To help or to work in Solidarity in New Orleans

I didn't give the question much thought when I decided to come to New Orleans and volunteer at Common Ground. Not until I saw a poster hanging up at Common Ground that questioned the perspective of 'helping' did I start to see the difference between working in Solidarity and helping. Here are some differences that I see.

To Work in Solidarity with people is to see them as Subjects, as capable human beings, equals (as brothers and sisters) facing a disaster brought about due to systematic oppression. The equality with which both work in Solidarity elevates the character of both parties and enhances their work.

To help people is to objectify people. They don't have any agency; they are helpless. One is there to help the helpless masses, the needy, the pitiable. This is Charity; this is the thinking of the Liberal.

The authority this confers on the Helper gives him the "Power Trip" and messes with his soul. He begins to see himself as superior, and them as inferior, or perhaps even less than human. The pratice of Helping or Charity eventually degrades the original intent in

To Work in Solidarity (to me) implies to work togethers towards a better world in general and a better systemic condition for the comrades. When I say systemic condition, I mean a situation in which the Subjects are better able to handle their own lives, to rebuild and at the same time to support the comrades struggle for more agency.

To work in Solidarity is to see one's own struggle as a part of other people's struggles. (This is the sentiment of the poster hanging on the wall if not the exact words.) The recognition that my comrades' struggles are my struggles.

To help people means to have a legitimacy authorized by something outside the object: the funder, the helper, the government, the God. All of which places the power in the Helper, the doer; no power rests with those being helped; there's no accountability or responsibility for the consequences of the Helper's actions.

To Work in Solidarity has a legitimacy conferred by those Subjects with whom one is working in Solidarity. The person working in solidarity takes her ques from her comrades, and her legitamacy lasts as long her comrades say her support is needed.

The fact that we are in an unequal society and the fact that the majority of those coming to Common Ground (even those committed to staying long term) have a background of privilege raises another point: Can one be in solidarity with another if the ground they stand on is unequal? If one can leave whenever they desire? What kind of accountability is there in that situation?

This is not, repeat not to dismiss the efforts of those struggles, just something for me to ponder as I work in solidarity with the people of New Orleans.

Below is a quote from Mandela, also hanging on a wall at Common Ground.

Shine on.
________________________
"Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful
beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness
that most frightens us. We ask ourselves,
'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented,
and fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God; your playing small doesn't
serve the world. There is nothing enlightened
about shrinking so that other people won't feel
insecure around you ... It is not just
in some of us, it is in everyone.
As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our
presence automatically liberates others."

Nelson Mandela
From his inaugural speech as South Africa's
first democratically elected President, given May 10, 1994

Art and Rebuilding in New Orleans

I was sitting in a shelter in the 7th Ward yesterday, talking with a friend about white people's place in the movement to rebuild New Orleans' communities of color. Do we have a "right" to be there? Do we have a duty?

Well, one of the ideas my friend had about rebuilding was to paint the white walls of the small shelter (housing 3 families with 5 children total) instead in bright and energetic colors to add some beauty to the house. On second thought my friend said there were probably more important things that should get done first like picking up the glass shards that were lining the side of the house and the gutter in front of the house. [This in a neighborhood were no FEMA has ever showed up to help the people rebuild.]

But I said that beautification should happen simultaneous with other rebuilding projects. Ideally, beautification should be built in, apart of such sustainable rebuilding projects. Taken from one point of view, there will always be something more important than painting the walls "simply" for beauty's sake. On the other hand, what does beauty do for a person's soul? How does it change a person's outlook, their behaviour and sense of hope to have something beautiful in their lives?

This same consideration goes for a lot of other situations where some would want to hold off on certain projects others in the movement might enjoy pursuing because there are other things deemed more important by the powers that be. The thinking being that the effort can be better used in other "more fundamental" areas. One example is the raising of class issues at the expense of race or gender or other issues because class war, once won will solve all other problems. Or feminists who do not look at race issues in gender studies because one can look at the former independently of the latter. Of course, this is not the case. Many in the movement today see all issues of oppression as inextricably tied to one another and any

What I would like to include in this panoply of issues, which is not talked of much in the movements' literature is the promotion of the art issue. We need art and freedom, one will support the other and vice versa. Art and artists will show us the possibilities, art will make our demonstrations human and attractive, art will help us keep our sanity in the face of this death culture. Art will reach people in places in their heart that rational thought can't reach them. Art will give people courage, and make life a little easier to live.

Fascists attack art and music instead use symbols of oppression to degrade our thought, but they cannot totally destroy in us what is human-there will always be art.

Beautify everything there is to beautify. Tear down branded psuedo-art. Leave it in shreds. Post diaries onto street lights. Burn memories into magazine ads.

The Terror of knowing what this world is about

Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie.

Happy Mardi Gras

Quick thought I wanted to write down. I had a conversation with a person on education. Basically it was a reform vs. abolishment debate-I reduce for expediency sake.