You cannot fake liberation.
It does not happen by assimilation, by bootstraps, by gays in the military, by embargoes, by a melting pot, by individualism, by dividing land, by developers, by settlers, by colonizers, by capitalists, by prisons, by police, by corporations.
Liberation is not given. It is taken.
Liberation cannot be given by the oppressor. It can only be taken by those whom the oppressors are oppressing.
Liberation has been happening every day by workers, poor people, Black and brown women, queer and trans people, immigrants, disabled people, and people of the global majority, through protest, disobedience, clashes, friction, toppling, and rebellion.
Liberation happens through anger, rage, discomfort, challenge, and most importantly, love. Love of the people, love of liberation.
Oppressors do try to mimic “giving” liberation by co-opting language, tokenizing, corporate-sponsored “ethnic” holidays or employee groups, throwing money at “diversity” media campaigns, and giving the illusion of choice in elections or consumerism.
But none of those are liberation, and we know this. Because you cannot fake liberation, and liberation cannot be given.
As we continue to fight against Empire, hold close the ideas of true liberation. For instance, there is an abundance of writing by Black and Indigenous women on past, present, and future liberation. Study and read.
And if you are paying attention, there is true liberation happening every day on the ground around the world.
Take liberation where you are. We are witnessing Palestinians fight for liberation in Palestine. Even within the U.S. Empire, we can fight to take liberation ourselves.
We are being shown what is possible.
True liberation for all.
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