Three Imperatives for Racial Justice in 2012

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Applying Our Research 

ARC's Research Department is in the planning stage for the 2012 phase of our Millennials Project, which seeks to better understand why some young people (ages 18-30) become actively involved in racial justice movements. The project will also explore the extent to which those young people who are involved in progressive organizations and movements, take racial justice for granted in the broader struggle for social or economic justice.

ARC researchers have helped create the first drafts of an upcoming survey of the Occupy movement that will focus on issues of class, racial and gender justice. We are also in the process of selecting cities for the next round of focus groups with young people active in progressive organizations, to be held in February and March of this election year. Our focus groups typically last no more than 90 minutes, and participants receive a small compensation for their time. If you would be interested in co-hosting one of these sessions, or offering feedback on the latest draft, please e-mail us at [email protected].



Network News

In December, ARC led a workshop for the Occupy Movement on "Organizing with a Racial Justice Framework." The meeting was well attended, with over 350 Occupiers and standing room only. ARC's presentation focused on structural racism, organizing from the margins, and the critical importance of racial justice in building a powerful, unified economic reform movement. ARC President Rinku Sen made a compelling case for including a racial justice organizing strategy, and Seth Wessler shared information on the racist history and underpinnings of the economic collapse. In breakout groups, Occupiers and working groups made workplans to explicitly elevate their racial justice planning and organizing. ARC was delighted to contribute to OWS, and intends to continue to equip grassroots changemakers with the training tools and frameworks needed to seed racial equity.


Colorlines.com Spotlight

With January comes the annual ritual of reflecting on what we can do differently in our lives. Notably, January is also a time when we reflect on the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. -- and think about how we can all act in service to a greater good. So Colorlines.com’s Terry Keleher and Hatty Lee teamed up to create a user-friendly tool to help readers manage their new commitments to making change: "How to Be a Racial Justice Hero, on MLK Day and All Year Long."

“The good news is that you already have everything you need,” writes Keleher. “All it takes is to be simply, but fully, human. Indeed, it’s a full-body endeavor, involving an open mind, open heart, open arms, and often, an open mouth.” Check out Hatty Lee’s infographic, full of simple tips on being a racial justice hero. Clip it, save it and reference it all year.

President's Message

As 2012 begins, I’m reminded of Martin Luther King Jr.’s immortal words about the arc of the moral universe. In my view, that arc appears to be bending in the direction of justice. Developments in immigration and criminal justice point to shifts in the discourse that give communities of color some new leverage. As we head towards the presidential election, I am keeping three imperatives in mind: First, avoid the temptations of triumphalism. Second, put an explicit racial analysis front and center in national debates. Third, fight like hell.
 
There’s still a ton of work to do to centralize racial justice as a value, and to reframe key debates through racial justice, especially debates over the economy. The victories we are starting to see owe a great deal to our collective effort to re-humanize people of color in the public discourse.
 
Racial justice activists and thinkers should be all over Occupy Wall Street, for instance, helping to generate a racial analysis among Occupiers and in all economic justice efforts. There’s plenty of space for that, as evidenced by more than 350 Occupiers who came to a workshop on organizing with a racial justice lens.
 
Finally, 2012 is a presidential election year—and that means lots of often difficult conversations that offer opportunities to introduce new people to racial justice. Meanwhile, Black, Latino, immigrant and young voters will need to be protected from harassment because voting rights are deeply threatened by voter ID laws in numerous states.
 
I’ve been doing this work for a long time now, and every year it gets better. It’s deeply satisfying even when we’re not winning, because there’s inherent value in the process as every action generates reaction. But we need to gear ourselves toward winning, so that we can really prepare for the aftermath of victory—including winning more, implementing what we won and fighting off the backlash. All of that is coming in 2012, and more. Can’t wait.

 

Rinku Sen
President, ARC
Publisher, Colorlines.com



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