Call it “The Third Reconstruction”

By Renarda A. Williams  

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton claimed the spotlight on the final day of the 2016 Convention in Philadelphia. And rightfully so, it happened to be her party. But, the thunderous voice of Reverend Dr. William J. Barber, a longtime social justice champion and President of the North Carolina NAACP, pricked the collective conscience of the crowd when he said, “We are being called, like our mothers and fathers, to be the moral defibrillators of our time.”

Standing on the stage wrapped in the country’s red, white, and blue, Barber announced the urgent need to talk about “faith and morality” in America. Both are subjects he writes about in his new book, “The Third Movement: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement.” Barber elaborated on his memoir in an interview with TheVillageCelebration contributor, Renarda Williams.

TVC: What influenced you to create an amazing agenda and movement, “The Third Reconstruction?

The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II: Thank you for asking. The truth is, I didn’t create this agenda or this movement. But I agree with you that it is amazing. My father and mother, moved by their faith, returned to the South and sent me to integrate public schools in Washington County. That’s how I became part of this moral movement. It existed long before me, and it will continue because the God of justice hears the cry of the least of these. I’ve told the story of our fusion coalition in North Carolina in my book, The Third Reconstruction. In short, we realized that the only way to overcome the southern strategy of divide-and-conquer was to move beyond single-issue organizing to build coalitions that work for an agenda for the common good that is rooted in our deepest moral and constitutional values. We learned our strength when we saw the force of the resistance that rose against us. That resistance was our confirmation that, however long it took, we would win if we stood together.

How important it is to start another reconstruction? Is it because the first two reconstructions were not focused on allowing Americans, especially African Americans after slavery, who encountered segregation, discrimination, and racism; indigenous people who were driven off their land; and Japanese  Americans to live in what is known as pseudo democracy did not work…..,and women, people of different genders are not treated equally — and another viable reconstruction is needed, so where all Americans can empower themselves?

The Rev. Dr. William Barber II: America’s history of reconstruction shows us a pattern. Only fusion coalitions can make us into a more perfect union. That’s the first lesson. The second is that there have always been forces that appeal to racism, fear, and hatred to resist reconstruction.

Our foremothers and forefathers of the First and Second Reconstructions did make real progress. They gave their lives to end slavery, to expand voting rights, to resist the worst ravages of greed and expand equal protection under the law. We do have a more perfect union. But, we don’t have a perfect union. And, as people who are used to controlling the government see demographics changing, they are afraid. America’s experiment in multi-ethnic democracy, a relatively young experiment, is under attack. This is why we need a Third Reconstruction. We cannot become the country we’ve not yet been without reviving the heart of our democracy.

TVC: Will The Third Reconstruction lead to eliminating the causes of racial strife, poverty, homelessness, capitalism, police brutality, changing the penal system … mainly stop building more prisons, improving the health crisis, etc.?

The Rev. Dr. William Barber II: Policy cannot make people good. Only a revolution of the heart can do that. But, policy can guarantee a good education. Policy can provide healthcare and other basic human rights. Policy can undo systemic inequalities and balance power in a nation where someone thinks they’ve hit a home run when they’re born on third base.

We can’t get to the policy change we need, though, without a moral revival. We need a movement of people who are willing to listen to the voices that have been silenced and build people’s assemblies in every community. This kind of movement doesn’t eliminate the brokenness at the heart of our strife and struggle, but it does make it easier to heal and do the work of building up our communities.

TVC: What do you say to critics, of all colors, who will say that what you suggest with The Third Reconstruction is nothing but rhetoric and will never work?

The Rev. Dr. William Barber II: I invite them to come and see. Look at the people who’ve come to Moral Mondays in North Carolina. Look at the people who are coming together across this nation for the Moral Revival. These are people who look like America. This is the future that we are told we must fear. But we’re together, and we’re learning to listen to one another. And we’re saying, “Forward together, not one step back.” We have seen the future, and we’re excited to walk into it together.

TVC: What are your thoughts about the recent 4th Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling that North Carolina’s voter ID Law, one of the strictest in the country, is unconstitutional?

Rev. Dr. William Barber II: We are happy that the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision exposed the racist intent of the extremist element of our government in North Carolina. In 2013 this government took our voting system, which was a model for the nation in encouraging people to vote, not discouraging them, and they made it into the worst voter suppression act in the country. The 4th Circuit’s decision gives North Carolinians back an electoral system that allows the people of North Carolina to vote freely this fall. This is an important win for the Moral Movement in North Carolina and in America.