Daryl Davis - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org

The “Activism” section is fascinating.

  • LemmyThinkAboutThatEnglish
    9·
    1 month ago

    What I have come to find to be the greatest and most effective and successful weapon that we can use, known to man, to combat such adversaries as ignorance, racism, hatred, violence, is also the least expensive weapon, and the one that is the least used by Americans. That weapon is called communication.

    Daryl Davis, “Klan We Talk?”, TEDxCapeMay, 9 January 2018.

    Heartwarming!

  • Cris@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    1 month ago

    Thank you so much for posting this, Daryl Davis is a huge inspiration to me and is a huge part of why I try so hard to maintain empathy for those who’s views I find abhorrent.

    The only thing I have ever known to deradicalize someone, is undeserved compassion.

    Though, that is at an individual scale. I am still grappling with how society and culture at large can change, and whether it necessarily looks the same way.

    • Danquebec@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      2·
      1 month ago

      Yeah… I’ve always favored communication and education as ways to combat ignorance and make everyone progress. But lately, I’ve been seeing the rise of the far-right and the methods of the alt-right movement. We are told that it’s no use to try to debate the far-right. And with the increasingly violent rethoric, the increasingly enboldened right and Trump administration, the threats of invasion (I live in Canada), the cult around Trump’s personality, it increasingly feels like there’s no use to do this. That violence is coming and it is the only way.

      A story like that one makes me realize that communication can be surprisingly powerful.

      Of course, if force comes your way, defend yourself. But anywhere it’s possible, maybe we should try to communicate and educate.

      • Cris@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 month ago

        I just posted a video on a couple comms about the history of defeating nazis in London by a london history YouTube channel

        I think one of the big things that it was clear really worked was disrupting any organizing. And that’s a thing that doesn’t necessarily require violence.

        People did so by blocking roads, yelling so loud no one could speak, and well, throwing things and being violent consistently enough that the government would sometimes deny them being able to meet (I dont believe that would work in the us due to free speech) but that often came with risks, like the government sometimes instead dispatching police to protect the nazis

        But many of the things she discussed as being historically effective aren’t entirely incompatible with compassion on an individual scale, while showing no quarter and giving no platform at a larger scale.

        I still don’t know what the most effective means is, but it’s some stuff to think about :)

        Edit: here’s the link in case the video interests you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeHviTKEqSo

        Regardless, I hope you have a lovely day. Thanks for being part of this little online haven with me :)