Songs of Protest
or, you can’t raise kids on a steady diet of rebellion and expect them ALL to keep it performative forever.
To put it mildly, I grew up liking works like Newsies and Billy Elliot. I loved them for reasons beyond dancing boys and spectacle, though. The lessons of these musicals and many others include treating workers with respect, following one’s passion, banding together as a community, and questioning unjust leaders and law enforcement.
So why exactly are people shocked by the movements of today? Perhaps because it was always intended to be a performance rather than any real action. The movement does and should include non-actors, non-performers, but all of us should be actors as in people who take action.
Actions like showing up, listening, contributing, working as a community for the collective rather than for oneself. We all go together when we go.
Speaking of listening, I encourage you to go listen to Sis and other organizers, and that’s why I’m keeping my piece short, because it’s not about me, it’s about us:
