The left has a known habit of self-sabotage. We’ve either experienced this firsthand or witnessed it from the outside, but the activists generally have a hard time beating the circular firing squad allegations. Movement organizer and strategist Yotam Marom helps us understand why in his new book For Louder Days: Beyond a Politics of Powerlessness. Yotam is a man of the movement, and very much a street soldier. You won’t see him helming a political campaign, but you might get arrested next to him at a demonstration.
Through personal stories of his own organizing, Yotam looks at how social movements in the U.S. often shy away from emboldening leaders and crafting effective strategy. Despite being passionate about confronting the oligarchs and warmongers, we’re not always as good at confronting one another in order to make strategic choices. Could it be that the lessons from the 60s and 70s still cast a shadow over our work, or is it an over-focus on things like personal identity rather than group goals?
Yotam talks about his exhilarating experiences at Occupy Wall St, but also the comedown of recognizing how quickly the movement could be repressed. He shares how he has helped organizations from CAAV in New York, to Sunrise Movement, to The Uncommitted Movement choose ‘winning over being correct’, and discusses how our movements need to grow more powerful so that we can each be powerful within them.
Finally, the two talk about how the issue of Gaza and Israel-Palestine reaffirmed the importance of how our movements must be guided by love and solidarity. Get this book and be captivated by the personal yet political lessons Yotam offers up.
Order Yotam’s exquisitely-written book here: https://thenewpress.org/books/for-louder-days/
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Thanks to Brent Godin, Rosie Thomas and Drew Spears Productions.
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