Why we need to let Southern social justice activists lead
Five years ago, social justice groups from across the country arrived in Mississippi to protest federal immigration officials who had arrested 680 food processors at seven plants. Some people, fresh from the airport attempted to take over the coordination of the response by Mississippi advocates to the largest U.S. Immigration raids in the recent history of the U.S. The leaders pushed away respected community organizers who were deeply rooted in their communities and had a good understanding of the needs of their neighbors. As a community attorney at the Mississippi Center for Justice I worked with and learned from fierce, technically expert and visionary Southerners. While not a Southern native, I called the region home for most of my 20s, working with and learning from fierce, technically expert, and visionary Southerners.
Along the way, I interacted with national advocates who were intentional and supportive partners, and those whose actions reflected the problematic and all-too-common view that they must “save the South from itself.” I learned that being a good partner to Southern advocates requires asking what they need to advance their vision and operating accordingly.
Since leaving Mississippi to join the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), I have continued to witness harmful power dynamics. Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs V. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, some national groups are more aggressive in imposing their goals and strategies to their Southern peers on sexual and reproductive rights, justice, and health. They have missed opportunities to learn and provide meaningful support. They have missed opportunities to learn and provide meaningful support.
Regardless of intent, it seems that baseless beliefs that Southern advocates aren’t knowledgeable, resourceful, or strategic are often at the root of these behaviors.
We must ask our Southern peers how we can better leverage our resources and power to help advance their vision instead of making assumptions, listen deeply, and follow through.
These same dynamics show up when national advocates make disparaging, monolithic comments about the South. Some have said that the South was backward, and that it deserved what it got after Dobbs. Some Southern partners want to meet with them in order to avoid traveling to unsavory places where injustices are occurring. They do this to avoid having to travel and to be around the people who have committed to solving the problems. These people ignore the Black and Indigenous peoples, LGBTQI+ and disabled people, immigrants, families and other Southerners who are struggling to survive in a sea social injustices. They ignore the millions of people who desperately need Medicaid expansion, sexual, reproductive and gender affirming health care, and representation in government. The South has many social injustices ranging from voter suppression to reproductive and gender discrimination. But these injustices persist not because Southern social justice advocates are incapable or need redirection–inadequate resources to support Southern legal, policy, and political advocacy and organizing play a major part.
When national advocates undercut, fail to truly listen to, or otherwise disempower our Southern partners, we make matters worse.
While any national advocates working with Southern partners will likely make missteps, some recognize that we have much to learn from them and are committed to upending damaging power dynamics. A colleague from Converge Partners in Access in Mississippi, where I was working when I joined NHeLP in the early 2020s, raised the issue of a Southern advocacy network fighting for sexual and reproductive rights and justice in Medicaid. Since 1955, NHeLP’s leadership has worked to create partnerships based on mutual respect and trust that advance the priorities of our state partners, including our longstanding Health Law Partnerships. Our leaders were immediately supportive. We held listening sessions that summer with Southern partners in order to better understand their concerns. For our part, NHeLP has provided legal technical assistance, coordinated strategy summits and since last year, delivered pass-through funding to help further the advocacy priorities identified by our Southern partners. For our part, NHeLP has provided legal technical assistance, coordinated strategy summits, and since last year, delivered pass-through funding to help further the advocacy priorities our Southern partners identify.
As national social justice advocates, we must ask our Southern peers how we can better leverage our resources and power to help advance their vision instead of making assumptions, listen deeply, and follow through.
After all, as the legendary civil rights movement leader and Mississippian Fannie Lou Hamer said, “nobody’s free until everybody’s free” and “it’s time for America to get right.”
Correction
: This piece was updated to reflect the accurate date of the immigration raids in Mississippi.
