The Neutrality Trap

chapter sevenfrom chaotic to strategic disruption

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”

—John Lewis

“In order for us as poor and oppressed people to become part of a society that is meaningful, the system under which we now exist has to be radically changed … It means facing a system that does not lend itself to your needs and devising means by which you change that system.”

—Ella Baker

Building and sustaining social movements requires cooperation, competition, dialogue, escalation, coalition building, developing short‐term goals, and keeping an eye on the long road to change. Planning is important, but so is adaptability and flexibility. And all of this requires a never‐ending effort to deepen our understanding of the nature of the forces resisting and promoting change.

Each of these elements of change is critical to establishing effective social movements. But they are not enough. Among the most significant barriers activists face are the powerful but incomplete narratives about how change occurs. In the news media, popular culture, and most history classes we are offered stories of change that can distort our focus and guide us away from the critical role of social movements. We are told, for example, that:

• Change occurs through legal and legislative efforts. ...