Because I think I may have just read the winner.. Brownifemipower at La Chola riffs on the use and misuse of Audre Lorde’s famous comment that “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” I’m not certain I agree with everything BFP says, ((I’m never sure what people mean when they refer to “the market,” for example — would a mixed-market economy like Sweden used to have be considered “the market,” for instance?)) but I agree with a hell of a lot if it.
BFP also gets at something I’ve been thinking about lately; the use of “we” on the left. Can Hugo and BFP — or BFP and I, for that matter — really be considered part of the same movement at all? I don’t think so; I’m too comfortable here in the house, drawing my comics. I might say supportive things about BFP’s movement, and hope she’s right and her movement wins in the end, but I won’t really join it.
Hat tip: The Silence Of Our Friends.
UPDATE: Just came across this post on Anxious Black Woman:
As the late poet Audre Lorde once wrote: “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. It may allow us to temporarily defeat him at his own game, but it will never bring about real change.” And that’s the real issue, isn’t it? What exactly is our long term goal here? Is it simply to ensure that black women have a seat at the table of power? One of us is already there (always looking at you, Condi!) yet here we are, pretty much in agreement that black women collectively are in a sad state when it comes to our political power. So, what has such tokenism done for us? Should our goal be to include as many of us at that table (which is why I’m all about how we can increase our numbers to begin with and why I would even bother with meaningful dialogue to raise the consciousness of those whose consciousness needs raising)? Or do we need to set up a different kind of table?
This whole fight over FFF is…odd. Lot’s of heat for Hugo.
Hey! That’s a hat tip to me from Alas! WOO HOO!
Amp, you’re committed to social justice, this means you are already a part of “our” movement, you joined and didn’t even know it. Really, re-read what BFP wrote:
However, outside the master’s house there’s a whole world full of people moving and grooving and agitating and building.
I think you are one of those people moving and grooving and agitating and building. You’re outside of the house drawing your comics in the sunshine, dude.