leaders will say “We can’t prioritize this work over the cause”, to which I would say: You don’t have to create a false polarity. You can do both well. In fact, by actively being intolerant of the way white supremacy culture manifests in your organization, you will accomplish your movement’s goals more quickly, more sustainably, more inclusively — more meaningfully.

In a piece she posted on International Women’s Day, Caitlin Breedlove speaks of the women’s role historically in movements and why so many in the past were led predominantly by cis-men:

Sub-consciously so many of us are emotionally trained to warm to an idea or concept more if a white cis man, usually a straight one, says it

Caitlin continues:

“Your organizing quality seems to go down, and your ego up, when you take to0 much council with each other and advise each other too much. Sometimes this means you believe your entitlements more than you believe what the rest of us are telling you is real in the world. Always a good idea to notice who you take closest council with. If you are mostly taking council with other white cis-men, but don’t want to push yourself on women organizers for council if the relationships are not real, don’t lose heart! We live in a blessed time where if you can get access to the internet you can find teachings of amazing trans and cis women of color and poor women organizers easily. All you have to do is keep believing people are experts on their own lives, and have a vantage point to see truth that you aren’t often positioned to see yourself.”


Recently, one of my favorite DC organizers sent me this great list of characteristics of white supremacy culture and how it might manifest under the radar in organizations. It ends with this insight:

“One of the purposes of listing characteristics of white supremacy culture is to point out how organizations which unconsciously use these characteristics as their norms and standards make it difficult, if not impossible, to open the door to other cultural norms and standards. As a result, many of our organizations, while saying we want to be multicultural, really only allow other people and cultures to come in if they adapt or conform to already existing cultural norms. Being able to identify and name the cultural norms and standards you want is a first step to making room for a truly multi-cultural organization.”


Democracy Spring can go into 2017 with their current strategy, organizational structure, training plans, and ways of doing business — and with the great, determined, dedicated people they have, will probably do pretty good work. They might still make good progress and be part of the solution to money in politics, but as I mentioned in my last article on the matter: If we want to go far, we must go together.

We severely hold ourselves back by not being open to and brave about addressing these issues of oppression stemming from white supremacy culture which have found safe haven within Democracy Spring.

You didn’t notice Democracy Spring had a problem? Chances are you’re a white cis-man or too close to (or bogged down in) the work of. The National Team and INCC to see it. I didn’t see it right away. The issues have manifested before, during, and after each major Democracy Spring event this year. The April actions in DC, which brought together 150 different organizations to sit-in for a shared set of demands. Those partners have dwindled and few fully absorbed. The DNC Philly campaign, depending on who you consult, was a huge success or failure. What is indisputable was that good people walked away from Democracy Spring during and after Philly, and DC actions. Even in Philly, when they did bring in anti-oppression training, no one could focus on or set aside time to process because of imminent actions at the DNC that were hours from execution.

Last month, days before a National Training, the INCC through a consensus decision, released a statement that alienated a large portion of their most staunch supporters. The result was great people walking away from Democracy Spring before, during, and after the National Training. White supremacy culture has manifested in the haphazardly last-minute organized events, unsustainable work practices, tokenization, lack of openness to ideas form outside the core group, and other offensive, unintentionally hurtful, and dangerous ways that are not easily seen unless you take time to look.

While Democracy Spring’s September 5th INCC statement didn’t alienate me personally, I did identify and voice the absence of a critical component in their decision making. It wasn’t that the argument itself — to strategically hold your nose and vote for Hillary — was necessarily a bad one. It was a bad decision to share that message with no consideration for a constituency of Bernie supporters who were deeply wounded. They had poured their hearts into the Sanders and Democracy Spring campaigns and were/still are in various stages of grief and anger over the HRC & DNC’s complicit and duplicitous role in manipulating the primaries against their beloved candidate. The INCC didn’t stop to think about impact of their action before they turned around with that 10- foot long 2x4 board sticking out, whacking some of our most steadfast supporters in the face. Whoops!

To further illustrate that they still don’t get it, they put out yet another statement last week of equally disappointing nature, trying to reiterate and reframe an argument that no one who they are trying to appeal to will hear. Even former Democratic Presidential Candidate Larry Lessig, who has been my hero and reason I joined the movement, came out with a piece reinforcing the INCC’s flawed decision that doesn’t consider anything but the intellectual argument and includes zero consideration for those who feel oppressed, cheated, and duped. All the INCC piece showed me was resistance and stubbornness, which are both qualities associated with white supremacy culture, and reinforced by my white male former-hero, Lawrence Lessig. As an aside, Lessig used the hashtag #FixDemocracyFirst during his run for president, which is also an intellectual argument coming from a place of privilege without consideration for the oppressed, and is just a bit offensive to other more important causes like #BlackLivesMatter & #NoDAPL.


It’s not my job to tell Democracy Spring how to become more aware of these signs and symptoms of white supremacy culture within their organizational and leadership dynamics, nor is it my job to tell them how to repair or dismantle those systems and structures.

What is my job? To take my abilities and efforts, time and resources and apply them in ways and where I can do the most good for the people and movements I care about.

Last month, Democracy Spring asked me to coordinate the standup of their Washington, DC hub. As much as I would love to organize with them again, I have doubts to how effective our work can be here in DC, with recruiting and building partnerships with local organizations led by people of color and those who are not cis white males. I don’t believe we can do the most good without front-loading anti-racism and anti-oppression training at the national and local levels. Until we unpack our invisible knapsack, and understand our privilege, then our ability to see oppression around us will be obstructed. Until we do this work as an organization, my participation in any further Democracy Spring efforts or actions without these reassurances, would not personally be the best use of my time.

So, I will step back, while showing the utmost respect, gratitude, and love for the individuals who decide to continue with Democracy Spring, but would ask those who want to “MIC CHECK” my message here to do so by posting this article to the Democracy Spring Facebook page as encouragement to the INCC to boldly and immediately take action to radically change the way they do business. I firmly believe Democracy Spring must act now to preserve their place as a leader of this movement. If they are bold enough to ask us to vote for HRC, to march 140 miles, to sit-in for democracy, and to risk arrest — they can be so bold as to ask their core team to drop what they’re doing and do anti-racism/oppression work that is so long overdue.

I urge you to urge them to act.


“But when you live comfortably in the towers of white supremacy

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brendan orsinger

Written by

organizer, poly, anti-fascist, Ⓥegan, bipolar, uu, musician, dog lover, and imperfect human being like everyone else. (he/they)

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