Movements, especially ones organizing for liberation, are not leaderless. They are leaderful.
In an interview with IBW21, Patrisse Cullors used the term ‘leaderful’ to describe the Black Lives Matter movement, which she had co-founded alongside fellow activists and friends Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi. Cullors said that “all movements have many leaders, our movement doesn't believe in a single charismatic leader.”
The shape of liberation - many connected circles → The Millionth Circle - Black Elk poem, non-hierarchical, aimed at building power and empowering, a web or a network not a pyramid. No top or bottom → equal distribution of power around a center.
Within our organizing we continue radical traditions while critically examining them and making new ones - everything we do, we should do with a critical understanding of its meaning, intention, and impact
We have to acknowledge power - power exists even when it isn’t formally defined → understand the risks of abuse and lack of representation and avoid “tyranny of structurelessness” (Freeman 1973)
+ Distributing power to as many people as possible
+ Rotating tasks and responsibilities
+ Equal access to resources and knowledge/info
+ Allocate tasks according to reasonable criteria (e.g., ability, passion, etc.) (ECON, Hughes, Tota, et al.)
+ Clearly define roles
+ Accountability (whom are we accountable to? if we’re actually building something radical, significant, and positive then there should be accountability to a group/community/society)
+ Clarity as form of kindness while also not being too rigid/strict about control
Collective power → communal power → power is shared, it is not property owned by a single person or entity but belongs to everyone and everyone has a responsibility for stewardship
