“Calling all lazy activists”
If the recent Angela Davis talk at Straub Hall proved nothing else, it’s that there are thousands of people on campus interested in what a lifelong radical activist has to say.
The lucky few hundred who managed to snag a seat were treated to a long talk during which she shared insights gained from her decades of work and hopes for the future. But for all she talked about, she kept circling back to one overarching message: nobody can accomplish anything alone.
When a questioner asked Davis about the lessons she learned from her time in the Black Panther Party, she emphasized that for all the fame and attention attracted by leaders like Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, the party could never have succeeded in building itself up without countless others on the ground pushing it forward.
“We always start with the we,” she said. Nothing is separated from our broader context.
Why, then, will hundreds of you who waited in line to see her speak, go back home and do nothing meaningful to improve your community over the rest of your time in college? Sure, maybe you’ll repost some inspiring Instagram infographics occasionally or put “free Palestine” in your Tinder bio, but are you turning out to meetings? Are you coming out to protests? Are you showing solidarity when working people in this town are on strike?
No? Why not?
Maybe you feel down and hopeless that there’s nothing you can do to really fix things. Maybe you think your skills are useless.
Angela Davis says that doesn’t matter. “If you are an artist, use your art. If you are a poet, use your poetry.” Every person has something they’re good at. Find it and use it.
If all 2,000 people who showed up Wednesday night put their skills to use in one way or another, I’m 100% confident the University of Oregon would be better off because of it.
Take some insight from someone who’s been in the game for 60 years. We are at the forefront of change. Next time you walk past a rally, don’t ignore it. Join in. If you want to show solidarity with Palestine, come out to protest. If you’re a student worker, get involved in your union. If there’s a social cause you’re passionate about, there’s probably a club on campus or a group in the community trying to make it happen. Make Angela Davis proud.
CAMPUS ORG MEETING TIMES/WHO TO FOLLOW
Climate Justice League - @climatejusticeleague - Tuesdays 6pm, Lillis 112
Students for Justice in Palestine - @sjp.uo - Fridays 3pm, Multicultural Center
Young Democratic Socialists - @uoydsa - Thursdays 6pm, Straub 245
Jewish Voice for Peace - @jvp.uo
ROAR Center - @roarcenter
Students for Choice - @uostudentsforchoice
UO Student Workers - @uostudentworkers
Amidst the ongoing genocide and starvation campaign against Gaza, organizations like MOLD Magazine harness the power of design and food to amplify the voices of the oppressed and catalyze movements for freedom. MOLD's “Palestine” page features poetic articles and interviews of artists and authors. I prompt my fellow students to visit the magazine's site for themselves to read, learn, and advocate.