October 18th No Kings!

My name is Joseph Lawson; I am the executive director of the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice.

Our mission is to educate inform and advocate for racial justice equality and fair opportunity. We are in the “fighting racism” business.

As we come here on “No Kings Day”, we must realize that racism was the foundation of the fascist state that some are attempting to establish in America. One of the first things that were done is an attack on immigrants of color i.e. “Mass Deportations Now.” Then there were attacks on DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) and diversity in hiring and employment. There were also attacks on universities to stop them from telling the truth about American history and shut down programs designed in increase and maintain full participation by women, minorities and other marginalized groups in those universities.

The lesson here is that RACISM is a Gateway Drug for Fascism. It has always been used as an excuse for ushering anti-democratic policies and it is being used now.

1. Why is fighting racism and all kinds of “otherism” important and central to everything we do
   
   1. Because if we are scared of others, not like us, it creates a permission structure to steal, hurt and marginalize.
   2. If you feel that people are less than you are and not as deserving as you are, it makes it easier to rationalize any treatment of those human beings.
2. Today we find ourselves in a new 21st century civil rights movement not for just Black Americans but all Americans
3. All of our rights are under attack
   
   1. Civil rights
   2. Women’s rights to control their own bodies
   3. The right to vote or at least have your vote counted
   4. The right to Freedom of speech
   5. The right to learn the “truth” in our public and educational institutions
   6. The right to love who you love
   7. The right to live in a clean healthy environment
   8. The right not to have your city or town invaded and terrorized by masked brutal agents
   9. And more
4. We can learn from our last civil rights movement. It was successful and we can be successful too.
5. There were a number of things that we the 21st century civil rights movement can learn from last century’s civil rights movement but here are two.
   
   1. Do as we are doing now: Demonstrate non-violently. By being here, you are now part of the largest demonstration in American history.
   2. Vote with your dollars-we can now see how that can work now
      
      1. The protests against Tesla and Elon Musk created financial jeopardy for Tesla and Musk ultimately left the government, he is keeping a now profile. I wonder why?
      2. Since a selective buying campaign against Target started after they cancelled their 2 billion dollar diversity program, their sales and stock are down and Target brought in a new CEO.
      3. Jimmy Kimmel: In the week after Kimmel was cancelled, Disney streaming services reported 1.7 million cancellations. Kimmel is now back on.
   3. We believe that the combination of public protests and financial protest can have the most impact. That is what happened in Montgomery Alabama bus boycott and the Birmingham protests.
6. So if we:
   
   1. Work hard
   2. Volunteer to work in social justice organizations
   3. Prioritized fighting bias against any and all groups
   4. Refuse to do business with companies who are working to take away our rights.

We can and will win. Thank you.