Moral Mondays: Who is the Dancing Guy?

It has been fascinating to watch the Moral Monday protests over the past two years.  These began after the North Carolina General Assembly came under the control of a Republican majority and a Republican was elected as governor.  As social programs fell into the sights of the General Assembly in 2013, the protests began to gather steam.  Over 900 individuals were arrested over a three month period, primarily for trespassing in the legislative building.  The protesters have returned for the 2014 short session.  A small number of individuals have been arrested this year.

In my opinion, the protests last year never really picked up much momentum.  I’m sure that organizers would disagree with that assessment, pointing to thousands attending the rallies.  I would prefer to measure momentum by results than the number of protesters.

Recent news reports question whether the protests are simply tools being used by the Democrats to keep their messages in front of the people.  Moral Monday organizer and North Carolina NAACP president, Rev. William Barber is quoted as saying, "Our movement is bigger than any party.  We are concerned about the soul of this state."

But, is it making an impact on the soul of North Carolina?

Last summer I attended one of the Monday evening protests.  I wanted to experience firsthand what was taking place.  It was a cordial crowd with racial, gender and age diversity.  They listened intently to the speakers.  They cheered and sang protest songs from the 1960s.  But, from my perspective they were not unified. 

The speakers spoke on a multitude of topics from health care, voters’ rights, public education, workers’ rights, and environmental issues.  While most cheered the speakers, it was clear that there were several subgroups with specific agendas.  The whole thing struck me as somewhat disjointed.

That’s not to say that I disagreed with many of the speakers.  In fact, I agreed with much of what was said.  Who isn’t concerned about the environment, public education and health care?  But, the evening lacked the feel of a true movement.

 NC NAACP President  Rev. William Barber

I love this YouTube video, Leadership Lessons from the Dancing Guy.  While it may be overly simplistic, these are valid points concerning what starts a movement.  The question I have concerning the Moral Monday protests is, “Who is the Dancing Guy?”  Last summer, I saw several people around Raleigh wearing their, “I went to jail with Rev. Barber” buttons, so there were/are some who are following him - is he the Dancing Guy?  Is there someone with the state Democratic Party who is assuming this role?  The party’s leadership seems to be in disarray for the past couple of years, so I doubt anyone there is leading the dance.

As the video clip points out, it is the first followers that will draw other followers.  I overheard a middle-aged white woman telling her daughter last summer, “I’m going to be arrested tonight – isn’t that cool?”  She had nothing to lose by being arrested and felt she was gaining status as a protester by wearing her, "I'm gonna be arrested" armband.  Plus, she gets a button to wear to the supermarket that tells the world that she is an “activist.”  Most North Carolinians won't follow her.

I would posit that it is the protest itself that is the Dancing Guy.  The problem is the right song has yet to be played.  While listening to the speakers last summer, I couldn’t rush down to dance because of the dissonance of the music.  But, I saw the potential for a tremendous energy that awaited the right song.

But, I don’t think the song that will rally the masses is at either extreme of the left or right.  A strong centrist's message will pull people down the hill, from across the state, and may truly start a movement that impacts state government.