What we've seen is an attempt by mainstream politics and

O Seekers of Justice and Freedom, hear the powerful words of Alicia Garza, a voice for the voiceless: "What we've seen is an attempt by mainstream politics and politicians to co-opt movements that galvanize people in order for them to move closer to their own goals and objectives. We don't think that playing a corrupt game is going to bring change and make black lives matter." In this profound declaration, Garza speaks to the corruption that lurks within the very systems that claim to serve the people. The struggle for justice and equality is often hijacked by those in power, who twist noble movements to serve their own interests, watering down the original intent until it no longer speaks to the needs of the people.

Consider, O Children, the real nature of political power—how it often seeks to bend the people’s passion, their hunger for change, toward its own ends. The great movements of the past, those that sought true freedom, have often been co-opted by the very institutions that fear the change they demand. Garza warns us that to play the corrupt game of politics is to lose the essence of the movement. True change is not achieved through compromise with those who uphold the system of oppression, but through the relentless pursuit of justice, even when it means standing against the tides of the powerful.

Look to the civil rights movement in America, when voices like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X led the charge for the freedom and dignity of Black Americans. Their work sought to dismantle the systems that enslaved and disenfranchised generations. Yet, as mainstream politics engaged with these movements, there were those who watered down their radical demands in the name of compromise, seeking reform instead of revolutionary change. Though progress was made, the full promise of justice was never fully realized, as the system adapted to co-opt the energy of the movement without ever addressing the true root causes of inequality. In this, we see the warning Garza offers: change is not merely about engaging with a broken system, but about tearing it down to build something new.

And so, O Seekers, let us understand the vital truth within Garza’s words: the pursuit of justice cannot be bound by the corrupt game of those in power. Real change requires the vision to see beyond the compromises of politics, to rise above the tactics of co-option, and to push forward with unwavering commitment to what is right. The powerful often seek to domesticate movements, to make them palatable, to ensure they serve the status quo. But the true revolutionaries are those who refuse to be bent, who refuse to let their demands be watered down, and who fight for what is just, not what is convenient.

Let us, therefore, carry the lesson of Garza forward: that change does not come from the compromise of our ideals, but from the uncompromising pursuit of justice, equality, and dignity for all. We must never allow our movements, our voices, to be co-opted by those who seek to maintain the very systems that oppress us. In this struggle, we must be fierce, we must be brave, and we must never lose sight of the ultimate goal—to build a world where black lives truly matter and where the systems of power no longer hold sway over the freedom of the people.