Laura Garcia of the Tribuno del Pueblo interviewed Mari Caldwell-Robinson at the Michael Brown protests in Ferguson, MO. Mari is part of North Carolina’s Black Workers for Justice and their youth organization, Hip Hop for Justice in Raleigh.
Laura Garcia: Why are you in Ferguson?
Mari Caldwell-Robinson: I was angry and had to come. I feel connected to the people in St. Louis because it happens everywhere. We have organizations fighting with the Durham police to get more respect in their communities. I came so we could get different points of view and bring strategies back so that we can all network and communicate.
LG: Police have been killing people forever. What is different today?
MC: That we decided as a group, nationally, that we can’t stand for this anymore and are ready to organize. We have been standing for it for hundreds of years, but now we are like: No! We won’t any longer just organize in small groups. Now we’re going across state lines and saying, “Hey, can you come down and help us organize, or if you can’t come, tweet support or fundraise or write an article for us to help us in our fight.”
LG: Is this movement about more than police brutality?
MC: Yes. There is a system—there’s poverty, unemployment, incarceration, they’re not educating our kids. There’s people in Congress … Democrats and Republicans fighting each other. But not really representing us.
LG: How do you see the youth?
MC: This is a youth movement. Leaders from the 60s say we’ve been content with how things are. It’s not really true. I’ve known people my age who have been fighting since they were 8 or 9. We have always been fighting–we just haven’t made a lot of noise and we haven’t crossed state lines to help with each other.
LG: What do you say to other youth in the country?
MC: Listen. Educate yourself about what’s going on. Sometimes you may not want to be a social activist, you may not want to get in a protest, but at least be knowledgeable about what is going on in your community or county. Vote.
