The most recent issue of Harper’s Magazine ran articles by various authors on how to deal with the next four years. An article by Sarah Schulman noted that in when Ronald Reagan was president, he never used the term AIDS.
As a result of organizing, demonstrations, and agitation, we all learned about AIDS, saw improved medical treatment, and witnessed government move from ignoring the disease to playing an active role in its alleviation.
Ms. Schulman received her training as an activist in ACT UP (the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) and the Lesbian Avengers, both organizations that emphasized action.
She said that one of ACT UP’s most important principles was “simultaneity of action.” That is, ACT UP never worked by consensus, never asked for full agreement by its members. If you wanted to get arrested in an action, go ahead. If you only wanted to write letters to Congress members, go ahead.
The Lesbian Avengers also had rules. One was “If you have an idea, you have to carry it out.” There was no one saying “Someone should....” Secondly, if you disagreed with someone’s idea, you had to come up with a better one. Criticism alone is not helpful and paralyzes the group.
The last advice Ms. Schulman had was “be creative.” Remember those students who sat in at the lunch counter. That was creative. Remember that no single strategy works every time.
To Ms. Schulman’s advice, I would add what President Obama said in his Farewell Address: “Show up. Dive in. Stay at it.”
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