Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti: Unseating a King Through Women's Collective Action

Key Quotes

"The video also didn't mention the president trying to order the national guard into american cities portland and chicago where judges stopped the orders saying they were illegal like i say the video mentioned no specific orders at all and really the video might have vanished into the daily noise of a million news stories and online videos like almost everything else does these days it really could have come and gone and been forgotten except that the president went on truth social and called the video seditious behavior punishable by death said he wanted the lawmakers to be tried as traitors"

This quote highlights the intense political rhetoric surrounding military orders and the potential for legal challenges. The author points out how the president's reaction escalated a video's message into accusations of sedition and treason, demonstrating a significant partisan divide. This illustrates the charged atmosphere where even discussions about obeying lawful orders could be interpreted as acts of rebellion.

"Brittany ramos debarros answers all those calls she's an army vet served in afghanistan lately i think we've seen a lot of people who are in the national guard saying orders are being circulated to support ice or to occupy an american city i'm really concerned that i'm going to be forced to participate in one of these operations and i don't believe that that's right and i want to know what my options are if i don't want to participate in that right people signed up thinking i'm going to help rescue people from floods and you know help with the aftermath and cleanup of hurricanes i didn't sign up to go police american citizens that's not what the military is for"

Brittany Ramos deBarros explains the concerns of National Guard members regarding potential orders to support ICE or occupy cities. She notes that service members are questioning their roles when asked to perform duties outside their perceived mission, such as policing citizens instead of disaster relief. This demonstrates a conflict between military orders and personal beliefs about the purpose of service.

"The pentagon wants to create these quick response forces 500 national guard in each state to control civil unrest and riots um have you heard about that yes i spoke to someone last week who said that they their unit has had voluntary orders where they're asking people to volunteer to be part of these qrfs and that they so far had been able to decline them um but they were calling because they were worried that it was going to not be optional soon because they weren't seeing a lot of people volunteer and that the sentiment within the units that they were in and connected to seemed to be that people thought this is bullshit like i am not i'm not going to be part of an anti protest force in my own state that's not what i signed up for the national guard for"

This quote reveals the creation of Quick Response Forces (QRFs) within the National Guard for civil unrest and the apprehension of service members. The interviewee expresses concern that these voluntary orders may become mandatory, as few are volunteering. The sentiment described is that service members feel these roles are contrary to their initial commitment to the National Guard.

"We have more and more people with the escalations that we're seeing in the caribbean um that are saying i am connected in some way to units that are carrying out these boat strikes or these you know preparations for attacks on venezuela and things like that that are really gravely concerned"

This passage indicates a rise in calls from individuals connected to units involved in military actions in the Caribbean, such as boat strikes or preparations for attacks on Venezuela. The speaker notes that these individuals are expressing grave concern about these operations. This suggests a growing unease within the military regarding specific foreign policy actions.

"Brittany says she does not advise anybody on what they should do but tells them what their options are people can stay in their units and speak out publicly about things that they object to within certain limits but even if they follow the rules they could face all kinds of consequences people who want out can file papers to be conscientious objectors which can lead to wildly various outcomes they could be reassigned to other duties or they could be discharged some people refusing to obey orders can get court martialed of course people can choose to do nothing"

Brittany Ramos deBarros clarifies her role in advising service members, stating she provides information on options rather than directives. She outlines various paths, including speaking out within limits, seeking conscientious objector status, or facing consequences for refusing orders, including court-martial. This demonstrates the complex landscape of choices and potential repercussions for military personnel facing difficult orders.

"The women's group met too late i had long fallen asleep on the bench in the dining room and woke up the following morning in the bed in the dormitory of mrs kuti's class on the following morning at breakfast i heard for the first time the expression abe okuta women's union the abe okuta women's union at this point in the archives you see a switch flip no more ladies' club this is a union and no more western clothes from this point forward she would dress in the same wraps and headscarves as the market women she started only wearing nigerian clothing she never wore western clothing again"

This quote describes a pivotal shift in Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti's activism, moving from the "ladies' club" to the "Abeokuta Women's Union." The author notes that this transition was marked by a change in her attire, adopting traditional Nigerian clothing. This signifies a deeper commitment to her roots and a more unified, organized approach to her political endeavors.