Brown's Sustainable Food Initiative

Live(ish) from Immokalee, Day 2: Radicals, Reformers, and Revolutionaries

Brian Moore, 2008 presidential candidate of the Socialist Party USA (far right), sported a sign reading: “Reform System, No! Radically Transform System, Yes! Educate About Socialism, Not Sloganeering or Provacative [sic] Rhetoric!” Despite this, he marched alongside us while we chanted provocative slogans like Up, up with the fair food nation! Down, down with the exploitation! and El pueblo unido jamás será vencido [“The people, united, will never be defeated”]. Moore told me he considered himself a revolutionary, and criticized the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) for demanding change within the existing agro-industrial complex, rather than seeking to transform the system itself. Before long, however, a couple of students affiliated with the International Socialist Organization (ISO) introduced themselves to Moore and me. They insisted, somewhat comically, that they, not Moore, were the true revolutionaries, because whereas Moore sought to work within the existing political system (i.e. by running for President of the United States in 2008 – he earned 6,555 votes nationwide), these students (left and center – no pun intended) and the ISO do not trust established governments to bring about meaningful change. Soon after these students appeared, they engaged Moore in animated conversation and before long I lost them all in the vast, vibrant parade.

This man saw us picketing at Publix, shouted “No fair wages for farmworkers!” from the parking lot, then rushed home to scribble this sign in counter-protest. It reads: “Don’t like your wages? Get another job! Immigrant = migrant, Migrant = nomad. Follow the season. Most “pickers” have MANY kids they DONT [sic] take Care of… THE STATE DOES. Lower Wages NOW.” Clearly, nobody took the time to educate this man about the realities of farmworker conditions. Workers can’t simply “get another job” because they are held in physical bondage or in debt bondage; or because they have not been educated about the rights and opportunities legally available to them in America (imagine not being read your rights!); or because, as undocumented immigrants, they lack access to the political and linguistic resources taken for granted by most Americans. Furthermore, it’s useless to ask workers to “follow the season” when consumers clearly refuse to do so; the year-round demand for tomatoes is precisely what leads to such intensive, industrialized systems of agriculture. And the argument about “kids they DONT take Care of” is of course absurd. The state doesn’t take care of the children of Immokalee workers… the state doesn’t even take care of Immokalee workers.

From as far as New York City and Chicago, artists of all kinds convened in Tampa to support the CIW. The rhythms of the drums imparted persistence and regularity to our steps, and unity and resonance to our chants. The melodies of the jaraneros kept our spirits light and our energies focused. Dancers clad in ceremonial feathers, accompanied by the pungent smell of Mexican incense, gave our procession the solemnity of a rite and the joie de vivre of a carnival. Photographer extraordinaire J. J. Tiziou, who has worked with the CIW since 2003, documented the gestures, colors, and expressions of the weekend; he would sprint ahead of the line, climb onto overhanging branches, and crawl in the gravel and dust to get the perfect shot. The union of art and activism in this movement is truly inspirational.

1 Comment so far
Leave a comment