On August 23, 1852, Frederick Douglass spoke at the Tenth Anniversary Convention of the Garrisonian Western Anti-Slavery Society held in Salem, Ohio. He stated that he understood that he was a politician and had become a Liberty Party man. He argued that the work that needed to be done to expose “the damning deeds of Slavery, the abominations of the church” must be done by agitation. “Agitate,” he said, “agitate.” Douglass notes that he was introduced to the phrase “agitate, agitate, agitate” through encountering the work of Daniel O’Connell when he visited Ireland in 1845.
O’Connell (1775–1847), an Irish political leader and lawyer, was known as “The Liberator” for his role in revolutionizing mass political agitation, campaigning for the repeal of the Act of Union of Great Britain and Ireland and for Catholic Emancipation. He was also an abolitionist who was deeply critical of American slavery, noting that America’s “altar of liberty totters when it is cemented only with blood.” He used the “agitate mantra” to encourage people to keep the pressure on those in power to secure their rights.
The word agitate, as you know, is a verb that means to shake, stir, disturb, or perturb, often causing a chaotic, emotional, or violent state. It is derived from the Latin word agitatus (past participle of agitare), which means “to put in constant or violent motion, drive onward, impel.” So Douglass, like O’Connell before him, was encouraging everyone to push against the status quo, against oppression, and against any political system that seeks to erase you, silence you, or break you. It is a verb so it means that you have to get up and do something.
My Nana used to say, ” If you’re a lamb invited to dinner at a wolf’s house and there’s no food on the table, you’re on the menu. The wise lamb, she said, shows up ready to change the menu before dinner. I credit her with this idea, but also recall the saying: “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.” (This is often wrongly attributed to Benjamin Franklin, so I will give credit to my Nana!) In both cases, you have to be willing to get up and do something.
As we enter the third weekend of Black History Month (Days #20-#22), I encourage you to take concrete action: stand up, step out, and help change the menu. Make this weekend a time for resistance—a time to agitate. Below are ten small acts of resistance from ASALH’s North Star. Choose at least one—better yet, challenge yourself to try as many as you can. Take action now, and return Monday ready to begin the final week of Black History Month with renewed resistance, resolve, and resilience.
1. Fund the fight.
2. Build local power.
3. Disrupt complacency.
4. Keep receipts of elected officials.
5. Control the narrative, write those Op-Eds for your local newspapers.
6. March often and with purpose.
7. Set the political agenda for your representatives.
8. Vote with your wallet.
9. Run for office.
10. Amplify the truth.
Bending toward social justice,
Karsonya Wise Whitehead
|
|
