Old Lessons For A New Resistance

“The lessons of civil rights transcend the particulars of any one political reality; its playbook offers wisdom and practical know-how to anyone challenging unjust power”. – Good Trouble

Modern-day civil disobedience, whether violent or non-violent, has historically been employed by the left, as seen in the BLM, LGBT, Gaza, and women’s marches, and mass demonstrations against ICE, with meaningful change often achieved through such protests. 

Of course, America’s love affair with agitation was also the spark that started the American Revolution, when Bostonians threw tea into the harbor to protest taxation without representation.  Yet, the most significant special interest group for change had to be the civil rights movement.

Martin Luther King, Jr., the father of the Civil Rights Movement, led through example with his unique brand of civil disobedience – that is, his refusal to obey unconstitutional and racist laws, while working for change through non-compliance and even the occasional breaking of the law. 

In Christopher Noxon’s 2019 book, “Good Trouble”, Noxon uses the words of civil rights activist John Lewis to describe how objectors must engage in activism to push for changes in society, even if it results in troublemaking.  Using knowledge gained from the civil rights movement, anyone challenging an abuse of power can reapply their lessons learned.  As such, the civil rights version of Good Trouble can and should be used for good, wherever and to whomever seeks change.

A new resistance, this time coming from the Right, has inspired a new movement, using old tactics and strategies to redeem the soul of America to its founding principles.  Most notable, and the one that received the most attention, is the January 6 protests against perceived problems with the 2020 election.  Challenging the left using their own game has proved to be fruitful for the political right, leading to their own growing list of disobediences.

One of the largest annual rallies, the March for Life, draws millions to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to advocate for the sanctity of life. Another, the Trump area tours, saw record-breaking attendance in the lead up to the 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections.  The right has also been successful using boycotts against companies like Bud Light for their use of transgender women in their advertising, Target for their Tuck swimsuits for children, and Netflix for their Cuties series sexualizes young girls.  These strategies and more have been successful in building coalitions and bringing debate to issues that seek to hold those in power accountable.  

Trump’s second term started with a bang with the implementation of DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency) to weed out waste, fraud, and abuse in federal departments and agencies, resulting in not only fiscal savings but also the defunding of Democratic institutions like Planned Parenthood, NPR, and PBS.  The newly elected DOJ leadership is also addressing the weaponization of federal agencies like the IRS, the FBI, and the EPA.  Lastly, the right has been successful in its own use of the Tenth Amendment to ignore unconstitutional federal laws against abortion, gun laws, and DEI policies. 

Margaret Mead, a cultural anthropologist, once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”  A Harvard study, in fact, found that acceptance from only 3.5 percent of the public is necessary to make an issue susceptible to change.