On the Subject of My Behavior
I admit that my behavior during the debates of the past year has not been at the level of a seasoned public intellectual. I have personally insulted people. I have not listened to arguments. I have been unwilling to compromise. For some of these, I apologize. But, let me say this; I have not been the only one with bad behavior during these debates. As an example, DB Irwin read the first chapter of my dissertation and called it, "poorly-cited, jargon-filled, piece of self-hating crap." My education has be insulted numerous times by numerous different people. Imagine the cognitive dissonance when a city that purports to be for home-grown people, innovation, and new ideas, turns those into an insult. Nonetheless, the debate was acrimonious and unfair to both sides. I accept my responsibility for my part in that. I do not apologize for criticizing people who gave interviews to newspapers or wrote public articles. You put yourself in public, and you opened yourself to criticism. Don't take yourself so seriously.
On the Subject of My Topic
My agitation for the past year plus has been simple - to educate the public about the existence of hierarchies, particularly white supremacy and capitalism. To do this, I used the tools of white privilege and gentrification. The gentrification debate has more or less been universally accepted by even the most recalcitrant people. However, whites refuse to accept even on the most basic level that the world is hierarchically organized based on race, in spite of the fact that numerous examples of peer-reviewed evidence exists. This, unfortunately, confirms what most people of color say - that whites are unable to change. Again, this is not a complex concept. The world is hierarchically organized based on race. This is clearly delineated by numerous anecdotal and scientific facts. It is not even radical or revolutionary in even the most minor ways. It is simply clearly observable reality.
On the Subject of Saviors
The clear motivation for much of the animosity is that a significant group of Birmingham white people have positioned themselves as saviors of Birmingham. Let me say this clearly and for all to hear; there is nothing to save. Birmingham is not special in any way. It is not worse than any other city. It is not better. There is no more potential here. The politicians are not more corrupt. The whites are not more racist. There is not any more racial animosity in this city than in any other city. There is nothing at all distinct about Birmingham. It is a city like any other city, and its primary purpose is to make money for the bourgeoisie. If you want a city that is different than every other city, then you have to become a revolutionary who doesn't accept hierarchies in any way.
On the Subject of Revolution
We live in revolutionary times. The environment is destroyed. Inequality in this country is greater than it has been in a long time. Democracy is significantly curtailed at all levels of government by the influence of money. Trendy, cool restaurants and parks don't do a damn thing to address these things. The only thing that can address these things is a complete transformation in the way society works. Before we can actually address the root cause, which is economic, we must address the other hierarchies of race, gender, and others. This facilitates solidarity to address the capitalist system which is destroying the planet and impoverishing its people. The situation is dire. Let me say that again, the situation is dire and it requires a radical answer.
The revolution is here. The revolutionaries are here. I am the loudest, but there are more than me, and I meet more on a daily basis. Stop taking yourself so seriously, and fight for a new world.
Peace,
Zac
