We in rising tide have always said that “anti-oppression” is at the core of our organizing, and in the forever ongoing process of self-reflection and growth we are working on figuring out what exactly that means for us. Clearly all oppressions are connected, the killing of the planet is directly tied to the oppression of most people, and all of us with privilege are part of the problem and need to deal with that. But too many folks seem to talk the right talk and use that language to get away with the same ol’ shit as always. We’re not going to draft up some anti-oppression “platform” or “policy”, and we know it’s not about wallowing in guilt or making tokenizing and racist attempts at “diversifying”.

We’re asking ourselves the tough questions, and seek to be accountable and always in the process of unlearning the bullshit and decolonizing our minds and hearts. This is a life process for all of us, and we’re asking you to join us in this if you want. We are always open to feedback of any kind, and know that it is in being called out and being faced with what’s hard to deal with that the most growth and learning happens. We’re doing our best to do this with each other and the people we know, but if you have some critique or suggestions you’d like to share with us, please send it to breakingitdown@risingtidenorthamerica.org. To all those who have already taken your time and energy to express to us your concerns – thank you, and we hear you.