The Need for Accomplices
Editor’s note: This post was inspired by Dr. Bettina Love’s recount of this incident. Please take a moment to read Dr. Bettina Love’s “We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom” and/or follow her on twitter at @BLoveSoulPower. Thank you to those who reached out to me to remind me that I did not credit Dr. Bettina Love and held me accountable for acknowledging Black women and their work.
In June 2015, Bree Newsome, a Black woman, scales a pole on the South Carolina State house grounds to remove the Confederate flag as a response to the gruesome mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, in which nine Black churchgoers are killed by a white supremacist. As she makes her way up the pole, she is surrounded by officers, who threaten to electrocute the pole to stop her. They do not do it. Instead, they patiently wait for her to return to the ground. After successfully removing the flag, Bree and her accomplice, Jimmy, a white man, are arrested and charged with defacing monuments on capitol grounds.
We need more Jimmys.
We need more accomplices.
Jimmy helped Bree scale the fence to begin her climb. He was her lookout. He lied to a staffer, claiming that they were preparing for a friend’s surprise party. When the officers arrived and threatened to electrocute the pole Jimmy quickly grabbed and held onto it. Jimmy instinctively knew that they would not electrocute him. This small, quick action allowed Bree to complete the task. Afterwards, the media attention from this incident focused on Bree Newsome, who quickly became a national icon for fighting racism. Her courageous removal of the Confederate flag that morning shined the spotlight on the impact of the flag’s presence. Less than a month later, the South Carolina House of Representatives voted to remove the flag. And Jimmy received little recognition for his pivotal role.
We need more Jimmys.
We need more accomplices.
In the struggle for a more equitable society and community, folks with privilege have to use it in service to support and empower those who do not hold the same privilege. They must be willing to risk centering the voices and experiences of the marginalized and vulnerable. Jimmy risked being electrocuted. He was arrested with Bree. Jimmy was present and did not dominate during or after the event. He followed Bree’s lead. Jimmy used his privilege as a white man to support Bree, a Black woman.
Be a Jimmy.
Be an accomplice.
