Minute Reflections from Erica Edwards
Upon entering Estella’s auditorium (the name of which I’ve somehow already forgotten), I was both elated and relieved to see many of my friends and comrades awaiting Edwards’s ascent to the podium. These talks— the ones that organizers tend to frequent, though few and far between, function as polieds for those who are “more involved.” Polieds (an acronym for political education, if you couldn’t already tell) are community focused curriculums that aim to bridge action with knowledge. This model of learning is common amongst organizing spaces, though I’d point to the Black Panther Party’s facilitation and use of it as the catalyst for creating and adhering to effective political praxis on a mass scale. What makes this educational design so effective and important is the hyper-emphasis on its pairing with action, and vice versa. Neither action nor knowledge can operate on their own. As Hampton famously said, “theory’s cool, but theory with no practice ain’t shit.”
So what does any of this have to do with Edwards’s talk? Well, recently, I’ve noticed a trend in “leftist” dominated spaces, including the very campus from which I am writing this reflection. As one student pointed out during the Q&A portion of the talk, many organizers are once again reconciling with who is actually on our side and who isn’t. Trump’s presidency will unfortunately muddy the waters on who is to be trusted, since anyone left of him seems “good enough.” Liberals/progressives tend to enjoy the benefits of their radical counterparts without actually participating in bringing about the systemic changes they love to brag about. Here, many folks are comfortable reposting graphics on Palestinian resistance, climate change, and worker’s rights. They’ll go on a tangent during a seminar on how we must devour the wealthy and achieve class consciousness. They may even attend a few talks similar to that of Edwards’s and feel enlightened by what they’ve just heard. Yet, in the case of most of these kinds of armchair activists, I never see them on a picket line. I never see them taking any kind of risk for their so-called revolutionary beliefs. Even if they don’t intend to, these progressives are actually inadvertently harming movements. There is no time to waste on expecting someone to learn when they simply do not want to. We have enough urgency in our spaces. Debating capitalism isn’t enough. Op-eds about the polycrisis with no follow up actions aren’t enough.
When Edwards discussed June Jordan’s life and career, I was particularly struck by one comment she made: “writing back is not the same as fighting back.”
