“I believed strongly in being an engaged citizen and had a certain level of social and political awareness, but my understanding that the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement and its accomplishments shifted during the course of the Obama administration and especially in 2013 when I witnessed the acquittal of George Zimmerman and the attack on voting rights in the state of North Carolina. (Interview with aaihs)” PoliceBlack Lives MatterPolice BrutalityCivil Rights MovementNorth CarolinaObamaVoting RightsPolice Violence2013 Author:Bree Newsome Bass
“here in North Carolina, Republicans launched a specific attack on civics education because they don’t want an educated and engaged and informed population, because those are the kinds of people that hold people accountable. Right? (Interview with Truthout)” EducationAccountabilityCivicsNorth Carolina Author:Bree Newsome Bass
“This idea that voting is the full extent of our power is actually disempowering in my view, because what it tells people is that their only time, their only avenue for participating in politics is when they vote.” PoliticsVotingAmerican PoliticsUs Politics Author:Bree Newsome Bass
“Amazing how quickly those thin blue line flags turned into weapons against the police, almost like the only true ideological commitment is to white supremacy & literally nothing else (1/6/2021 on Twitter)” TrumpPoliceWhite SupremacyDonald TrumpRepublicansConservatives2020 ElectionConservative Movement Author:Bree Newsome Bass
“There are many instances of people being called out, apologizing, adjusting their behavior, reconciling the conflict and moving on The folks caught up on "cancel culture" are primarily bigots who feel entitled to engage in transphobia, homophobia, racism, etc w/o any challenge. (7/7/2020 on Twitter)” ConflictRacismHomophobiaCancel CultureApologiesTransphobia Author:Bree Newsome Bass
“Ppl seem to operate under the false assumption that the majority of Americans are on the side of equality & progress at any given time in history when it's most often the opposite that's true. That's why the true story of democracy & rights in the USA is one of prolonged struggle (11/11/2020 on Twitter)” FreedomDemocracyProgressEqualityUsaAmerican HistoryEqual RightsUs History Author:Bree Newsome Bass
“I don’t think most people are well informed on the history of voting rights. I don’t think most people are well informed on the concept of democracy even. And that is all intentional. We have, in my view, experienced a generation of deliberate miseducation and historical revisionism around the civil rights movement specifically, around the history of voting rights, around what voting is” EducationDemocracyAmerican HistoryCivil Rights MovementUs HistoryVoting Rights Author:Bree Newsome Bass
“We must overthrow the election & support the Trump dictatorship! -1/2 of Republicans No, that's going too far! We must stick to disenfranchising Black people, gerrymandering districts, installing as many far right judges as possible & ignoring the will of voters! -the other 1/2 (1/6/2021 on Twitter)” DemocracyTrumpRacismRepublican PartyDonald TrumpRepublicansVoting Rights2020 ElectionGerrymandering Author:Bree Newsome Bass
“I would really ask everyone, please ask yourself first, what is something that you really care about? What is something that is really resonating for you as an issue, as a concern in this moment. And then please look locally at who is addressing this issue? Where can you support? And ask yourself, “how can I support?”– whether it’s time, whether it is a donation, whether it is spreading awareness, whatever it is.” AdviceActivism Author:Bree Newsome Bass
“you can’t possibly move people who don’t have a collective understanding. We can’t mobilize masses of people in a direction without having a clear sense of what we are mobilizing around. (Interview with Truthout)” EducationAwarenessMovementActivism Author:Bree Newsome Bass
“it’s collapsing one way or the other. We know that it is, the system is shutting down one way or the other. One way is that ecological disaster causes it to collapse in a chaotic way. Right? And the other way is that we shut it down in an organized fashion, which is what can happen if we mass mobilize. (Interview with Truthout)” CapitalismClimate ChangeActivismCollapseEcology Author:Bree Newsome Bass
“If you’re trying to find your entry point to the modern movement, I encourage you to identify what issue you’re most passionate about and what talents and skills you want to bring to the fold. Before starting, see if there’s anyone already doing similar work and consider joining up with them so as not to replicate work that’s already being done. If no one is doing what you feel needs to be done, then take it on yourself. Having a community of fellow activists around you is also key to having a network of support and for building collectively. (Interview with aaihs)” CommunitySupportActivismNetwork Author:Bree Newsome Bass