A Meditation on Political Action
When I was growing up, my parents were a part of an organization called the All-African Peoples’ Revolutionary Party (A-APRP). One of the central organizers in the A-APRP was Kwame Ture. In my memory, whenever I interacted with him, he would always greet me with a rhetorical question: What have you done for your people today? This greeting wasn’t reserved for special occasions — it could have been a Tuesday.
Even though it was coming from someone who I knew was constantly speaking about and struggling for liberation of Africans and African descendants, it never came off as intimidating, or judgmental, or holy. He meant it genuinely as if it was the most natural question there was, more so than “how are you doing” or “what’s up”. I was no more than 12 years old the last time I saw Kwame Ture alive, so I don’t think he was ever expecting any deep answers from me. I think, instead, he was planting a seed — a reminder and a point of reflection.
“What have you done for your people today” was his subtle reminder that justice work is not something to be done only on special occasions or in times of popular uprising. It is ongoing. It is daily. And if you don’t do it, it may not get done.
“What have you done for your people today” was his reminder that it is, usually, reasonable to have an answer to that question. Some days it may be public or grand — contributing to a study group, or swelling the numbers at a protest. Many days it may be small or personal — teaching your children lessons to ensure they grow into strong and responsible adults, or catching up on sleep and practicing self-care so that you can be better prepared for future work.
“What have you done for your people today” was his reminder that all of our actions have effects on the world outside of ourselves, that it is better to be cognizant of and intentional about what those effects are, and that it is better for us to have an idea of what we want those effects to be.
“What have you done for your people today” was his reminder that we have to do the work.
“[J]ustice work is not something to be done only on special occasions or in times of popular uprising. It is ongoing. It is daily. And if you don’t do it, it may not get done.”
If you’ve identified an organization doing good work and donated to them within the last few weeks, that is wonderful. Consider making that a recurring donation, if you can. Chances are, if their work is necessary today, it will be necessary in 3 months or 3 years. Usually, mission-driven organizations should be working to make themselves obsolete, but that process takes time. 400 years of injustice won’t be rectified during one pandemic.
Another thing that Kwame Ture was adamant about is that no one moves the needle on their own. Organization is an imperative for sustained social progress. Find a political home that aligns with your values and get involved. A political home could take many forms. Ultimately, generally, it’s a place where you can concentrate power and exercise your agency to try to bring about a world that you would like to see.
Of course, caveats: start where you are. A friend of mine is trying to make sure that, during these times of unrest, he is participating in at least one political action per week, so as to make it routine. If you need ideas of where to start, try subscribing to the Anti-Racist Daily newsletter, or following local organizations that are combating inequity (did I mention joining a political home?).
Also, be kind to yourself. If you ask yourself what you have done for your people today and the answer is “nothing”, that’s ok. It reminds me of the practice of recentering your attention during meditation: acknowledge those things that have kept you from concentrating on what you mean to, and gently guide yourself back to where you want to be. Use this question as a tool for reflecting and recentering, rather than shaming.
So: What have you done for your people today?
