Last weekend I attended SOUL’s “Lessons in Moving the 99%,” with over 80 people in downtown Oakland.
Sitting at the front of the 9-story high room were panelists Maria Poblet of Causa Justa Just Cause, Shaw San Liu of Chinese Progressive Association (CPA), Brooke Anderson of East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, and Tina Bartolome of SOUL—four powerful women with deep insights and experience in organizing for social and economic justice. Here are just some of them.
SUCCESSES OF #OCUPPY
Brooke Anderson laid out five successes of #occupywallstreet: “
1) It changed the national conversation from being about the debt ceiling and how much to cut services to bank accountability, class inequality, and wealth redistribution.
2) It has taken away the stigma of struggling economically.
3) It has named bigger targets, like Wall St., when we are so often only targeting middle-men.
4) It as put direct action at the forefront; marching can be more accessible than lobbying officials in Sacramento.
5) It’s gotten us out of our campaign silos.”
WHITENESS and RACISM
Maria Poblet broke it down: “Communities of color have known these issues for a longtime—joblessness, cuts to the safety net, a lack of democracy or control. This is the product of aninternational economic system.” She challenged the whiteness of the Occupy movement that too often acts as if the movement for economic justice is a new thing. “People in the global south are waiting for the U.S. to show up,” she said.
And closer to home: “Black people can tell you what long term divestment and unemployment does to a community.”
She brought up the crucial role of the white working class, “which has traditionally been bought off by whiteness,” she pointed out. “Can white working class people be involved in an antiracist movement?” she asked. “The challenge is also for people of color to work with them. This is a debate and development that needs to happen in the progressive movement.”
Speaking to the majority people of color audience, Shaw San Liu emphasized having ownership of the movement. “We need to be engaging our folks, so our folks can help shape the direction of Occupy.”
LONG TERM ORGANIZING vs. SHORT TERM UPSURGES
Poblet also centered the relationship between spontaneous upsurges and conscious, long-term community organizing. ”The first is vibrant. It names what is wrong. It feels like it’s coming from everywhere and going everywhere. It rising and it falls; I know because of my involvement with the immigrants rights mobilizing in 2006.”
“The second is based around campaigns, naming the solutions as well as the problems, long-term base building, and developing leaders. “
“Neither are enough by themselves. They both need each other.”
ELECTIONS
“How do we create policy, such as taxing the 1% and a moratorium on foreclosures, without co-optation?” Poblet asked.
While the speakers didn’t mince words about the injustices perpetuated by the Obama administration, they warned against disengaging from the Democrats too much. “People who always vote will vote. People who have a critique always disengage…We have more and more correct ideas [on the left], but less people doing anything about them,” Poblet said.
She spoke about pushing elected officials with movements from below, especially having a strategic understanding of elected progressives. Former community organizer John Avalos pushed SF mayor Ed Lee first as a supervisor, then as mayoral candidate, to enact millions of dollars worth of public services, Poblet said. “Electoral politics is a tool—one of many tools.”
DISCUSSION & ENCOUNTER: TOWARDS A UNIFIED MULTIRACIAL WORKING CLASS
“We need places for discussion, in addition to the convergences. We need to be aligned. What would an International Working People’s Union of the 99% look like?” Poblet challenged the group.
Shaw San Liu spoke about the Progressive Workers Alliance, formed in SF last year between black, Latino, Asian-Pacific Islander, and queer workers. What would it take to include the white working class on that list?
In the end, Poblet warned against disengaging from the movement that has swelled nationally: “Anyone who puts blast on Wall St. can be on our team. This is a laboratory for our development as a movement. As funky as the dynamics can be, stay involved, write, reflect,” she said.
Forward movement.
UPCOMING ACTIONS
Join the Ella Baker Center Book Club. This month we’re reading “Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Race Rebels, and Black Power.” It’s about multiracial, working-class coalition organizing in the 1960’s between the Black Panthers, Young Lords, and Young Patriots (poor whites).
Occupy Wall Street West, Friday, January 20
ALL DAY
SF Financial District (meet at Justin Herman Plaza at 6am, noon, 5pm)
THIS IS NEXT BIG BAY AREA OCUPPY WALL STREET ACTION. Come out and hit the streets any time of the day. The big action at 5pm (for those getting out of work/school) will be anchored by the folks I’ve quoted in this post!
“Share the Fortune” led by the Colorful Mama’s of the 99%
Saturday January 21st
Bank of America, Oakland Chinatown
10am (meet at Lincoln Park, 11th and Harrison)
It’s the weekend before the lunar new year, and the time to “clean the crap out of your house, life, and Wall St.” It’ll also be extremely cute!
