Theresa Keohunani Taber and 13 others shared Laulani Teale's post.
Laulani Teale
WHY I AM BOYCOTTING THE MLK PARADE 2018 IN HONOLULU AND ASK THAT YOU DO SO, TOO.
Sadly, I just need everyone to know that I, along with many other Hawaiians, are BOYCOTTING the MLK Parade, because of their extreme abuse of the kanaka movement. This has not been a secret. Please join us, and DO NOT PARTICIPATE until leadership sets this right.
And please do not put it on us to "reach out" or "make it right". WE ARE NOT THE ABUSERS. In our culture -- the original culture of this land -- in a case of clear wrongdoing, it is the wrongdoer who has the kuleana to reach out to make right.
I love MLKʻs legacy dearly, and will best perpetuate it by non-participation in that which is just plain WRONG. I do not think he would have tolerated the serious abuse of the original people of the land.
Yes, the military presence etc. also irritates the heck out of me, but that is not why we are boycotting. It is because of EXTREME DISRESPECT AND ABUSE OF KANAKA. To an absolutely intolerable level.
The story is: at some point in the early 2000s, folks from the kanaka/independence movement (who were NOT going to walk behind the US Military!) started leading the march. The first time was an awesome drop-in action largely led by Lynette Cruz. After that, we continued to lead the march, largely with the blessing of its leadership due to great peace work done by an awesome kupuna and Civil Rights hero, Marsha Joyner. It is because of her that I have been reluctant to speak out more about the reprehensible actions that ended up taking place.
So, we were in the front position, but it was really awkward all around. This was because the US MILITARY LEADS THE PARADE with its (often all white!!) Color Guard, and right DIRECTLY behind them comes none other than the "Royal Hawaiian Band", who play NOTHING but "God Bless America", "America the Beautiful" and "Iʻm Proud to Be an American" the whole march. I KID YOU F---ING NOT. Yes, these people have the audacity to use the name of the very band that "Kaulana Na Pua" was written for in 1893. But they sold out, and actually literally sign an oath of loyalty to the illegal government. Every one of them. That is their individual kuleana, but I gotta say it straight about the organization: they are worse than traitors, they are total fakes as far as upholding the strong stance of their forebears. They have NO loyalty to the Kingdom whatsoever. Nor any semblance of pono, frankly. You would think that for Martin Luther King, they could at least play Civil Rights songs -- "We Shall Overcome"? "We shall Not Be Moved"? "Ain't Gonna Study War No More?" No. Not even. Pro military crap wale no. They are an organ of the continued occupation of Hawaiʻi.
Anyway, so we led the parade and though it was extremely awkward to have these guys on our heels, it worked. And I mean they were literally on our heels. The Color Guard (which was ALL WHITE several times -- how's THAT for irony?!?) kept going fast even when we could not go any faster, and I think they literally stepped on Karen Murray and Baron Ching's feet.
Of course, what was really awkward was that we were carrying independence, "stop bombing" etc signs and shouting stuff about being illegally occupied to the crowd (in a nice, parade-friendly kind of way -- we never lost aloha at all), while blowing pu etc, with the US military color guard on our heels. Hey, we did have to make the message clear -- if we had not done so, it would have looked like we were ushering them in willfully, with that pro-occupation music playing from the zombified colonial version of one of our dearest bands! And were somehow okay with it. WE ARE NOT OKAY WITH IT, but we embrace Dr. King's legacy AS we protest and speak the truth -- loudly and clearly.
Anyway, so apparently the military complained about this and acted like WE were abusing THEM for speaking the truth and being ourselves. Seriously. Bullshit. But anyway, this was a side issue. And mind you, we were never told about this. We found out there was a complaint long after everything went down.
When we showed up 2 years ago, we were all set up and ready to go as usual, and then suddenly pulled to the side as a group BY POLICE when the march started. Yes that is right -- KANAKA were ETHNICALLY PROFILED AND DETAINED AT THE POINT OF A GUN AT THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR MARCH!!! Apparently, this was on the orders of Mayor Kirk Caldwell, who told an organizer to do this, and it was carried out without question or any discussion at all.
It was awful. My beautiful sista Moani Sitch was crying, and that alone just absolutely broke my heart. She is the most beautiful form of kūʻē imaginable. She is Christian, sweet, dedicated and absolutely upholds aloha very powerfully in all that she does. She had brought a whole contingent of sweet young kanaka from her church, several of them with keiki ready and excited to participate in the parade in good faith. Baron Ching had his giant flag already strapped on and ready to go. There were several new folks who had no idea what was going on -- they were just there to support and help. I have pictures.
We were detained to the side as the whole parade passed, and then the police left and parade marshals actually started shouting at us that we had "better get in line" at the end. I kid you not. That's right, THE HAWAIIANS WERE TOLD TO GO TO THE "BACK OF THE BUS" AT THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY MARCH. Seriously!
Of course, we did not. After heavy-hearted pule, we left in utter heartbroken disgust.
I have shared this story several times here. It is not a secret. And yet, there has been ZERO apology, nor any attempt to reach out to us or make this right. None.
Of course, many well-intentioned people have suggested reaching out to this organizer or that organizer or attending this meeting or that to talk to organizers about this. You know what? THIS IS HAWAIʻI. And in our culture, it is the wrongdoer, not the wronged, upon whom the responsibility falls for making right. Period.
So for now, I am boycotting the march, and ask others to join me in this. Without the Kanaka Maoli leading the way, it is frankly nothing but a celebration of the continued military occupation of Hawaiʻi and does not honor the legacy of Dr. King in a pono manner at all. There is no balance at all. And please don't tell me this group or that has a contingent in the parade --- that is their kuleana, and I respect it, but it does not make this right. At all.
If anyone has anything to say about this (other than questions etc which are always welcome), I prefer that you say it to the march organizing committee, who should have been put on the spot over this long ago. My hope is that they will eventually do the right thing, and that we can walk together once more. We are not asking for a lot -- an apology and restoration of respect for our rightful position would suffice. But until then, please boycott. And spread the word.
No justice, no peace.
- This is so sad and such a travesty to MLK... Militarization of a parade in his honor is ridiculous and wrong... Profiling Kanaka Maoli, who are the people of the land on which they are practicing their war mongering in the name of MLK is absolute HEWA! MLK would not be happy in anyway, considering HAWAII was there front and center of the march, the leis of ALOHA sent from Hawaii to honor those who were brave enough to march for the right to vote and end segregation....#Boycott
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