I want to come back to this, because it’s like a sweet poison. At the time I write this, 50 Happy Mutants liked this post. If there are African Americans in that group, then I apologize to you; my bad, and if you think that the movement needs a better name, more power to you. For everybody else, why do you think it’s a good idea to change the name of, as @Wanderfound quoted, “a global movement about black liberation” that’s been going on for decades? What gives you the right?
I consider myself an ally of the ongoing civil rights movement. One of the primary actions of a good ally is to listen. I’m outspoken, and learning to shut up and listen to the people who are being directly affected by systemic racism is hard work for me. But I put in the work, because otherwise I’m just another overconfident, under-talented white guy who fails up easier than falling.
If you want to be an ally, learn to listen. Your role in this movement is to support BLM, not to lead BLM. It’s not for you. It’s not your skin in the game.
Trying to rename either “defund the police” or “abolish the police” into something softer and more digestible to the white middle class is to water-down and fundamentally change the movement - and that will kill it as surely as over-watering a plant.
And whatever you do, don’t use “reform.” That ship has sailed. Minneapolis BLM leaders said it best when they talked with Mayor Jacob and he would only talk about “reform:”
ETA: One more thing. While I like this sentiment a great deal:
Don’t conflate BLM with electing a Democrat to the Presidency and/or getting rid of Trump. They aren’t the same thing. They can be parallel efforts, but seriously, don’t hijack the energy of BLM to get Biden elected. That’s just wrong.
