Lesson of the day

Protest

Today we’re talking about protest. Listen to the episode here.

Activity: Letters to the editor

Read: Both Alvin Tillery and Bakari Sellers, our guests for the show, pointed out that there is always resistance to protest, even when it is nonviolent. Today, we’ll look at the response to protest through the lens of letters to the editor, past and present.

To start, this was the closing paragraph of one letter from the Victoria Advocate in Texas on June 8th, and the opening to one from the Tribune Democrat in Pennsylvania on June 10th:

Contrast their words with the following letters to the editor from the San Antonio Express in 1964, and the Clarion Ledger in 1963.

Read these four clips and consider: what are the authors’ arguments against protest?

Then…

Do: Interview a friend or family member

In the episode, Bakari Sellers said that “protest is messy” and described past protests that inconvenienced Americans through blocking traffic on highways and airports. By contrast, we played a clip of Bill O’Reilly saying “there’s a difference between protest and a disrespectful protest.” What do you think? Talk with a friend or family member and ask them about this.

First, have you ever protested something? What was it? How did you do it?
Is there a “good way” to protest nonviolently? Do you feel certain actions are out of bounds?
Do you think that protest can achieve change without violence? Violence both on the part of protesters or visited upon protesters?

Have a safe week, however you do it.