Fri 4/11 @ 7pm
Gordon Square Arts District’s Guide to Kulchur: Text, Art and News continues its powerful, ongoing series of presentations this week with author, activist and international speaker Scott Crow. Crow will discuss his work over the past two decades. His presentation will focus on the themes of his first book, Black Flags and Windmills: Hope, Anarchy and the Common Ground Initiative.
“Anarchism is just a political point of reference for what we all engage in when we listen to ourselves instead of authority,” clarifies Crow. “It is just people working together to make all our lives better. I often call it little ‘a’ anarchy.”
Black Flags and Windmills chronicles Crow’s efforts in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Crow uses Common Ground Collective, a grassroots relief organization, to illustrate his concepts. In the aftermath of Katrina, Common Ground set up water and food distribution, built medical clinics and planted community gardens – all while government agencies struggled through bureaucratic red tape and an obvious lack of preparedness.
“When we see disasters like Hurricanes Katrina or Sandy or economic ones like the financial meltdown, spaces open for possibilities where we as individuals and communities can engage with each other differently. And as we do we can recognize that we do have power. The challenge is for us all rise to the occasion during the much slower, almost invisible disasters like what has happened in the Rust Belt for the last 30 years. I think anarchy provides new ways to think about how we all engage in civil society.”
In this way, Crow’s concepts are perfectly suited for Northeast Ohio’s DIY, independent spirit. Self-sufficiency, cooperation and sustainability should be important to anyone – regardless of political ideology. The thing about ideologies is they all work perfectly in theory, not so much in reality. Crow’s book and lecture will discuss his personal experience incorporating radical ideals into realistic, pragmatic solutions.
“Anarchy offers a politics of possibilities where individuals and communities everywhere can realize they have power to take actions to make the changes themselves no matter their circumstances. My hope is that we, as communities and individuals, will begin to think and act locally and more communally.”
No matter your feelings on anarchism (or politics in general), these are concepts we as a community can (and should) get behind. Our power (politically, economically and socially) lies in our numbers. To quote activists around the globe, “United, the people shall never be defeated.”
Stop by the Sally Tatnall Black Box (located in the basement of Guide to Kulchur) for this unique discussion. Hopefully these concepts will continue to resonate throughout our community long after this weekend.
Cleveland, OH 44102
3 Responses to “International Speaker & Activist @scott_crow Discusses How Anarchy Can Benefit Communities @GUIDEtoKULCHUR”
Dean Van Farowe
I like the idea of grassroots action; but dubbing it “anarchy”? Check this out: Dictionary.com says ANARCHY: Origin: 1530–40; (< Middle French anarchie or Medieval Latin anarchia ) < Greek, anarchía lawlessness, literally, lack of a leader…leaderless.
I understand Crow is trying to make us think. In that, I think he succeeds. But to me, what Crow is espousing is not anarchical: it is not leaderless or lawless. It is people working within the parameters of the law, but working without needing the constant protection or affirmation of governors/leaders. They are within the law, and they are leaders: they are organizing the community for healthy change.
Just words? Maybe. But I think words do matter, and they are helpful symbols to help us organize reality.
Rikki
Dean, here’s an article that scott wrote that speaks to just what you are saying:
http://www.scottcrow.org/letter-for-insurgent-dreamers-essay/
chris b
Dean,
A better etymological definition of ‘anarchy’ would probably be “without rulers”. But Scott uses the word broadly in the sense it is used within anarchist political philosophy (which appropriated the dictionary definition of the term about 150 years ago). See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_socialism