Changing the Story on Democracy: Reflections from Facing Race

By Lawrence Barriner II

Our movements require spaces to gather, reflect, and share collectively in both joy and grief. These opportunities often feel rare given today’s urgent pace.

Facing Race—the nation’s largest racial justice gathering—convened during election week 2018. Unlike the devastating 2016 results, this year brought mixed outcomes: victories for LGBTQ candidates, women of color representatives, and voting rights restoration for 1.5 million formerly incarcerated Floridians, alongside some losses.

Throughout the conference, discussions centered on a foundational question: what is this government, and can we trust it? This reflects deeper inquiries into democracy’s narratives and their effectiveness.

On Voting

Voting matters—opponents work hard to suppress it. Yet even with aligned representatives in office, systems perpetuate oppression. The “voting” narrative contains assumptions: that winner-take-all structures suffice when participation is universal, that binary choices capture genuine stances, that vote counters treat all equally, and that democracy remains secure.

However, voting shouldn’t be confused with liberation. As Adrienne Maree Brown noted, the work involves perpetual struggle toward greater freedom—winning and losing constitute parts of this ongoing process.

On Democracy & Authoritarianism

American democracy historically excluded oppressed peoples. Women gained voting rights in 1920, Black Americans in 1965, eighteen-year-olds in 1971. Wealth requirements persisted until 1966. From this perspective, American democracy actively minimized whose voices received hearing.

On America

Vincent Harding’s wisdom rings vital: “A new America still needs to be born. We need to be the midwives.”

Facing Race emphasized Indigenous peoples’ contributions—their centuries-long democratic governance systems on Turtle Island predate American experimentation. Native nations demonstrate alternative decision-making structures beyond voting-dependent frameworks.

Moving Forward

Building power remains central work. Rather than viewing elections as everything or nothing, treat them as pulse checks indicating where organizing must continue. Power-building manifests through organizing, creating alternatives, performing transformative justice work—multiple pathways demand engagement.

Grace Lee Boggs’ dialectical humanism framework proves instructive: losses and wins comprise evolutionary movements toward liberation, not pendulum swings between opposing states. Each cycle yields lessons informing subsequent organizing phases.

“We have to win as much as we can while never forgetting that the whole game is rigged.” — Adrienne Maree Brown