Time to Ante Up in the Days to Come

I spent much of MLK weekend offline, a digital detox of sorts. Instead of my usual diet of social media feeds – consuming stories, news, anecdotes, jokes, photos with pretty filters, et al – I pulled out my copy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Why We Can't Wait and put on the 12" I have of his "I Have A Dream" speech. If you haven't read or listened to Dr. King's words in their entirety recently, I suggest you do so. Any speech, any essay. Give yourself the gift of wisdom. Give yourself the gift feeling fortified. You'll need a lot of both in the four years to come.

The final chapter of Why We Can't Wait is titled "The Days to Come" and there's one line from that chapter that's been front of my mind, echoing in my ears:

As certain as it is that a planned gradualism will not work, neither will unplanned spontaneity.

I've been thinking about this within the context of the marches happening after inauguration. On one hand, the idea of T***p getting inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States the same week that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and is honored nationally is vomit-inducing. On the other hand, the thought of almost 200,000 people peacefully marching on Washington and nearly 400 satellite marches the day after that happening seems perfect.

I'm really heartened to see so many folks planning to turn up for these marches, especially those who I haven't seen engage like this yet. With regards to "unplanned spontaneity" not working, as King wrote, a few pieces of practical information for my friends who are marching, particularly those who maybe haven't done something like this before.

• Do not dole out your personal information, especially if the request is unsolicited.
• Stay cool, stay alert. Pay attention to the vibe of the crowd. Listen to your intuition. Leave if you feel like that's the right move at any point and leave calmly. (These marches have been planned to be peaceful gatherings but there have already been reports of infiltrators planning to attend to try and incite). 
• Keep to the edges of the crowd.
• Go with a group and have a meet up plan, in case y'all get separated.
• If you can't go with a group, have a buddy system. A buddy can include someone not at the march who you can check in with so they know you're safe.
• Be prepared for your cellphones not to work. Reception may be compromised with the large turnout expected. Also, should the peaceful protest not remain peaceful for whatever reason, police departments have been known to use signal jammers (even though the aren't legal.) If you want to guarantee you'll be able to keep in touch an coordinate with folks at the march, consider bringing walkie talkies or installing mesh network software like FireChat.
• Write important information on your forearm in sharpie (Emergency contact, drug allergies, etc.) and consider bringing the sharpie with you so others who aren't as prepared can do the same.
• Stay hydrated and never pass up an opportunity to use a toilet. Consider bringing snacks.
• Wear the right shoes.
• Dress appropriately. This should go without saying but including this just in case. It' February people. Stay warm and dry.
• Don't bring, wear or carry anything you aren't willing to lose.
• If you're attending a march in a place where local law enforcement has a history of using tear gas on people peacefully assembling, consider bringing a bandana soaked in vinegar or lemon juice (dilute no more than 1:15 ratio). Apple cider vinegar will sting the lease FYI.
• And for you parents out there marching this weekend with small humans in tow, check out this Activist Mama's Guide to Taking Kids to a March.

My last two cents here, on January 21, 2017 and every day for the next four damn years... When it comes to this president-elect, his VP, his horrendous cabinet, this selfish and destructive set of fools we have in Congress? Yap these fools. Everyday. Give them every drop of hell they deserve and fight for the rights and well-being of the most vulnerable. And don't forget to dance, y'all. Don't let these fools have our joy.