| Occupy Class

Protest Music: Then and Now

March 8, 2012

Music played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement as a tool for inspiring protesters and spreading their message. Perhaps the most famous song during this era of protest is “We Shall Overcome”, which came to be known as an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. This simple but powerful song provided protesters with [...]

An Open Letter to a Leaderless Movement

March 8, 2012

Dear Occupy, You have my attention. You have been arrested enough, evicted enough, pepper-sprayed enough, and have threatened to levitate enough skyscrapers for me–a born and practiced skeptic–to listen. Americans have been made well-aware the past four months that something is going on–practically everyone at least recognizes the significance of the “99%”–but there are [...]

Homeless and Occupying

March 7, 2012

Across the United States, homeless men and women have joined the occupy movement in large numbers and settled in occupy encampments. While the the homeless may symbolize the economic deprivation that is the central theme of this movement, most are seen as a nuisance by some protesters. Their presence has caused a dilemma for protesters [...]

Sister Movements: Los Indignados and Occupy

March 7, 2012

Since the Arab Spring protests, a wave of similar protests have swept the globe, inspiring the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement and consequently creating a world-wide revolutionary consciousness. This consciousness sparked a movement in Spain called “Los Indignados” or “The Outraged”. The movement works to peacefully protest against Spanish, French, and Italian governments that move [...]

Memphis Takes a Different Approach to the Occupy Movement

February 27, 2012

Occupy Memphis is different than other Occupy movements you’ve heard about. They gather together to effect change in a city run down by drugs, violence, poverty, crime, and poor city planning. The difference between Occupy Memphis and other movements is that the city listened. Occupy Memphis does not live with the fear of being evicted [...]

Atlanta Campers Expect Shoes, Not Social Change

February 24, 2012

In most American cities, a tent on a sidewalk or in a public area calls the Occupy movement to mind. At the intersection of Peachtree Center Ave. and Decatur St. in downtown Atlanta, urban campers have established temporary residence since last Sunday in front of Walter’s Clothing store. Yet, these are not protesters of any [...]