The thing about Greta Thunberg that I myself have not seen discussed and just want to say so that it’s understood, is that the reason Greta can do what she is doing is because:
a) she’s privileged
b) she’s a child
c) she’s white
Her vulnerability as a child is absolutely her power because she cannot be assumed or painted to be malicious or incompetent the way she would be as an adult.
Her whiteness makes her socially palatable because she fits a narrative about self that white people will actually listen to. That’s not a good thing it’s just necessary bc white ppl have the damndest time empathizing with nonwhite ppl.
Her ability to strike and take actions is directly helped by the fact that she’s not responsible for her wellbeing/income, nor anyone else’s.
I want to say this bc I know of so many black and brown people who literally fight with family and friends about recycling and evironmental issues but lack the social security to strike every friday, cannot risk going out on the streets lest they face arrest, etc etc.
So every time I see Greta, I see her as wonderful but the only reason she stands out is because she’s one of the only bodies that can make it through the filter of white supremacy without being attacked or silenced.
And I think thus that in the great scheme of things, this is a perfect plan. Children are disarming. Anyone who attacks a child exposes themselves as inherently malicious.
But please don’t forget why it’s working, and why it didn’t work for so many other people.
Greta can skip school and get ppl to do her favors while her parents see after her care in a way many adults my age absolutely could not and could not have gotten their parents to consent to when we were younger- especially in the states bc ppl here are such propagandized consumers.
It’s coming down to white kids to do activism bc everyone else is too easily beaten, policed and starved. That’s not actually like…great. It’s not that the kids are more willing than the adults and I keep seeing that narrative. I’ve been pushing for environmental awarness in the home, in my offices, in my life, since childhood, for example. And I’ve always HATED the social narrative of ‘the children are our future’ bc a) no one cares about kids usually, especially not nonwhite kids (but as sandy hook shows….not even white kids either) b) ppl say that to pawn activism off on children.
Adults keep getting left off the hook but simultaneously as these narratives keep going I see more and more teens- usually white- saying shit like ‘and the adults don’t care’. Your parent’s don’t care. My parent’s didn’t care.
But I’m an adult now and I’ve been caring since childhood. I know they’re kids and they don’t understand systematic oppression but for those of us that are old enough to do so…
keep that in mind.
There’s several Native and Nigerian children that have been saying the exact same thing for YEARS. Wonder why we have never heard of them. . .
