THE NEXT MOVE

Emira Palacios

NPA is not afraid!

By Emira Palacios
NPA Co-Chair

When people see National People’s Action co-chairs out front, they think we are not afraid and we have it all together. Things aren’t always the way that they appear. It is important for local groups and leaders to realize national leaders get nervous and experience fear. We overcome that fear.

Last year at NPA I was very nervous and afraid about the hit on presidential advisor Karl Rove. I was feeling very discouraged altogether and I basically wanted to go to my room, lock myself in and not do anything. I felt like a boxer after a fight: beaten, bruised and exhausted. Much of the work we had done locally had not gone the way we wanted it to. We had worked hard but not achieved our goals. It was a difficult time.

But as the sessions went on, people came to me and wanted help. They wanted to practice their presentations and they were very nervous as well. I realized people looked up to me and I needed to do whatever I could to encourage them.

The immigrants’ rights workshop really made me overcome my fear. It was very emotional, very touching. The stories were tremendous. When I heard these stories and saw these real people with real situations, I told myself, “You cannot afford to be afraid. You have to do what’s right and fight for justice.”

My fear kept fading away.

When we got to the door at Rove’s house, I just knew that I had a role to play and I needed to do my best. I did. Though we feel fear at times, we should not be afraid to come out and speak the truth to people doing things that affect our communities. We are speaking not only for ourselves, but for those too afraid or unable to speak. We are those unheard voices that long for change and for things to be made right. We are also those who challenge fear to demand that our families, our homes, our communities be treated with respect and fairness.

We are also not by ourselves. The wonderful thing about NPA is the love, support and power that come with being part of a group. I have never felt left out, or vulnerable at NPA. Everyone who comes to NPA should feel that they have a place with us. Though we have different issues, come from different ethnic backgrounds, and from different cultures, we all come to D.C. because we are being screwed. We come with a common goal to fight back. We build relationships as we support one another and identify with each other’s issues. We build unity.

When you confront these powerful people with a thousand people behind you, the powerful people appear to be afraid. We see they aren’t the giants we once perceived them to be. They are humans, just like us. They have taken advantage of their positions to abuse their power. It’s up to us to tell them that’s wrong and that they have to be held accountable.

I just want to encourage NPA leaders to keep pushing forward and working through their fears. Coming to NPA and hearing the situations that everyone is in encouraged me to keep fighting. Some fights take longer than others. But hearing about victories along with the testimonies and difficulties – the struggles that people go through to win victory – makes us stronger.

With people power, and with God-given power because we are fighting for justice, we will overcome. We have no need to fear.