Tim Wise, Melissa Harris-Perry on Race and Occupy Wall Street: White People Have Been Occupying Manhattan for Years

Two of America's smartest commentators on race issues discussed how Occupy Wall Street could keep itself in solidarity with people of color last night during a segment on the Rachel Maddow Show. Guest host Melissa Harris-Perry and anti-racism activist Tim Wise praised the fact the OWSers came up to Harlem to protest the NYPD's "Stop and Frisk" policy.

But questions about how this broad-based movement will address how economic inequality and racial inequality are "intertwined."

Wise reminded the audience that Lower Manhattan and all of Manhattan is occupied land, stolen from indigenous peoples. So the movement needs to make it clear that they're not just "re-occupying" space, but also decolonizing it.

And they both discussed how activists could engage with allies of color to make sure their language (such as that of "occupation") and their actions are welcoming and inclusive in nature.

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