In less than a year, decades of Black progress have been bulldozed by white supremacist ideology, masked as conservative politics. Though if history has taught us anything, it’s that time is a flat circle—we’ve seen this story play out time and time again. However, it’s easy for younger generations to take the battles fought and won by our heroes and families — both living and long gone — for granted. 

It’s a struggle that author, social justice attorney, and playwright Gloria Browne-Marshall delves into with her latest book, “A Protest History of the United States.” In the book, readers are immersed in a history that spans from the indigenous defense of land to environmental racism.

It’s a powerful, timely reminder that during times of political duress and social upheaval, protest can be the sharpest and most readily accessible tool in our arsenal. However, if you ask Browne-Marshall, fear and discomfort are holding many younger generations back from realizing their full potential. 

“Santa Claus didn’t give us our rights,” she says. “I need people to understand how long people have been protesting and how much we've all benefited from it. We’re so used to the benefits and the work of others that we don't even think about it anymore.”

Instead of sitting idly, rattled by our current political climate, spiraling through a haze of dystopian headlines, Browne-Marshall shares the inspiration behind the book, why Black joy matters, and how she protects her mind, body, and soul.

BET: What was the inspiration behind the book? What made you grab your pen and just start writing?

Gloria Browne-Marshall: I heard too many people say, ‘Protest is ineffective. It's old-fashioned, it doesn't work. It's not a part of change in the 21st century.’ I knew this wasn't true, but I wanted to back it up with history. I also wanted to show appreciation: a friend told me about an older community organizer who passed away, and she didn't have enough money for a casket. I thought, on one hand, we have young people saying protest doesn't work, and on the other hand, we have somebody who protested her entire life and gets no recognition, not even a casket. 

BET: What was the most shocking thing that you discovered while researching this book?

Gloria Browne-Marshall: What shocked me was the amount of violence against protestors. Any protest has a measure of danger, but the violence by police, sheriffs, and the lack of prosecution by prosecutors, not just in the south, but in the north as well. The constant violence. People who knew how violent their community was when it came to standing up for their rights, and protested anyway — the amount of hope and the tactics they used when they knew they were going to face violent opposition. 

BET: How do we continue to get younger generations inspired to protest in a climate where many might feel protesting is old-fashioned? 

GBM: Just like with George Floyd's murder, people began to protest, especially young people, because they saw other people protesting…I think if young people —and this is what I'm seeing more often than them not knowing some of the issues— is the fear of violence against them, and that is very real. But that's why I was shocked by the fact that there was more violence during the time period of the '30s, '40s, '50s, '60s, even into the '70s and '80s than we have now. But because we are not putting ourselves in positions in which we are actually interacting with protesters,

BET: Social media often gives us a false sense of productivity. How do we fight that? 

GBM: It has to be used strategically and not just for entertainment. And sometimes, although we're using social media in the best of ways to gain information, we’re not doing anything with that information once we gain it.

BET: Can we talk about the Target boycott — do you think it’s been successful? How do we measure that?

GBM: I measure it by the people who will tell you they have not been shopping at Target, and I have a Target [near my home]. I could easily go there to buy things, but instead, I go elsewhere or buy the products directly online from the stores. So I don't have to go through Target, but that's just me. 

BET: But how do we maintain momentum for the long haul?

GBM: I’ve also always kept this mantra, Don't shop where you're not respected. And there's a saying that I credit to Nina Simone, ‘Learn to leave the table when love is no longer being served.’

I don't eat at restaurants if I'm not given respectful service…It's harming our individual self-esteem to go into a place where we're mistreated. People may think they're getting something easier, but they’re harming themselves at the same time. And so that is a very basic protest tactic.

BET: You’ve brought up two major hurdles. First, safety: most people are afraid of violence and don't understand that you have to be unafraid. Then, convenience — not everyone is boycotting certain businesses. Therefore, people don't want to risk their safety and avoid being inconvenienced.

GBM: I'm going to give you the line that I was told more than once, ‘I just want to live my life! Why should I protest when I just want to live my life? Or, ‘Why should I protest when I wasn't the one who caused this?’ We may not understand that we're all in this together. And this idea that people, and I call them freedom freeloaders, just want to live their lives, is based on a lifestyle that was earned for them by previous generations. Somebody had to fight for that.

BET: As an activist constantly exposed to the world's ills, can you please share how you preserve and protect your mind, body, and soul?  

GBM: Years ago, I began intentionally protecting my mental health by trying to stay prayerful, grateful, and away from mind-damaging drugs, rhetoric, and people.

BET: You may have heard the notion that "Black Joy is an act of resistance!" What advice do you have for our community on how we can maintain hope and joy?  

GBM: Believe it or not, there is joy in resistance. Joy in hearing our ancestral call to action. Joy in fighting for a cause bigger than oneself. Joyful power in speaking up!