Still We Rise: Midwest Conference For Racial Justice July 10th-11th, 2004 Malcolm X College 1900 W Van Buren Chicago, IL

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Table of Contents: Racial Justice 911 Network: An Overview a. RJ911 Chicago b. RJ911 Midwest c. RJ911 National RJ 911 Midwest Network: Guiding Principles Still We Rise: Midwest Conference For Racial Justice a. Context & Need b. Vision

 

I. Racial Justice 911 Network:

An Overview

A. RJ911 Chicago

Racial Justice 911 (RJ911) Chicago, a coalition of people of color organizations and organizers, is dedicated to developing a regional network of racial justice organizations in order to build a broad-based resistance to the U.S. dangerous foreign and domestic policies, known as the War on Terrorism, among communities of color.  RJ 911 Chicago is a part of Racial Justice 911, a national effort launched in February 2002 to develop a national network of racial justice organizations.  RJ911 Chicago began by coordinating 2 days of workshops, cultural activity, and a press conference on May 17 and 19, 2003 (in honor of the birthdays of Malcolm X, Ho Chi Minh and Yuri Kochiyama).  The coalition has drawn a diverse range of groups that are rooted in the African American, Latino, Arab and Asian communities.

B. RJ911 Midwest

Racial Justice 911 (RJ911) Midwest was initiated with the hiring of a Midwest Regional Coordinator in January 2004, as part of an effort to bring together groups and individuals working on racial justice in the region.  Since, this network has been drawing people of color and racial justice organizations and activists throughout the Midwest, who are invested in organizing a Midwest Regional Gathering, scheduled for July 10-11^th.  Through this process, the RJ911 Midwest Network hopes to develop and distill a collective vision and a common agenda for collective action in the region.

C. RJ911 National

Recognizing that the current foreign policy crisis is, simultaneously, a domestic and international racial justice emergency, Racial Justice 911 (RJ 911) was launched in February 2002 to develop a national network of racial justice organizations dedicated to building broad-based opposition to the U.S.' dangerous foreign and domestic policies, known as the "War on Terrorism," among communities of color.  As we work to establish common language and strategies among organizations representing different regions, racial/ethnic/national communities, approaches to social change work, and organizational cultures, we hope to lay the foundations of a stronger, more united racial justice movement able to take on new tasks long after we defeat Bush's war program.

II. RJ 911 Midwest Network:

Guiding Principles

(As adopted by RJ911 Chicago- not yet representative of entire network)

What do we mean by Racial Justice?

Racial Justice is a demand for self-determination for communities of color from the shackles of racism, sexism, class-oppression, and heterosexism.  Our vision of a racially just society is one that is free of oppression based on our race, providing peace, wealth, resources, opportunities and the ability to live productively on a fair and equitable basis, regardless of their color and race.  Racial Justice recognizes white supremacy, as it exists in institutions, culture, and amongst individuals, as a element of western superpower-imperialism that must be opposed.

Is this a People of Color-only operation?  What does that mean?

We believe that it is important to establish spaces exclusively for People of Color to dialog and organize, in order to think critically about the interactions of our communities and forge an open and transparent common agenda, to build a People of Color leadership, and to address the issue of our struggles being co-opted by agendas of white leadership.

Who can represent in RJ911? (Individuals, Representatives of Organizations, etc.) & What power do they have?

Any member of RJ911 Midwest Network may represent RJ911, provided that they are familiar and in agreement with the mission statement.  Representatives (i.e. speakers & panelists) of a regional network must be delegated and prepared, and do not have more power than other members of the network.

What do we have to do differently to ensure that leadership of bases take control of the process?

In order to ensure that our network is not simply composed of organizers representing bases, rather than the leadership of the bases, itself:

• In decision making processes:
• We will put pressure on organizers to turn out the leadership of their bases
• Listen to younger peoples views and integrate them into our approach
• Provide education and information about issues so that people can be fully informed about the issue at hand.

What is our decision-making process?

We emphasize the use of small groups in order to ensure that a decision is as democratic as possible:

1.   A proposal or issue to be decided upon is presented to the larger group: it should educate, define and clarify all concerns. 

2.   Smaller breakout groups provide participants a space to determine the pros and cons and all possible results of a decision.

3.   The smaller groups report back to the entire body, presenting a resolution or working process.

4.   Strong objections are taken and considered from the larger body

5.   A (1/2-2/3) majority vote is taken, and (if applicable) the two highest votes are taken, from which a compromise is developed.

Who are we accountable to?

We are accountable to struggling working-class Communities of Color- the younger and future generations who offer us new perspectives and culture, to the older and past generations who have laid the framework for our struggles, and to ourselves: as organizers, as groups, and as our vision.  We emphasize equal participation of young people in our group, and encourage them to be at the decision making table with us, speaking for themselves.

What tactics will we engage in?

We envision a diverse and creative range of tactics that are intelligently designed to get results, such as:

• Interactive and community-building events such as open mics, talent shows and street theater
• Agitating, bold and engaging propaganda, literature, and other promotional materials
• Getting out in the streets with demonstrations and actions

III. Still We Rise:

Midwest Conference For Racial Justice

 

A. Context & Need

At a time when the contradictions and inequities are sharp, targeted Communities of Color are increasingly questioning a system rooted in racism and imperial wars, but-

The need for a People of Color movement against racism and war, one that seeks to reclaim agency and power for the self-determination of our communities, is felt.  

People of Color in the academic world have developed Racial Justice analyses, but are often unavailable and inaccessible to working-class communities.  This inaccessibility is rooted in a system of economic injustice, and needs to be addressed through a dialogue about class and academics, and the development of popular education methods to learn & teach our histories and cultures.

Many People of Color struggling for Racial Justice have found themselves silenced in the predominantly white anti-war and social justice movements. As a result, they find themselves in a white-led movement that doesnt represent their concerns. The need is felt in the Midwest for a safe-space for People of Color, to facilitate real dialogue, support, trust, and to move beyond divisions to work across differences, and towards a movement that addresses our issues. 

Many grassroots organizations in Communities of Color work on issue-based campaigns that are often effective and empowering- however, many such organizations lack a connection to a larger movement that represents the collective voice of all Communities of Color in the region.  These communities are often held back by this isolation, and would greatly benefit from a network of grassroots organizations addressing similar issues.

Electoral campaigns also have their shortcomings, as many People of Color find themselves defending a democracy they never felt a part of- while many do not even have the right to vote, voters find few real alternatives to the status quo, and often grow apathetic from rigged, unfair and unjust elections.  In order to hold elected officials accountable to People of Color, a grassroots movement that has a vision beyond electoral time-lines is necessary.

To address these need, People of Color organizers and activists around the Midwest have been seeking a space to build a movement against white-supremacy that represents our histories, struggles, and analysis.  Racial Justice 911 wants to create this space for movement-building through the Still We Rise Conference, creating a regional network with a unified vision for systemic change and replacing the isolation of our struggles with solidarity.

B. Vision

Setting an Agenda:

The Still We Rise Conference will aim to broadly define a Racial Justice approach and develop a common vision for People of Color in the Midwest region through:

Accessibility:

Still We Rise Conference is accountable to working-class communities of color and will make provisions to improve the accessibility of the conference, we will:

Cultures of Resistance:

An essential part of our struggles, visual and performance artists will be featured through the day, and during cultural events in the evening:

Popular Education & Skill Sharing:

We will be presenting a series of workshops during Still We Rise that focus on education and skill-building.  Some topics covered include:

Action:

As a part of the weekend, we will be planning a hands-on action, whether it be a demonstration, community march, sit-in or a number of other possibilities.  [TBA]