Ashley De la Torre on Rojas

In the piece “Are the Cops in Our Heads and Hearts?” by Paula X. Rojas, she talks in great detail about the ways in which horizontal leadership has worked for mass movements throughout Latin America. She provides this information as a potential lesson for Americans, whom often rely on hierarchical non-profit organizing that tends to replicate the system in which they are trying to disrupt.

One of the ongoing struggles we see within activist spaces in modern U.S is the struggle to think “outside” the lens of formalities when organizing. As restated many times by Rojas, everyday people were active participants to the various struggles and mass movements that occured (and are still occuring) in Latin America. A model of horizontal leadership was utilized by the EZLN (Zapatista National Liberation Army) which put the needs of the communities at the forefront. Horizontal leadership is one that is often deemed “leaderless”, non-centralized and utilizes group decision making. Horizontal leadership is a concept many non-profit organizations could grapple with as it challenges systems of power. In the U.S, non-profit organizations often follow systems of power where there is an executive director or a board of directors that must complete some form of education or formal training before obtaining these roles. The problem with this system is that it further creates a divide between the communities and the activists when there are only a handful of people managing the movement.

It is a misconception that horizontal leadership does not work for large groups. The EZLN, as well as the Argentine Unemployed Workers Movement (MTD), was able to successfully mobilize thousands, even hundreds of thousands,  of citizens. Zapatistas have been able to take back power from the state and directly invest into their communities through Zapatista ran hospitals, schools and communities. However, this took the collaborative effort of all members (even children were encouraged to participate) and years to prepare for. By mobilizing through a thought-action mantra, community members saw existence and everyday life as a political act which was successful in unifying members in feeling like active participants regardless of age, gender or level of education. This level of action is one we have seen scarcely throughout the U.S and in history but could be a great tool in overthrowing state based violence.

An example of mass, modern unrest seen today is within the Black Lives Matter movement. Although there are specific creators of the movement that can be pinpointed, to say there is one face or voice representing #BLM would be false. However, the movement is not “leaderless” either. This movement (similar to the Zapatista and MTD) is one filled with many leaders, many faces and many voices that deviate from our perceived image of a revolution ‘leader’. One article deems this the “Ella Baker tradition” as she was a critical figure in the civil rights movement in encouraging young people, students and women to use their organic intellect to lead. Black Lives Matter (#BLM) is a nationwide movement has spread from beyond a hashtag and into the streets in solidarity with (most) victims of police brutality, racial justice and raising consciousness about issues facing black Americans. Seeing the many faces and voices emerge from this movement has been astonishing as it is a legacy that resonates deeply with the idea of horizontal leadership.

How can we, as university students, use the platform and knowledge we have learned about to encourage others to participate in social justice action? In what ways can the people in our very own communities serve as valuable teachers for mobilizing?