Thoughts on Subjugation

This guest post is written by James Abro. James is the author of six novels and three books including, most recently, Facing Homelessness. A lifelong social activist, Abro started Advocate for Economic Fairness! in order to give voice to those working for a fairer & more progressive economy. He also works locally in New York City with homeless outreach groups and nationally as an advocate for homeless rights and economic fairness. You can learn more about his work at about.me/james.abro

The panelists at the June 26th webinar on subjugation made several points that I’d like to elaborate on from my personal experience.

One is that there is more to being in poverty than your financial circumstances. There is a systematic process of subjugation that goes along with the experience of being poor in America.

And two ,that a  important aspect ofresolving thiss problem is for more people living in poverty to write about it.

Click play to watch the full June 26 webinar: The Experience of Poverty as Subjugation

Last weekend I traveled to Asbury Park New Jersey to speak at a fund-raising event for KYDS (Konscious Youth Development and Services). A non-profit civic group that provides ‘holistic intervention into the lives of young adults,' many of whom are living in low-income communities. I offer my time to mentor any young aspiring writers. In my talk, I explained to them why this is important to me:

"In the last few decades we've evolved our attitudes on reporting about Blacks and women. It's no longer okay for well off whites to write like they know better what is going in the Black communities than Blacks. Or for men to pontificate on the acceptable roles for women in society.

"No such cultural prohibition exists for writing about the poor. Anyone with a Masters in sociology or political science -- regardless of their personal background -- can pass themselves off as experts on poverty and get published as such. The difference between the article published by the National Review and mine on why Great Society anti-poverty programs 'failed' is that I actually experienced it. I grew up at the time of the uprisings (Or what the White media called 'race riots'. How or why would a race riot?  People ‘rioting’ must be crazy, not justifiably enraged.) I was in work programs that started up after the uprisings and then just tailed off for no apparent reason. When I grew up I found out why they were terminated. That makes a difference - I had something at stake personally, not just my ideas of what should or should not be happening. 

James Abro speaking at KYDS

"People with something at stake in the life and death of these kinds of programs are the ones we should be listening to. For them, it’s not just a conservative or progressive political abstraction.”

I live in a homeless shelter in The Bronx. In order to attend the event in Asbury Park, I had to get a late pass approved by my case manager at the shelter, which I did. They impose a 10 PM curfew in shelters because a high percentage of shelter residents are on parole. If they miss the 10 PM curfew it’s a parole violation.

This is a form of subjugation. I am not on parole, yet I am forced to be treated the same. My crime apparently is not being able to afford housing.

Nevertheless, I did what I needed to do.  But when I returned to the shelter after midnight I was told that I did not have a late pass and could not go back to my bed. They wanted to force me to spend the night sitting in a chair in the lobby.

This to me was clearly an attempt to intimidate me and subject me to their will rather than do their job and find the late pass.

I had a choice here: submit to them, and at least have some form of indoor shelter for the night or stand up to them.

I chose the latter. I told them I did my job as a resident and had my case manager approve a late pass for me. I was going to bed. They could figure out how to do their job on their own time.

I went to bed.

My point is that when you are poor you are regularly put in situations where you must choose between your momentary dignity and your long-term security. You shouldn’t have to, but you do. There are going to be times when you are too tired and don’t want to bother. That’s fine. But be aware of what they are doing and stand up to it when you can.

What I just did was put a face on the experience of subjugation and give it texture and context.  Only someone living it can do this.