The time is right

What can I say that hasn't already been said about the history that was made last Tuesday? In my academic work I dabble in social movement studies and so it is through that lens (and others) that I find Barack Obama's election particularly hopeful. What researchers have discerned is that change or reform happens when the political opportunity structures are present. So that, it is not just about how community organizers do the work that they do, it is the case that the external political realities matter a lot. People elected to office, people trying to stay in office, disasters, scandals, and other current events of the day play a significant role in whether the efforts of organizers will be successful or not. Some of the activists of the 60s were successful not just because of their organizing tactics but because there was democratic leadership in office that left the door open for change.

The time is right for organizers to step forward; the political opportunities are there. But, success will only happen if organizers do what they do. And new activists must also be born. The frustration of the last 8 years can be replaced with hope and renewed commitments. Electoral politics has its limits. Some of the most important change will happen not because of something that the politicians we elect initiate; it will happen because citizens define the agenda, push for change, and don't relent.