This is the latest in a serieson the use of the race card for political gain:
#OccupyWallStreet has been the subject of numerous posts here, including the NY Times’ poster child who wasn’t, the influence of big labor, and the now-obligatory video of the anti-Jew guy.
But this story (h/t Publius) caught me by surprise, although in hindsight, it’s no surprise.
In the mist of Zuccotti Park, progressive white males are dominant (hence, the mocking of the protesters as “overwhelmingly white“).
That has not sat well with a number of activists, as noted by OWS reporter Allison Burtch who complained that even the Occupied Wall Street Journal was composed of white males:
(For you LI trivia buffs, yes Burtch is tweeting to that Allison Kilkenny, of Nork card fame.)
Since having white males dominate was unacceptable, the participants came up with a solution, a race and sex-based pecking order, with white males speaking only after others have spoken:
Here’s how Burtch explained it at Feministing Blog:
Occupy Wall Street’s General Assembly operates under a revolutionary “progressive stack.” A normal “stack” means those who wish to speak get in line. A progressive stack encourages women and traditionally marginalized groups speak before men, especially white men. This is something that has been in place since the beginning, it is necessary, and it is important.“Step up, step back” was a common phrase of the first week, encouraging white men to acknowledge the privilege they have lived in their entire lives and to step back from continually speaking. This progressive stack has been inspiring and mind-boggling in its effectiveness.
The most interesting thing about the progressive stack is not that it is racist or sexist, or that it is a caricature of racial and feminist critical thinking.
What is most interesting is that the progressive stack is an acknowledgement that women and “people of color” at the protests are not able to stand up on their own to the dominant progressive white males in their midst. Only through the distinctly non-anarchist structure of a progressive stack are the dominant progressive white males held in check.
It also is a charade. The movement still is run by the dominant progressive white males, the progressive stack just makes it seem otherwise.
Final note: Mama Grizzlies don’t need a progressive stack to make their voices heard.
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