What I Learned At Last Week's BLM Marches

It happened last Monday. It seems to me that a distinct and remarkable change in the zeitgeist took place, a positive pulse issuing forth from The Force. Like we were bathed in a sudden blast of socially-aware solar wind particles from the sun. As if a mammoth bubble of cognition finally eased up from the Collective Unconscious into our shared waking perception of reality. It felt really powerful. Maybe you felt it, too.

The touchstone event, of course, took place in Lafayette Park, Washington, DC. The catalyst occurred the week before in Minneapolis. But the fuse has been burning for a very, very long time. I'm reminded of President Obama's commencement speech at Howard University in 2016. In it (and in similar statements) he spoke about the "fierce urgency of incremental change" and how it leads to sudden and overwhelming change.

We are experiencing that earthquake of sudden, significant change. The mainstreaming of Black Lives Matter is no overnight sensation. BLM has been slogging onwards since Trayvon Martin was murdered by George Zimmerman in 2013. Movements similar and sympathetic to BLM have toiled for decades. It's work and work and drudge and drudge and drip and drip and then something big happens. The indestructible dam bursts from a fatal series of cracks and fissures, unseen from the surface.

It happened this way when the Gay Marriage Legalization moment finally clicked with straight people. After years of dehumanizing intimidation, suffering, protests, and court actions, proponents of Gay Marriage cleared the breach. And when it did, most Americans said "Good." Oh sure, there are still bigoted knuckle-draggers and bible-thumpers who can't stand it. But they are in the distinct minority.

From that 2015 Supreme Court moment onwards, same-sex marriage suddenly achieved a normalcy in American society that belies the enormous and prolonged opposition leading up to it.

And now, thanks in large part to the ubiquity of Smartphones, a critical mass has been achieved for mainstream America to support the tenets of BLM. Horrible and plentiful instances of police brutality and police murders are flowing through society's lifestream. These videos and pictures are now a part of our accepted Collective Consciousness. They are driving this moment in our history.

Speaking of pictures and videos, I'm pleased to present my take on participating in three BLM marches last week!

Mrs. Daily Kibitz and I live in a small-ish town in the exurbs of Washington, DC.  It is a prosperous place and notable for its demographic diversity. Like most, we've been "staying at home" during the pandemic whenever possible. But as you may know, we have a history of political activism. Watching the events leading up to last Monday's Banana Republic horror-show has been frustrating. In healthier times, we'd have been at Lafayette Park. Getting gassed and being assaulted.

So it was a great relief to be able to participate in a mid-week local demonstration supporting Black Lives Matter. Folks were gathering at the local grocery store parking lot. And so off we went (it's a ten minute walk from the house).

When we arrived, there were about 20 people there, which is about 15 more than I expected. But more and more people walked up. Within minutes, there were a few hundred!! And then off we went on a march through some neighborhoods! Nearly everyone was wearing a mask. (Mrs. Daily Kibitz and I kept to the periphery in accordance with Social Distancing.) And all were highly spirited. "Say his name! George Floyd! Say her name! Breonna Taylor!" These and other chants echoed off of comfortable suburban homes along the way.

We paused at a local clearing to take a knee for 8 minutes and 47 seconds. So very quiet and so conscious of each second.

It was agonizing. Then, we stood and continued our procession (watch this brief fun video clip):

And then we all marched down the hill and up the street

We are so proud of our town.

By then, of course, the national protests had grown and were almost entirely peaceful. There was talk of a large protest in DC on Saturday, so Mrs. DK and I grabbed our face masks and headed out! We joined one of the several marches that were happening that day. We socially distanced ourselves into the line near the Vietnam Memorial. The march went past the State Department into George Washington University, and then along H street all the way over to "Black Lives Matter Plaza," the newly anointed street leading up to Lafayette Park.

Along the way, we paused a couple of times to quietly reflect:

And like the Small Town march, this one (though crowded) was "family-friendly." This fantastic photo by Mrs. DK captured a little girl providing her generation's support to the marching columns:

"By the time we got to Woodstock, we were half a million strong." Well, tens of thousands were already in Black Lives Matter Plaza when we arrived there. (Note the church where President Supreme Ruler hoisted his bible prop.) It was sweltering. And far too many people for us to feel safe, health-wise, so we split.

But as we walked back to our car, we encountered other marches, with thousands more, all heading towards Black Lives Matter Plaza. Even though the White House, Lafayette Park, the Ellipse and surrounding government buildings had been fenced off, the entire White House district was surrounded with peaceful protestors. Where were the looters? Where was the violence? Where was the dreaded Antifa? In a bunker somewhere? And I must say, the police presence was minimal. Could that be a reason why things were so relaxed and tranquil?

getty images

The next day, Sunday, we participated in another local march. It began at our high school and wound up at a major intersection, which we "liberated."

Please click below for a fun and very brief street-side view of our march. Keep an eye out for Mrs. DK and me!!

High Speed March Down Frederick Road

After a long march, we arrived at our destination: the intersection of 355 and 27, the crossroads for this area. The police had done a good job of clearing traffic along the way, and controlled the vehicle flow here in a safe and measured manner. It was wild to sit on the pavement in the middle of this highly-traveled spot. 8 minutes and 47 seconds.

Conspicuous in their absence at all these events were any MAGA heads. There were no counter-protesters. None. Perhaps they had been fearful of being attacked by the vicious Antifa that composes the vast majority of these crowds. Honestly, it's such a farce...

But in places like Whitefish, Montana there are plenty of MAGA supporters. Here is one of the greatest photos of the age. We have a hulking opponent to BLM, towering over a protester. He has been verbally abusive to this group, knocking their signs from their hands, bullying his way into their faces, yelling "F*** You!! F*** You!!" over and over. I'd show the video, but it's kinda nauseating.

But it's this photo here that gets it. He is abusing Samantha Francine. He has his fists balled up like he's ready to pound on her. She had been wearing sunglasses, but when he got up in her grill, she took them off. She recalled her late father's advice for such situations: "No matter what the threat, always look them in the eye so they have to acknowledge that you're human..."

photo by Grace Jensen

That's the bravery of a common hero. (Also, he was arrested for Disorderly Conduct minutes later. Yay!) It's moments like that, and this image below, that have turned the country's thinking around:

Meanwhile, where are our leaders? Our real leaders are on the street. Well, here is one hilarious take on what was happening this last weekend to one "leader" down in the Trumperbunker:

White House Bunker video

Finally, we have the great David Byrne performing Janelle Monae's powerful call to action, "Hell You Talmbout." Say Their Names! I'll never forget seeing her perform this at the first/best Women's March in DC, 2017. Absolutely riveting as she cooly gazed out over the crowd of over half-million, saying "... Hello, Future."