Fawn Walker-Montgomery: Have we compromised our way out of Black Liberation? A local perspective

by Fawn Walker-Montgomery Social justice has taken center stage in Allegheny County in recent years, shedding light on critical issues that disproportionately impact the Black community. While this increased awareness is a positive step forward, it has also highlighted a challenge in maintaining a strong focus on Black Liberation and enacting sustainable changes for the Black community, through meaningful community organizing. Many social justice initiatives often adopt a multifaceted perspective, occasionally leading to an “all lives matter” lens. This can, at times, create a culture where White proximity is seen as a prerequisite for substantial change. Project initiatives may start with a focus on the Black community, only to shift towards a more diluted, multicultural approach that prioritizes the comfort of White people. This shift can entail co-opting of initiatives, watering down narratives, hijacking resources, and weaponizing the criminal justice system. The result is often a reformist perspective that prioritizes improving existing systems, leaving little room for a radical Black agenda rooted in action, study, discipline, and community. It also highlights the notion that just having Black elected officials results in change. Black representation without transformative change merely sustains the status quo. Before I proceed, I acknowledge that the views...