Moving The Movement

Intergenerational Marchers for Workers Rights

One of the most inspiring aspects of attending the social forum was seeing the composition of the participants: probably about half were young - under 35 years old, and at least half were people of color – African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, and Native Americans. Last year I attended a conference held by an organization with similar values, and was disappointed to see the participants were almost completely white and only about 5% were under 30. The social forum felt authentically grassroots, young, vibrant, and committed.

In a Thursday morning session entitled, “Moving The Movement in The US”, members of the planning committee for the USSF discussed the history of social movements in the last 40 years and the state of current movements. Ruben Solis of the Southwest Workers Union explained that in the old paradigm, people of color needed white, progressive liberals, and their connections and resources before any real change happened. In the new paradigm, people of color are organizing, leading, and making change happen on their own, as the planning and success of the USSF aptly indicated.

After the session, I began to wonder, what are the conversations that need to happen between white communities and communities of color to develop healthier, more collaborative and mutual relationships? I posed this question to KC, an African-American social activist from Texas. He said that what would be most helpful is if white organizations simply ask organizations of color what they need, and provide solicited assistance, not unsolicited leadership or control. I also think the vice-versa is true as well – white organizations should begin asking communities of color for help, not simply grasping to fulfill diversity quotas.

Living in Seattle, I notice that there is still largely a divide between the environmental justice/climate change movement, which is largely white and middle/upper class, and the social/economic justice movements led by or involving people of color. The divisions are also apparent geographically in the neighborhoods of Seattle. I believe these movements are fundamentally connected and would love to see more collaboration between the two. I have to claim ignorance about what indigenous communities are doing, but I believe that they could be or already are a keystone in this collaboration, since environmental and social justice have never been separate for them.

The US Social Forum was a phenomenal space for these questions and issues to be looked at, and inspired by the diversity and youth of the participants, I believe that these movements will indeed continue to move forward in a positive direction.