The Future of Protests in Post-Obama America
The Truthdig team sat down Thursday with Melina Abdullah, a California State University professor at the forefront of the Black Lives Matter movement in Los Angeles.
From left: Sarah Wesley, Truthdig communications coordinator; California State University, Los Angeles, professor Melina Abdullah; Truthdig Managing Editor Eric Ortiz; and Truthdig staff writer Emma Niles.
Despite the massive turnouts at his rallies, President-elect Donald Trump has expressed nothing but disdain for peaceful demonstrations in the days since the general election. In once instance, he accused Black Lives Matter demonstrators of “essentially calling death to the police.”
Peaceful groups, including Black Lives Matter and the self-named “water protectors” who oppose the Dakota Access pipeline, now wonder where they will stand under a Trump presidency.
Melina Abdullah, a professor at California State University, Los Angeles, and a leader in L.A.’s Black Lives Matter movement, joined the Truthdig team to discuss the future of constitutionally protected protests under Trump, as well as President Obama’s legacy in dealing with protest movements. Watch the full discussion below:
Although Trump was at the forefront of the discussion, Abdullah also spoke about Obama. “We are disappointed that President Obama hasn’t done more for black people,” she said. “Obama was never a friend of progressive black people.”
Obama has expressed his support for movements such as Black Lives Matter, but many progressives argue that he remained silent on grass-roots social-justice issues, including the #NoDAPL demonstrations.
In an interview with Truthdig earlier this year, Abdullah expressed disdain for all the presidential candidates. “We know that the revolution won’t come at the ballot box,” she also told Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! “[We need to] break away from this notion that the only way of being democratic is engaging in electoral politics.”
The Truthdig panel also discussed American capitalism and how it affects minority communities. While Abdullah advocated for the dismantling of capitalism, she noted that “it’s very difficult to dismantle a system while you’re embedded in it.”
Watch past editions of Live at Truthdig on our YouTube page.
—Posted by Emma Niles
Make sure to show your support for Truthdig’s independent journalism by visiting our donation page.
If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig
Politics
Advocacy organizations are pushing for new policies on voting rights, finance reforms, and judicial accountability.
Truthdiggers
Friends and mentees remember the mother of the disability rights movement.
Activism
The mission of Indigenous activists continues through their children and grandchildren.
World
Yemeni refugees say they are being abused by border guards and left to die.
Opinion
Let’s also honor those who traveled with Dr. King on his journey.
DEIB
Disabled users fear the loss of Twitter-based networks they’ve spent years building.