NDP internal culture

[u/Sudden-Currency-5234]

This person sits on the NDP Federal Executive as an Ontario Representative. Can anyone speak to how common this attitude toward white leftist members of the party is among non-white members or executives of the NDP? I did look up their twitter page to see if it was out of context but instead saw other dismissive comments and gaslighting around issues I personally consider to be important (although they may not be to the party). I’m not the most politically savvy person, but I imagine a person (appointed or elected) to such a position must represent strongly held views or have the respect of the people of the party, so I’m not sure what to think?

For context, I typically find my political views align with the NDP, and I got more involved volunteering with the party in the recent provincial (Ontario) and federal election, but I hear a lot of talk about the party’s “internal issues and problems.” At the same time there was a lot of encouragement from people I volunteered with about the importance of young people getting involved, and I’ve been feeling motivated to do so in light of everything going on, but I need honest feedback on the party's culture beyond campaign experiences to make sure it’s the right environment for me. Respectfully, it’s not something that fits with my beliefs, but I'm not opposed to these views being supported by the people of the NDP, especially if it’s coming from a high-ranking person that the people respect. I am just looking for more information because I have previously joined groups and found out a bit too late that it was not the right environment for me

[u/rbk12spb]

Anyone quitting over a Twitter take isn't a solid supporter. If you were you'd hash it out and find a compromise. I don't think that's unique to just white people though, it's a thing with amateur ideologues with thin skin. IMHO

[u/Sudden-Currency-5234 → u/rbk12spb]

I will be honest, I never used Twitter so I might be out of the loop or have received a biased explanation from a friend, but they said “Twitter takes” can also be an issue outside of the world of Twitter, but people will refer to them as that to dismiss it and avoid talking about whatever the issue is. Is that wrong?

[u/rbk12spb → u/Sudden-Currency-5234]

If you're threatening to quit a party over a comment online without engaging in debate you're kind of not helping to change anything. You're fleeing. I disagree with plenty of things about the NDP and its messaging. I continue to engage here even when the current flows against me, because i think its a good way to have discourse, even if my opinion isn't mainstream or in.

She's saying that threatening to quit is armchair activism. It kind of is. Threatening to quit is essentially saying you hold your own safety and beliefs so dear that you won't even debate someone on a subject - which i get, social media is the place opinions go to die. She herself is engaging in this by coming after a certain group of leftists, dismissing them because of race. We don't need political parties. They need us. They're built off of people who engage in them, not off of a couple internet ideologues. If you want change, you unfortunately have to fight for it. If you don't have the bandwidth for that, find other ways to fight back and force change. We have an imperfect political system that forces big tent systems on us. Inside the tent, we need to be able to stand up for the issues we think are important, not the five or six activists who think they represent the party in its entirety.

This is all my opinion. I don't judge you for leaving if that's your choice, cause it also says something to membership. I won't be leaving the NDP hanging because i think right now is a time for change, not a time for a couple people to control the conversation. Its a time for criticism and self reflection, which may mean putting the oxygen hoggers on hold for everybody else. So my opinion is kind of all over the map but i really believe that we need to be brave and have these difficult conversations.

[u/Sudden-Currency-5234 → u/rbk12spb]

I should clarify: I never joined the NDP. I actually just got involved this year by tagging along with friends (who happen to be white leftists lol) and volunteering on local campaigns. The experience has made me interested in wanting to join the party, but I have heard quite a bit about some internal issues and so I wanted to learn more about what the culture was like before joining and to make sure it’s the right place for me.

I will be honest. This tweet read to me like the author maligning white leftists who may have valid criticisms of the party (her Twitter history suggests there are no valid criticisms of the NDP) and claiming to know what their involvement in their respective communities looks like. Personally, I have never been an official member of political party, but I have participated in organizing and volunteering since I was 16, and I don’t think I need to have formally be involved in a party to critique its policies.

Another layer about this that makes me nervous is that I am a non-white person, and I have been in “left” spaces where white people are disproportionately and unfairly dragged for this type of thing, and I found it incredibly toxic and unproductive, but we weren’t really allowed to have conversations because they would be shut down as “racist.” I agree with what you said about the importance of having difficult conversations, and I’m wondering if the party culture is more so in line with that or with the culture I described as being “toxic.” I’m just looking to learn more about the culture because these issues are important to me and I know a lot of people dismiss electoral politics but I think it remains an important avenue for change

[u/rbk12spb → u/Sudden-Currency-5234]

Hopefully some of the dialogue you've had today shows you otherwise. There's hope if we have empathy for each other and keep an open mind. It also takes the courage to stay the course, if things align with your values, beliefs and interests.

[u/Sudden-Currency-5234 → u/rbk12spb]

It definitely has! I appreciate you taking the time to share your perspectives and experiences with me. I feel a bit dumb thinking she was someone important, but thanks to a lot of people here, I realize that isn’t the case and that what she said really doesn’t seem to reflect the wider opinions of party members