Necessary Threats

Authority is created by those who surrender their power to the will of others. It’s assumed that, in the tradition of political philosophers John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, that a social contract is created between the state and the individual by this action. The state is socially responsible to protect its members; however we know through studying American history, that this has too often not been the case. Political institutions solidify their authority through the enforcement of law, but laws in American history that restrict liberty, protect wealth and promote racism undermine this social contract. Inevitably as a result, society suffers from the diseases of political apathy, economic disempowerment and social division. Our history, however, also provides panaceas. Activists have proven that democracy is sustained by challenges to authority. Whether we speak of the power of abolitionists, labor unions, suffragists, peace activists, civil rights protesters, immigrant advocates, or human rights bloggers, their role in American history cannot be underestimated. John Brown, Alice Paul, and Malcolm X (to name only a few) are examples of necessary threats to the authority of the state. Authority fears change, and with good cause. Revolt undermines the status quo, demanding a swift and punishing reaction against activism. Our history is littered with examples of reactionary backlash. Today, as media consolidation, public distrust and wealth concentration limit the perception of individual empowerment, these heroes are needed more than ever. Mohandas Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Question yourself; question authority - or it will question you.

The Voice of Power

Power. Malcolm X fought against it in his youth. He blamed it for weakening him in his teens. He was punished by it in his early adulthood. In prison, he submitted to it wholeheartedly. He used and attracted it as a religious leader. As an activist, he scorned its abuses and demanded its validation. The changes in his own life refined his understanding of political, economic and social power. Lately, I’ve wondered why Malcolm’s life and message has become so important to me. When I first read his autobiography and speeches in my late teens, something appealed to me in his internal and external search for justice. Malcolm’s myth became his message. He transformed his own consciousness as well as those followers of racial justice. Tragically, his life in submission to Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam misled millions because it reacted and did not respond to the needs of those suffering from American institutional and personal racism. Today, I feel the need to use the message that Malcolm’s energy raises in me for my own activism. War is evil. Poverty is injustice. Racism is violence. My voice wants to hear Malcolm to be heard aloud. Inspiration is power.