Revolution of values at CSB+SJU

If there’s one thing you need to take away from Rev. James Alberts’s keynote event, it’s that you are a revolutionary–or at least, you can be.MLK Week at CSB+SJU started off quietly, but by the end of Thursday night, Johnnies and Bennies were chanting “I am a Revolutionary!” and deeply engaged in conversation about what that phrase means. With a passion only a preacher has, Rev. Alberts sauntered onto the stage and gave it to us straight: how far are we willing to go for what we believe in? How do we go from being keyboard warriors to revolutionaries? With the audience hooked on his every word, he demonstrates how power and privilege function in our society.

Money runs the world, of course, but the only thing more powerful than money is an organized group of people sharing a common goal. Power concedes nothing unless demanded. And to demand doesn’t mean taking away someone else’s power, but having the right to exercise your own. He cleverly displayed this with a chair. Nervous laughter erupted as Alberts sized up a student who was sitting in the seat he wanted. He was willing to do whatever it took to get it. Alberts explained that once your seat is taken, if you want it back you have to be willing to go to the same lengths or greater–even if it means taking great risks. This is what being a revolutionary is.

But how does pushing the boundaries connect to MLK’s vision of “peace?” Despite what our history books conveyed, Alberts stressed that MLK’s rhetoric goes far beyond race. It’s about targeting racial inequality through larger issues like poverty. He prompted students to identify injustices outside of our own identities and be more than bystanders in these revolutions. “I’m still Black.” And being Black means not having the privilege of being moved by a speech, then opting out of the actual movement. “I’m still Black.” MLK’s truly revolutionary rhetoric has been redacted. Yes, he led a movement characterized by non-violence, but he pushed the boundaries by challenging the values of racism, militarism and extreme materialism.

While MLK encouraged American society to revolutionize its values, Alberts encouraged Bennies and Johnnies to revolutionize our own. Our roundtable discussions introduced a plethora of student concerns about campus values. The keynote event’s attendance and audience demographic exemplified how social justice oriented programs are othered at CSB+SJU. Many of the students present were either required to attend for credit or are already well-informed on these issues.

“I am a revolutionary.” For some this is more than a chant to boost your adrenaline. It is a constant reality. According to Alberts, being a revolutionary is not easy. It requires Bennies and Johnnies to not only show up but to act. Alberts made the point that engaging in a discussion is not enough. How far are you willing to go to be a revolutionary?